The 2021 Regional Australia Bank Dubbo Show will be opened by former NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons, who last month was named the 2021 NSW Australian of the Year.
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He may be in good company with the show society in the process of sending out invitations to the opening to other high-profile commissioners who lead frontline emergency service workers.
On the invitation list is NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Rob Rogers, NSW State Emergency Service Commissioner Carlene York, NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller and Commissioner of the Volunteer Rescue Association Mark Gibson.
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Show society secretary Sue Hood said Commissioners Rogers and Gibson had already accepted. Local police and emergency services workers will also be asked to be guests of honour.
In the wake of the worst bushfire season in NSW in 2019/2020, Mrs Hood said the society wanted to "say thank you to all the frontline workers".
The invitation to Mr Fitzsimmons, now Commissioner of Resilience in NSW, was passed on by the state Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders.
"We were told he would be delighted to open the 2021 Regional Australian Bank Dubbo Show," Mrs Hood said.
The invitation sent to the bushfire hero reflects the society's ambition to put behind it the cancellation of the 2020 show because of the COVID-19 lockdown.
A grant of almost $67,000 announced by federal Member for Parkes Mark Coulton will help the society's recovery from a year of "no income".
Cash from the federal government's Supporting Agricultural Shows and Field Days program has been splashed across the region to societies which had to cancel shows.
Mrs Hood has welcomed Dubbo Show Society's grant which will cover operating costs incurred in the 2019/2020 financial year, but not the likes of wages or reimbursements made when the 2020 show did not go ahead.
She is pleased to see other societies including Bathurst, Orange and Wellington getting grants.
"It's just what we all needed to keep our shows going," Mrs Hood said.
A competition for a new Hilux SR5 is underway to raise money to run the 2021 Dubbo show, with details on the society's Facebook page.
The show will run from May 14 to 16.
