Evans Heads locals have raised concerns over the advertised rodeo ‘Buckin by the Beach’ scheduled for 28 December in Evans Head.
Originally advertised for Paddon Memorial Park next to the Evans River, residents said that the first they knew of it was from an ad offering ticket sales to the event. It has now apparently been moved to Stan Payne Oval. Though it is still being advertised online as at Paddon Park.
‘It is not clear from publicly-available information whether this rodeo has been approved by Richmond Valley Council (RVC) as nothing can be found on the RVC website at time of writing about the event except that a similar event was held in 2023 at the Stan Payne Oval at Evans Head,’ said a spokesperson for Evans Head Residents for Sustainable Development (EHRSDI).
According to one local the RVC the council overrode the Stan Payne Oval Committee to bring the event back to the property under their control leaving the community wondering ‘why bother having a management committee if the council can step in at the last moment and override their concerns without appropriate public consultation with those who will be most affected by the event’.
Inquiries made by EHRSDI reveal that those controlling the Stan Payne Oval area were not happy with the impact the previous event had on the condition of the playing fields and one resident, who contacted EHRSDI, said he had suffered a knee injury because of legacy uneven playing surfaces.
The Stan Payne Oval is subject to a Master Plan which was accepted by Council in June 2023 ( https://richmondvalley.nsw.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/SPEH-01-Adopted-Masterplan-2023-.pdf)
‘EHRSDI understands that the committee did not and does not want the rodeo to be held on the Stan Payne Oval because of the effects on the oval’s physical integrity and risk of injury from the legacy effects of that use,’ said the EHRSDI spokesperson.
‘Master Plans are supposed to be about “protecting the local character, heritage and environment” of a site”. It is difficult to reconcile the imposition of an out-of-town, for-profit rodeo with “the core focus” of the site which is “improving the community’s enjoyment within public spaces”.’
Evans Head Residents for Sustainable Development said today it has fielded a number of calls from local residents about the proposed rodeo event covering a range of concerns from the impact the event will have on water quality of the Evans River to the timing of the event in the middle of the busy Christmas period at Evans Head when riverfront usage is at a premium and the space will be lost to the public. Parking and noise problems were also raised.
‘The wider community is also opposed to the event being held at Evans Head because the community is already at capacity from the summer holidays and does not need yet another burden on local infrastructure.’
Animal welfare
Animal welfare issues have also been raised as a concern in relation to the rodeo.
According to research gathered by Dr Anne Gates, ‘Rodeos are a cruel spectator sport, condemned by all animal protection organisations, in which bulls, horses and sometimes other animals are physically provoked into displaying “wild” behaviour by the use of such devices as spurs, electric prods and flank straps. Animals suffer many kinds of injuries and are sometimes killed as a result.
‘Rodeo events do not reflect best practice cattle handling or horsemanship. Calves are not roped, bulls are not ridden and steers are not wrestled as normal husbandry. Animals are not or should not be handled as demonstrated by rodeo events on any farm or station as part of normal husbandry practices. In fact, the agricultural industry strongly promotes low stress stock handling to avoid animals being stressed or injured.’
RVC, National Rodeo Association, and the Stan Payne Oval committee have been contacted for comment.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
