Apollo Bay’s annual show is cancelled this year.

APOLLO Bay Show organisers have cancelled this year’s event, saying the show will return “re-energised” next year.

Apollo Bay and Otway District Agricultural Show treasurer Gayle Seach said the committee decided to cancel the March 15 event after the committee’s president withdrew in December due to poor health.

“Circumstances have been against us this year,” Ms Seach said.

“We’ll just have a break this year and re-energise for next year,” she said.

“It will give us a chance to regroup and give a bigger and better show in 2015.”

Ms Seach said agriculture had reduced in the area since the show’s inception in 1954.

“That highlights the greater need for it, to educate children about animals, to expose them to agriculture – that has been our objective,” she said.

Ms Seach said the committee had posted a message on the show’s page on the Apollo Bay community website, but said the show’s main website was proving difficult to update with correct information and continued to promote the show despite its cancellation.

Colac Otway Shire Council’s Apollo Bay councillor Frank Buchanan said the show’s cancellation was “disappointing”.

“Shows in general across Victoria have declined and usually they end up more of a horse-focused event,” Cr Buchanan said.

“There’s been a real change in demographic,” he said.

“There used to be a hundred dairy farms from Wongarra to Hordern Vale in 1970 and the Apollo Bay butter factory once thrived.

“Now there are two dairy farms in the Apollo Bay district.

“But it would be nice to see the show come back.”