David Carter to lead new A&P Show board
The new head of the Canterbury A&P Association is promising a new era for the country’s largest A&P Show, but says public support is crucial to keep it alive.
Sir David Carter says the “dysfunctions” and “intransigent personalities” of the old board, particularly former chairperson Stewart Mitchell, are things of the past.
“We can’t guarantee there won’t be problems ... but I’m confident, with the help of professional organisers, we won’t have the shambles they had a year ago with the car parking,” the former MP said.
The association’s new board was elected yesterday afternoon, just three months before a scaled-down (and more affordable) version of the A&P Show returns to the showgrounds.
Carter – an MP for 21 years, including as agriculture minister – said the association had been operating as “effectively insolvent” earlier this year, so needed sponsors to sign up, exhibitors to get back on board and the public to buy early tickets. “To rural Canterbury ... it’s not the time for lip service. It’s time to really show they’re as keen on this thing surviving as the board and general committee is.”
The 162-year-old event was initially cancelled by the now-former board, which believed running a 2024 show was financially irresponsible. The financial side of the show had “always been fragile, but I don’t buy the argument that it can’t be profitable”, Carter said.
“All these other [A&P] shows run on one day, and they take the risk of one day of weather. We’ve got three days. We get in excess of 100,000 people through the show each year. I think, run properly, it can definitely be profitable.”
He said savings could be found by cutting down on overheads and running other activities during the year, which he said were irrelevant to the show. He said the board planned on doing a careful analysis of what was losing them money. For starters, the board had already agreed to not accept directors fees, saving the association about $120,000 a year, he said.
Dysfunctional was “the only word” that could be used to describe the relationship between the now-ex board and general committee, he said, the latter of which Carter described as “the real dedicated foot soldiers of the organisation ... the people that really do the work”.
Mitchell said Carter’s description of the old board was “disappointing and regrettable”, as they had agreed to be professional throughout the transition. However, he and Steve Barry, who also left the board yesterday, agreed there was dysfunction and clashes of personality.
Stewart said it was unusual for an entire board to resign, as they did in May, but relationship breakdowns had made it impossible to be effective.
Joining Carter on the board as independent board members are Peter Engles (operations manager at Hazlett, a business that deals in livestock and finances) and Ethan Hill (a senior manager with BDO’s audit division).
The three board members from the general committee are Bryce Murray (the association’s current president, and the only person from the old board to survive the mass exodus) Brent Chamberlain and Lex Peddie.
The 2024 show was resurrected in June after Event Hire proposed a scaled down version and amid pressure from within the association.
Phil Anderson, co-owner of the event management company, said they were shocked to learn the show had been cancelled and wanted to be part of the solution.
He said this year’s show would still feature livestock displays, stock judging, trade sites, competitions and entertainment. Tickets for adults would be $20 – half the price of 2023 – and they were still looking for a sponsor to subsidise the cost of children’s tickets.
Christchurch mayor Phil Mauger said he was very happy the show would go on and there were solid plans in place to ensure its longevity.
“This is part of our history, and it is important that it continues for our city. So, I hope that everyone will get behind it and get to the show rain, hail or shine. As a community we need to support this iconic event.”
The show will run Thursday to Saturday, November 14 to 16.