The Variety NSW Bash, a popular outback charity motoring rally, has been cancelled due to rising fuel costs and shortages. The event, which has been running annually since 1985, involved about 300 motoring enthusiasts travelling through the state's outback in decorated cars, raising over $1 million for children who are sick, disadvantaged, or living with disabilities.
This year's event was set to start in Newcastle and travel through north-west NSW to Dirranbandi and Lightning Ridge. It is the second cancellation in the event's 41-year history, with the previous one in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Variety NSW/ACT chief executive Tony Warner said the decision was difficult but necessary. 'The right thing to do is obviously to leave [fuel] for the farmers and the families who need it in those communities,' he said. Warner noted that fuel prices had compounded cost-of-living pressures for regional Australians, with families struggling to access health services and equipment.
Several schools along the route were expecting supplies from Variety, which will now be delivered at later dates. To replace lost fundraising revenue, Variety NSW will launch 'Move in May', an initiative encouraging people to reduce petrol use by walking or cycling to work.
Fuel pressures are also affecting other charities like Aussie Hay Runners, which recently delivered over 1,000 hay bales to farmers in Bingara. Founder Linda Widdup said diesel costs could reach $8,000 per truck, and rising prices may limit where they can deliver. Despite challenges, she praised the community's support, saying, 'Diesel is a stupid price, but they are still here.'
