Christchurch City Council has given New Zealand's largest agricultural show a $5m lifeline.
It comes a week after the Canterbury Agricultural Show announced it was postponing this year's event due to financial strife.
"What we had was a 100-year lease on a piece of land in Wigram, that actually for next 95 years was unusable for the association or the council. We've decided we'll buy that back off the association," said Christchurch City councillor Sam MacDonald.
It's not the first time the show has needed extra funding. It negotiated a $1m council loan to deliver the 2022 show.
"This means actually that we've got a structure in place, where they can't spend the $4m, we get a $1m loan repaid to the council and the interest every year is paid to offset those costs," MacDonald told Newshub.
He said it will future proof the show.
"The whole point of this was to ensure sustainability long term. What we didn't want and don't want is for the association to come back next year for another bailout, " he added.
"It's most important that the organisation of the show improves a lot, to make sure that the show can continue for another 50 or 100 years," said Karl Dean, president of Federated Farmers North Canterbury.
But some locals are already losing interest.
"It's too much [money] for a family day out, it really is. It's like your groceries for the week to go there," one person told Newshub.
"It's pretty expensive," another said.
MacDonald said some fresh thinking is needed to "ensure they deliver a show for people".
The Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association hasn't responded to Newshub's requests for an interview.
And there is no indication this funding means this year's show will go on.
