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The largest swap meet in the southern hemisphere has been cancelled for the fourth consecutive year after failing to lock in a new home in Western Victoria.
Key points:
The famed Ballarat Swap Meet will not run next year after organisers were unable to find a site to hold the event
Previously the event has attracted tens of thousands of people to the area
Future swap meets are likely to be held outside of Ballarat due to lack of available land in the city
Ballarat Swap Meet was established in 1989 by the city's Rotary clubs, attracting thousands of stallholders selling cars and all kinds of knick-knacks each year — and raising money for the community organisation in the process.
To accommodate the tens of thousands of attendees at the gathering, which has traditionally been held in February, organisers leased a sprawling site near the city's airport from 2015 through to 2020.
Post-pandemic, the Mitchell Park site has been unavailable for the event due to the development of the area as part of the Ballarat West Employment Zone.
Ballarat Swap Meet logistics manager, Frank Cotronea, said finding an alternative venue for the much-loved event has proven a significant challenge for the committee, particularly given the size of the meet.
"We would require about 80 acres. There hasn't been anything in that vicinity that would be able to accommodate what we try to operate," he said.
Mr Cotronea said another difficulty faced by organisers was ensuring the new site had adequate water and vehicle access.
The latest cancellation follows the axing of the 2023 event, for the same reasons.
"It's been pretty tough … it's a blow for all of us," he said.
Mr Cotronea thanked the City of Ballarat for its assistance in trying to locate a suitable venue over the past two years.
"They've tried, they've done research for us … but due to the size of the event, it needs a lot of things to go our way to work."
In a statement, the City of Ballarat's director of development and growth, Natalie Robertson, said the council is committed to working with organisers "if there is a desire for the event to continue in the future".
"[We] reiterate that we would welcome discussions with any member of the public who may be able to facilitate a private property location," Ms Robertson said.
ABC News has contacted the Victorian government, a major sponsor of the event, for comment.
Holding out hope for 2025
With the 2024 event ruled out, the Ballarat Swap Meet committee has turned its attention to securing a site for February 2025.
But Mr Cotronea said that potential comeback is likely to be run at a smaller capacity and at a location outside of Ballarat.
"In Ballarat, there's probably nothing available for what we need we've got a couple of options we're looking at … but those options are probably twelve months in planning to even see how we go with it.
"We've got fingers crossed at the moment trying different things.
"Hope – that's all we can do."
In the meantime, any of the 1200 stallholders for the 2023 event who haven't yet applied for a refund can do so via the Ballarat Swap Meet website until October 20.