One of the Kimberley's biggest events, the Ord Valley Muster, has been cancelled for a second time due to COVID-19.
The festival was supposed to go ahead over 10 days in May, featuring bands such as Ian Moss and Baker Boy, while showcasing the region's rich Indigenous and pastoral culture.
The festival also kick-starts the dry season rush attracting thousands of tourists to the East Kimberley, providing a large windfall for the local economy.
But late yesterday organisers said in a statement that the event had been called off.
"We have evaluated the many challenges and uncertainty due to COVID-19 and tried to find workable solutions, however there are too many uncertainties for us to confidently and safely proceed," the statement said.
Event chair Sophie Cooke told the ABC the risk of the event being called off due to a coronavirus outbreak was too high.
"We could have lost millions of dollars if the event was cancelled last minute," she said.
Far cry from last year's celebration
The move marks a significant change from last year's festival, which occurred during a brief respite from the national pandemic and was a near-sellout.
The announcement comes as individual tourism operators in the Kimberley have reported shedding hundreds of thousands of dollars in cancellations during recent weeks following the WA government's decision to delay the state's reopening indefinitely.
Ms Cooke said that border uncertainty also influenced the decision.
"The current border controls and no given date for when that's going to change; we had real concerns about our interstate visitors and artists," she said.
Shire of Wyndham East Kimberley president David Menzel said it's a disappointing outcome given last year's event brought about six million dollars into the region.
"Really unfortunate we don't have a pathway to opening up the state," he said.
