Child Safety Rules Tightened at Perth Royal Show After Offender Scandal
So, here’s what’s happened. The Perth Royal Show — that big annual event that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors — has had to seriously step up its child safety measures this year. And it all stems from a disturbing incident at last year’s show. A convicted paedophile, who’s actually a prominent WA farmer and businessman, was spotted running a cow-milking demonstration surrounded by children. Even worse, he was recognised by the mother of one of his victims. The man is a Class One offender under WA’s Working with Children laws, meaning he should never have been allowed anywhere near kids in that capacity.
Once that came to light, organisers banned him for life. But that wasn’t enough — public outrage and child safety advocates pushed for stronger safeguards. This year, the Royal Agricultural Society, which runs the show, has made Working with Children Checks mandatory for all exhibitors and volunteers who have direct contact with children. That means anyone teaching, demonstrating, or engaging with kids in a hands-on way must have passed the screening.
However, the checks won’t cover every single person working at the show. Vendors selling things in full public view, like hats or food, aren’t required to get the clearance. Organisers say with over 5,000 people involved in running the event — many from small businesses or community groups — it’s not “feasible” to screen everyone. Instead, they’re taking what they call a “risk-based” approach.
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To reassure parents, organisers have doubled the number of background checks from last year, reaching over 1,000. They’ve also boosted on-site safety measures: 80 monitored cameras, an emergency operations centre, 55 police officers, 130 security guards, and hundreds of trained staff. The message they’re sending is, “This is a safe place to bring your children.” But they’re also reminding parents that supervision is still vital — just like you’d watch your kids in a shopping centre, you should do the same at the show.
The WA Agriculture Minister has backed the changes, saying the organisers have gone “above and beyond” legal requirements. The state government is also chipping in $2.8 million this year, including subsidies to make tickets cheaper — kids under four get in free, and those under 16 or with concessions pay half price.
Still, child safety experts say more could be done. They want mandatory Working with Children Checks for anyone in contact with kids, plus nationally consistent rules to remove any uncertainty. They argue that events like the Royal Show should follow the same strict standards as schools, childcare centres, and other child-serving organisations.
So, while this year’s Perth Royal Show will have more checks, more guards, and more cameras than ever, the incident from last year has made one thing clear — parents, organisers, and the government all share responsibility for keeping kids safe.
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