The council has pushed for a public holiday on the show Friday in recent years, however the NSW government has instead opted for a local event day. A local event day only applies to workplaces where agreements or contracts allow the day to be treated as a holiday.

A motion to Newcastle council on Tuesday to apply for a local event day was amended by deputy lord mayor Declan Clausen, who moved to request a public holiday and if it's rejected, revert to a local event day.

Liberal councillor Callum Pull argued a public holiday would impose too much on businesses when they were "already feeling the pressure". Business Hunter said in a submission to council a local event day "seems to strike the right balance".

The Friday of the show has not been a public holiday for more than a decade.

Newcastle Agricultural, Horticultural and Industrial Association president Peter Evans said he was supportive of the day being a public holiday.

"We want to bring young people back to the show," he said. "This will bring people to the city, which supports business."

A NSW government spokesperson said council would be required to gauge the level of community support for a local public holiday. The Employee Relations Minister will then decide.

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