Society secretary Katrina Gollan expects to find out this month if Wodonga Council will agree to the permit or not.

“If they don’t grant us a camping permit they cut off our income,” Ms Gollan said.

Councillors will get a report at their informal briefing session today, meaning council wouldn’t comment.

Ms Gollan said several events held on the society’s grounds could be put at risk if a temporary ban on camping became permanent due to the permit application’s refusal.

“That could be the slow, long death of the show society and ultimately the council will get its hands on the land,” she said.

In an application advertised in January, the society sought a permit for eight sites, seeing camping as more a service than core business.

During initial contact with the council, the society formed the opinion it was not responsible for camping when it on-leased its land to other groups.

Later the planning department ruled no camping was allowed in any circumstances without a permit.

“This effectively renders the showgrounds useless for a number of events,” she said.

Ms Gollan said getting the permit would still only be step one.

“We then have to register and meet all the regulations for a caravan park,” she said.

“The problem is that while there’s no camping on the grounds at all it puts at risk a lot of events.”

Ms Gollan said a lot of campers, such as those due to attend an Upper Murray Horsemen’s Association event in June, came with bigger vehicles.

“And they’re not looking to stay in a caravan park, they don’t want all those amenities,” she said.

“They just want somewhere they can set up and be self-sufficient before moving on.

“There’s nowhere else that can provide overnight stays or any facilities for anyone with any stock or animals.”

The issue, she said, raised the question of just what the exhibition centre would be used for in future.

“The pony club is not going to be able to have any events,” she said.

“People travelling and bringing horses into town are not going to pack them up, go home again and then come back again the next day.”

Ms Gollan said the society feared the council’s true intention was to have it move elsewhere permanently.

She said the show society had been asked twice whether it would leave and what it would want to be relocated.