Councillors Sharon Claydon, Nuatali Nelmes, Tim Crakanthorp and Michael Osborne want to reverse the council’s decision to ask the NSW Government to make the show holiday a ‘‘local event day’’.

A public holiday carries public holiday pay rates and the local event day does not.

Business groups have long campaigned to scrap the show public holiday, saying it is detrimental to the local economy and costs businesses money.

While Newcastle City Council agreed to a local event day, Lake Macquarie City Council voted in support of a public holiday.

NSW Finance and Services Minister Greg Pearce will ultimately decide whether to approve a public holiday or local event day, and it is unlikely he will approve different holidays in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie.

Cr Nuatali Nelmes said no one knew what was going to happen.

‘‘These public holidays are hard-fought and once you lose them, you never get them back,’’ Cr Nelmes said.

The motion tabled said having a public holiday would provide consistency with adjoining councils ‘‘and will have positive social impacts on the 21,386 families with children living in the Newcastle [local government area] as it allows them to attend the show together without affecting their income’’.

Abolishing the public holiday would affect workers, families and the community.

Show Day will be held on Friday, March16