Mr Piper used his casting vote to apply for a public holiday on March 16 that is expected to be ratified by the state government next week.

Cr Piper believes there are as many people in Lake Macquarie that support the public holiday decision as there are against it.

Business leaders have criticised the decision because Newcastle City Council only applied for a local event day and the show is within its local government area.

A public holiday carries public holiday rates of pay for workers while the local event day does not.

‘‘It came down to the disparity between those in Lake Macquarie that would benefit from a local event day compared to a public holiday,’’ Cr Piper said.

‘‘It came down to the anomaly between those that are covered under the award and those that aren’t.’’

Business owners like Bill Saddington will have to pay staff double time and a half on March 16.

Saddingtons Building Supplies has depots at Broadmeadow, Boolaroo and Maitland and it will cost Mr Saddington an additional $2000 in wages for the day at Boolaroo.

‘‘We have to open because we have a set clientele and we can’t sell any more or do any more so we have just got to service our customers so we are never going to make the money back,’’ he said.

Mr Saddington also owns the Caves Beachside Hotel and said the additional costs of the public holiday would be close to $5000.

The Hunter Business Chamber submitted a report to Lake Macquarie council about the impacts of the decision.

‘‘Holidays such as this take no account of the cost to business where local government boundaries are irrelevant to day to day trading,’’ chamber president Richard Anicich said.

State member for Charlestown Andrew Cornwell said the decision would affect more than just the business community.

‘‘My concern is for the 6000 casual employees in the Charlestown electorate that could miss out on a day’s pay,’’ he said.