AELEC
Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre
The $30million Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre continues to set new records and create industry interest since opening in September. So far it has played host to a variety of equine sport disciplines, seen nearly 30,000 people through the doors, and been home to over 5,000 horses and cows.
It's the biggest ever construction undertaken by Tamworth Regional Council on behalf of its city and community and a spectacular landmark in this city.
We're pleased with the initial responses and the feedback we're getting from both the general public and the industry partners to the AELEC.
The centre is an investment in this region's future and I think it will grow to be what grapes are to the Hunter Valley.
It's a fantastic building and anyone who walks inside it can't help but be impressed. We had an overwhelming response to the Community Open Day we had to give the public a sneak peak at the complex on Sunday September 21. About 9,000 people came and visited it and have given the city a wonderful vote of confidence in this project.
It is one of the most ambitious undertakings ever by a local government body and will be a major building block in securing events and tourism for Tamworth.
The construction is the reality of a 10-year dream by supporters to see a new super-centre to service the equine and cattle industries and the events they bring to this region. We don't have a Uluru or a Barrier Reef and so we have had to build our tourism brand on events - and this centre I think will be another huge magnet for visitors and competitors.
The centre is unique as a livestock events complex in Australia - not just because of what it offers, but also because of how it's been built and what it features.
It involved processes that are innovative and at the cutting edge of modern construction, including new post-tensioned steel technology, roof sheeting, and in the stables where latest technology and animal safety have brought new state of the art components.
The sense of excitement and awe that has come with the opening of the AELEC is shared by the city of Tamworth, by our regional community, and by the industries who will be associated with it.
There is partnership funding in this project but Tamworth Regional Council is contributing something like $20 million of the $30 million cost. Not only does it represent a joint project of the three tiers of government but it is a true testament to the way in which a community, not just of residents and businesspeople, can bring together something very special. This project has involved our community and the wider public.
Come and see it for yourself. You really do have to see it to believe it.
