Tamworth's Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre future secured

Tamworth council agreed to support the National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Futurity, the Nutrien Classic Campdraft and Sale, and the Nutrien Graduate Campdraft at its latest meeting.

Each event will saddle up in the Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre (AELEC) and will bring an estimated benefit of at least $26 million to the region.

"This is a marketing strategy to keep the viability of AELEC on into the future and keep it in the black, rather than operating it at a cost to the community," Tamworth councillor Phil Betts said.

Cr Betts said the status of Futurity's reputation as the largest cutting event in the southern hemisphere delivers loads of good publicity to Tamworth on top of the economic benefits.

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For the first time in council's 14-year partnership with the NCHA, councillors have agreed to a three-year deal, waiving $15,000 of fees each year in a bid to secure AELEC as the Futurity's event venue through to 2026.

Cr Brooke Southwell said agreeing to three-year deal instead of taking it one year at a time will "lock in" the revenue and economic prosperity - an estimated $7.1 million - the event brings to Tamworth.

"I think everyone knows Tamworth as the country music capital of Australia but we're also becoming very well-known due to our amazing equine industry," Cr Southwell said.

In addition, Tamworth council is extending its partnership with Nutrien Ag Solutions to support two events next year: the Nutrien Classic Campdraft and Sale, and the Nutrien Graduate Campdraft.

The Nutrien Classic is the largest performance horse sale in the southern hemisphere, attracting more than 4,500 visitors per day and pumping an estimated $16 million into the regional economy.

As campdrafting continues to grow in popularity across the region, Nutrien has also established the Nutrien Graduate Campdraft, which will be held in September 2024 and is expected to bring more than $2.9 million to the Tamworth region.

Cr Helen Tickle said the combined economic impact of these two events is so large it even affects rural house prices.

"Small farm holdings in the Tamworth district are very popular, in high demand and low supply, and the price has been driven up because of the equine centre specifically," she said.

Council agreed to support both events with sponsorship deals of $15,000.

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