Maitland City Council will spend more than $75,000 extra to mark the 30th anniversary of one of the city’s landmark community events next year.
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The Burton Automotive Hunter Valley Steamfest will turn 30 next April and council wants to create a special program of events to mark the occasion.
A quad run between Newcastle and Maitland, believed to be a world first over that distance, would be the cornerstone of the extraordinary program that has been proposed by council.
Council would hire four steam trains, with a diesel back-up, for the quad run, for a combined total of $30,000.
An extra $5000 would be spent on marketing the event as well as entertainment for the festival.
Council would also spend $15,000 to set up an interactive digital tour of the Maitland station precinct to highlight the stories, people and machinery that have been part of the city’s rich locomotive history.
Organiser Cr Peter Garnham said Steamfest recouped all its costs each year and he believed the extra attractions next year would draw enough people to cover the extra costs involved.
“Because the quad run will be a world first, that will draw people from all over the world,” he said.
While council has identified a use for the $75,000 in funding, it will figure out where that money will come from at the next quarterly budget review.
Steamfest attracts 55,000 to 80,000 visitors to Maitland and about $11 million to the city’s economy each year, according to council.
In his report to councillors, which will be debated on Tuesday, events co-ordinator Adam Franks notes that the 30th anniversary of Steamfest will be a chance to increase visitor numbers to the city and reap the flow-on economic benefits.
“A milestone as significant as 30 years is likely to draw attention from visitors and steam enthusiasts worldwide,” he wrote.
“In 2010, the 25th event attracted groups from both the UK and New Zealand to the city.
“A particular attraction at that time was the triple parallel run of steam trains from Newcastle to Maitland, a rare occurrence in the world of steam.”