Events Tasmania has confirmed funding for the Tasmanian round of the CAMS Australian Rally Championship for the next five years.
To be held in Launceston, the Tasmanian Government has committed $500,000 across five years, with the three-day event expected to return $1 million into the region.
The state government funding is in addition to a further $50,000 committed by the City of Launceston.
City of Launceston Alderman Simon Wood told the examiner that the CAMS Australian Rally Championship would be a significant boost to the region in the winter period.
“The economic activity that it’s going to generate, in what is a historically quiet time of the year being the winter period, is going to be worth close to a million dollars worth of activity,” Alderman Wood said.
“It’s two-and-a-half thousand bed nights, over $160,000 alone in spend just on food and beverage just in Launceston, and of course the national exposure that this national rally is going to bring to Launceston… you can’t really put a figure on that.”
Terry Atkinson, CAMS Board Elected Director (Tasmania), was on hand at the event’s launch to welcome the event to the CAMS ARC fold since its last appearance in the state in 2010, and a further 15-year absence in Launceston.
“The big thing is that it’s new roads. Most of the drivers that are competing wouldn’t have driven on our roads before,” Atkinson told The Examiner.
“There will be a Friday night publicity stage called a super special stage, which will probably be in the Inveresk area. It’s very short and very controlled, but very spectator friendly.
“Then the Saturday and Sunday will be in the forests in the North-East between here and Scottsdale.”
The Rally will be held in Launceston, with the four-day event expected to entice more than 500 drivers and visitors to the region.
Rally Tasmania will be the fourth round of the 2018 CAMS Australian Rally Championship on 27 – 29 July.