Community & Business
12 July, 2023
Economy set for big boost as rodeo comes to town
THOUSANDS of people from across Australia will be heading to Mareeba this weekend to witness some of the greatest rodeo talents our country has to offer.
THOUSANDS of people from across Australia will be heading to Mareeba this weekend to witness some of the greatest rodeo talents our country has to offer.
Being one of the top three ABCRA rodeos in the country, Mareeba Rodeo attracts hundreds of competitors and thousands of spectators from across the country, driving a significant boost for the local economy.
This year, president of the Mareeba Rodeo committee Peter Brown believes between 5000 and 10,000 will flock to the town, generating business for the local economy.
“My view is that we are bringing somewhere between five to 10,000 people and about 2000 vans in our park and in Mareeba purely to see the rodeo,” he said.
“They buy their bread, milk, fuel, newspapers… they shop in town, so the local economy really benefits.”
Mr Brown says the rodeo always has a strong focus on using local businesses where they can to provide goods for the event, with everything supplied locally regardless of price, specifically alcohol.
“So regardless of whether it’s cheaper or more expensive, we support local, and our alcohol bill alone is somewhere around $300,000 and then you have the equipment we hire and our sponsors,” he said.
“It’s just mind blowing to see what we are actually putting into the economy of Mareeba.”
Businesses in town are getting ready for the big day, dressing up their foyers and swapping uniforms in favour of western style clothing and trading later to meet demand.
The rodeo generates a similar amount of revenue to the Savannah in the Round music
He said having a steady cash flow coming back through the town during this period would benefit local businesses largely, particularly coming back from Covid.
“All these big events and festivals attract people to the area and are good for the economy and there is a lot of spin offs that we get during the period leading up to the rodeo,” he said.
“All these big events and festivals attract people to the area and are good for the econ- omy and there is a lot of spin offs that we get during the period leading up to the rodeo,” he said.
“It’s just mind blowing to see what we are actually putting into the economy of Mareeba”
– PETER BROWN
“It generates a lot of economic stimulation, and I will be interested to see what the GDP figures look like after the event because I know Savannah made a big impact on that and I think the rodeo will probably be in that same line.”
“It generates a lot of economic stimula- tion, and I will be interested to see what the GDP figures look like after the event be- cause I know Savannah made a big impact on that and I think the rodeo will probably be in that same line.”
Local western wear business Claude Caters Mensland has already seen an influx of customers coming through their doors to gear up for the big day.
“Sales are as good as they are any other year and the whole town is benefitting,” owner Raymond Cater said.
“It’s our biggest time of the year, our Christmas in July with travellers and caravanners coming through to buy things from us and other businesses across the town.”
Mareeba Shire Mayor Angela Toppin said she was excited for the event to return to the two-day program, attracting many more people to the shire.
She encourages locals to get involved with the event this week and enjoy what is uniquely Mareeba’s.
“The rodeo provides an opportunity to showcase visitors to this incredible part of Far North Queensland, and our Shire reaps the benefits of the rodeo long after it concludes,” she said.
“The economic benefits of an iconic event such as the Mareeba Rodeo are significant, but they are matched by those intangible factors which are difficult to define.”
“It is the volunteerism that makes events like this possible, the social connections that are formed and reformed each year and the community spirit that brings the Mareeba Rodeo to life.”
“Mareeba has a reputation as a location of choice for major events including the FNQ Rotary Field Days and Savannah in the Round, and the longstanding success of the Rodeo is further evidence of this. I wish the Association all the best for the upcoming Rodeo.”
The rodeo will kick off with the Downtown Parade on Friday night and will go throughout the entire weekend.
