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Tamworth Regional Council has built the Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre in Tamworth at a project cost of $30million.
The spectacular Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre is now complete and open for business on the New England Highway near the Longyard precinct.
It was built National Buildplan Group and designed by Timothy Court & Co Architects.
The design is best described as like a horseshoe with outer buildings ringing the stadium.
The stadium is designed on two levels and features:
- an indoor arena of 40m by 80m with tiered seating for 3,360 in this stage
- concourse area that can hold exhibition and trade sites
- mezzanine area above that can take temporary seating or double as a corporate area
- mezzanine VIP area at the other end near a bar, kiosk, and event offices
- toilets located at both ends, with ticketbox, coffee shop, and management offices close byrodeo chutes
viewing screen, sound and lighting systems
- broadcasting and judges box overhangs the arena
- control room overlooks the interconnected sales ring, which doubles as an indoor warm up arena
- sales ring seats 560 with standing room for another couple of hundred
- lift access from ground level to the concourse that connects the sales rings and arena.
Underneath the stadium there are undercroft stock holding yards for 200 head.
Outside, the landscape is dominated by the stables and the arenas. The stables comprise:
- six block stables complex with 478 modules installed on an asphalt surface
- four blocks contain 81 units and two blocks with amenities have 77 units in eachwash bays, laundry, toilet and utility facilities
- stable units designed expressly for horse safety: with no sharp edges, sliders allow easier access, and bars allow ventilation and light
modules are 3.6m by 3.6metre of powder-coated steel and compound unit, with sliding doors.
An education/training building provides a lecture and demonstration theatre with tiered seating for 44, a veterinary room, utilities room, meeting room and shower and toilet facilities. In the grounds are:
- campdraft arena
- two 30m by 70m outdoor competition or warm up arenas
- horse sporting fields
- undercover cattle handling yards for 400 head
- outdoor exhibition, trade and field day areas
- showjumping and dressage area
- 195 powered parking bays adjacent to stables
- truck wash
- camping and parking overflow areas
- exhibition lawn areas
- additional areas for future development of show society facilities
- conservation areas for recycling, storage and environmental processes.
The centre is set to be much more than just a large performing tin shed that was first envisaged for the site - it will become an iconic landmark. It will include a superior stadium design on two levels and a theatre-style selling ring.
It will have an indoor arena to seat 3500 and ultimately 5000, stables for 478 horses and ultimately 700, a covered stud selling area with seating for 660 which can double as a warm up area, and truck and camping facilities for at least 195 vehicles.
The main stadium, which holds the interconnected indoor arena and sales complex will be built first, along with some of the six stable blocks that will occupy the new Longyard precinct site.
The covered cattle yards, campdraft and outdoor arenas, and equine sporting fields will also be built and the TAFE equine and livestock educational buildings, which will be located in the stable complex, will also be constructed this year.
The State Government in May 2007 approved the TRC business plan that provides for the centre’s construction - Federal and State government grants of $10.268million, council cash and reserves of $8.093million and council loans of $10.52million.
Initially, the council had driven a seven-year campaign to get the project off the ground – with various changes to what it would provide and the project’s scope over that time.
The Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre represents the final success of a decade-long community quest which recognised the value of the equine and livestock industries and a desire to increase this region’s stake in future growth and development of those industries.
Equine and livestock events are worth more than $45 million annually in the Tamworth region. Already over 120 separate organisations have shown interest in using the new centre when it is completed.
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