Following a successful application by AlburyCity, a half-day holiday for the Albury Gold Cup on Friday 25 March has been approved by the NSW Government.
The Albury Gold Cup is firmly established as one of the premier country racing carnivals in Australia, with in excess of 10,000 locals and visitors expected to attend in 2022.
AlburyCity CEO Frank Zaknich said extensive community consultation was undertaken with a broad range of stakeholders before an application seeking approval for a half-day holiday was submitted.
“This consultation focussed on the importance to our community of the Albury Gold Cup from an economic, social, tourism and community perspective,” Mr Zaknich said.
“More than 1,100 responses were received, with over 75% of respondents supportive of the half-day holiday, believing that the event provides significant benefits to the Albury community.”
The event is a five-time winner of the prestigious Racing NSW award for the 'Most Popular Country Feature Race Meeting', with more than $810,000 in prize money, trophies and bonuses on offer over the two day event (Thursday 24 March & Friday 25 March).
Hospitality marquees along the length of the straight and throughout the venue, caters for the thousands who flock to Albury to enjoy the party atmosphere at the racecourse and beyond.
The carnival is a premier local event that provides a significant opportunity to showcase Albury as a quality regional centre, recognising the value of events to the community from an economic, social and cultural perspective.
“The Albury Gold Cup has increased in significance over a number of years, and it is estimated that the average economic benefit of the event is in excess of $2.4 million, with around one quarter of attendees coming from outside the Albury region,” Mr Zaknich added.
“After reduced attendance at last year’s carnival due to COVID, having a community event of this scale provides great stimulus for our local economy, and will really help our local businesses bounce back."
The approval from the NSW Government for a half-day holiday also covers next year’s Albury Gold Cup, scheduled to take place on Friday 24 March 2023.
This year’s half-day holiday applies from 12 noon on Friday 25 March 2022 for all employees within the Albury City Council Local Government Area.
