FULL HOUSE: The full house sign is up at the Oriana Motor Inn this weekend, with owner Julie Turner set to be over-run with people heading to the Bathurst 1000. Photo: STEVE GOSCH
YOU might not be able to hear the fuel-loaded hum of the V8 engines roaring around Mount Panorama this weekend but Orange will not miss out on the action, with an estimated $1.8 million injected into the city’s economy.
With the iconic Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 set to run for the 50th time in 2012, attendance numbers look set to smash the 192,000 four-day mark set in 2006 after V8 legend Peter Brock died.
But not everyone can stay in Bathurst.
Close to 3000 people are expected to be housed in Orange over the weekend, with 2500 of those in hotels or motels around the city.
Orange City Council enterprise services director Stephen Sykes said the city was prepared to be inundated with race-goers as early as tomorrow.
“Every year we would expect bookings to be full close to two to three weeks before the weekend,” Mr Sykes said.
“There’s still some guest houses and bed and breakfasts with some vacancies, though. They’ll go close to being full come the weekend.
“It’s what we expect. We anticipate this every year.”
So does Julie Turner.
Owner of the Oriana Motor Inn, Mrs Turner says her motel will be flooded with revheads over the weekend.
“Eighty per cent of the people we have staying are from New Zealand and the other 20 per cent are from every state in Australia, except for Western Australia. They’re all going to the race,” she said.
“It’s like this every year. We’ve got 49 rooms and every one of them is full.”
Based on Tourism Australia numbers, council anticipates those staying in Orange over the course of the weekend will outlay as much as $240 a day.
Each person stays on average two-and-a-half days.
But Mr Sykes says it is those who do not necessarily go to the races in Bathurst that have the biggest impact on the economy.
“Not everybody who comes goes to the races. Spouses, partners, a percentage of those stay and spend money in other areas of the region, whether it be through shopping or wine and food,” he said.
nick.mcgrath@ruralpress.com