Moama Lights: National Economic Development Awards finalist!

Published on 02 September 2021

Murray River Council’s Moama Lights event has received a national nod, being announced as a finalist in the 2021 National Economic Development Awards for Excellence.

This year’s awards are celebrating organisations and individuals who have demonstrated leadership and excellence throughout the ongoing challenges of COVID.

A finalist in the ‘Economic Development Initiatives - Regions Under 15,000 Residents’ category, Moama Lights has been recognised for its achievements in stimulating economic development in the local area.

Murray River Council mayor, Chris Bilkey said the awards recognition is a nod to the hard work of council staff and local volunteers.

“Some six months in the making, our staff presented this spectacular event which not only shone a light on our beautiful bush setting, but also shone a light on the story of our twin towns.”

“And with the assistance of a dedicated volunteer base during the event period, we were able to present a new event experience for local and visitors whilst bringing some much-needed economic activity to our twin towns,” he said.

Running from the 8-22 May 2021, the event saw over 15,000 tickets registered with visitation from all states and territories across Australia.

An immersive sound and light trail showcasing the story of Echuca Moama, the event featured light installations and projections at Moama’s Horseshoe Lagoon, including theatrical fog, strobe and cutting-edge moving light technology.

Three different themes including Echuca Moama indigenous culture, riverboat heritage and present-day life presented visitors and locals with a new and exciting world-class experience.

Through a post-event survey that captured overnight stays, dining and shopping it is estimated that the economic impact of Moama Lights on the Echuca Moama region is more than $7,882,635.

Cr Bilkey said the outcomes from the event have been nothing but positive.

“The feedback and the figures really do demonstrate what an enormous success this event was.”

“It focused on our existing strengths, such as the beautiful bush settings, whilst delivering exciting opportunities to offer new experiences for locals and drive visitation to our local area.”

“This really was a job well-done by all of our team,” he said.

Murray River Council is up against Dubbo Regional Council and Greater Whitsunday Alliance in the highly competitive awards category.

Winners will be announced during the virtual National Economic Development Conference (NEDC21) between 13-15 October 2021.