Winning the economic development initiatives — regions under 15,000 residents award category, the council was recognised for stimulating economic development activity through co-ordination of the event.
The category winners were announced at the awards gala evening on Wednesday, August 23, in Karratha, Western Australia.
Murray River Council Acting Mayor Frank Crawley said the award was a fantastic achievement for council and a nod to the hard work of council staff and event partners.
“We’ve had an ongoing relationship with Darts Australia to ensure this world-class event takes place right on our doorstep,” Cr Crawley said.
“The event is a great opportunity for new players to compete against some of the world’s most renowned competitors and guarantees a week of entertainment for both players and spectators.
“Importantly, it offers an incredible boost to the Moama region and serves as an amazing tourism drawcard throughout the winter period.”
Co-ordinated by Murray River Council in partnership with Darts Australia, the Darts Open was held from August 1-6, 2022.
Darts Australia president Kelvin James welcomed the news of the award, which he said was well-deserved and showed what could be achieved through innovation and collaboration.
“Murray River Council together with Darts Australia and the Moama Bowling Club have succeeded in producing a world-class event in a regional centre,” Mr James said.
“Moama punches way above its weight with terrific venues and is fast becoming the home of darts in Australia.”
The 2022 event was also awarded platinum status by the World Darts Federation, placing the tournament in the top-four ranked tournaments worldwide.
Men’s and ladies’ players from around the country and overseas gathered for the week in Moama to compete for the coveted titles.
Through a post-event survey that captured overnight stays, dining and shopping, it is estimated the economic impact of the event on the Echuca-Moama region was more than $2.7 million.
“The feedback and the figures really do demonstrate what an enormous success this event was,” Cr Crawley said.
“It focused on our existing strengths, such as our incredible local facilities, whilst delivering increased destination awareness of the local area.
“This really was a job well done by all of our team and we are so excited to take out the win.”
The 2023 Australian Darts Open was held in Moama earlier this month.
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