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THIS year's RACV Energy Breakthrough injected $4.5 million into Maryborough's economy, council says.
About 20,000 people flocked to the Central Goldfields last weekend for the 24th annual event, which sees schools from across the state compete for human-powered vehicle dominance.
The annual event was held over three days, with the town's accommodation booked well in advance.
Central Goldfields corporate and community service general manager Wayne Belsher said the event was the biggest for the town and the shire.
"It's our premier event. We did an impact analysis and estimated that it brings about $4.5 million," he said.
"It goes round three or four times. It brings about return visitation.
"Mums and dads come and see how great the spot is and come back for other events."
Mr Belsher said the competition, going into its 25th year in 2015, continued to grow.
He said council had revamped and upgraded several facilities at Princes Park over the years to keep up with the event's constant growth.
"We have accessed a lot of new construction at Princes Park but the infrastructure has benefits for the entire community," he said.
Geoff Tait, who manages the Golden Country Motel and Caravan Park, said the event was big for the town.
"Everything in the town is busy. We are booked out well in advance. We are well on the way to being booked out for next year," he said.
"We also get a lot of people who return to the area.
"They come here for the first time and don't realise how busy and vibrant it is."
RACV Energy Breakthrough organising committee member Nigel Preston said it was a hugely popular event that was growing every year.
"We're bursting at the seams in terms of our capacity for the event, which is fantastic, and we keep putting out there and people keep wanting to come back," Mr Preston said.