Games bid will help disaster recovery
Queensland’s quest for the Commonwealth Games would help people get over the disasters of 2011, Premier Anna Bligh said today.
“It is important that we do not lose momentum but continue to seek out new opportunities for Queensland. That is why our government remains absolutely committed to our Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games bid,” she said.
Ms Bligh said there was a link between the Gold Coast bid and Brisbane’s 1982 Commonwealth Games bid.
“In 1982 the Commonwealth Games that transformed Brisbane were held just eight years after the devastating 1974 floods. If we are successful in our 2018 bid for the Gold Coast, the games will again be held just eight years after the disasters that we have suffered this summer,” she said.
Ms Bligh said she would go to Kuala Lumpur in May to officially submit the Gold Coast 2018 bid book.
She will be accompanied by Gold Coast Mayor Ron Clarke and officials from the Federal Government as well as with Commonwealth Games Executives.
The Gold Coast’s rival for the Games is Sri Lanka, an opponent the Premier thinks should not be underestimated.
“Our competition in this bid is Sri Lanka. Nobody should underestimate the determination of the Sri Lankan government, a government recovering from civil war.”
“The Gold Coast has been through its own difficult times and these games present the opportunity for a major boost in morale and confidence and are a clear indicator of the better times that are ahead.”
The Gold Coast will be visited by the Commonwealth Games Federation in June, with representatives from Oceania, Europe, the Carribbean, Americas, Asia and Africa.