- May 4, 2017
- Posted by: SportsV
- Categories: Event News, Home News, Industry News, News
The venue that will host the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games (GC2018) opening and closing ceremonies is now complete, with the purpose-built A$105m Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre in Carrara officially opened on April 29.
Speaking at last week’s official opening, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the GC2018 venue would host the opening and closing ceremonies and the athletics, badminton, wrestling and weightlifting competitions.
Premier Palaszczuk said:
In 341 days, all eyes will be on this new sport precinct for the opening ceremony at Carrara Stadium, kicking off 11 days of unforgettable sporting action. This new precinct is a gold medal winning project for our Games, supporting hundreds of jobs and engaging local contractors. In fact, 2,982 workers were inducted onsite to work on this precinct, which will become a premier hub for community-based sport on the Coast. This world-class sporting venue is part of an important legacy of community infrastructure for South East Queensland that will help attract elite athletes and prestige events to the State.
Federal Minister for Sport Greg Hunt emphasised the importance of creating community legacies from new sports infrastructure and from the Games event itself:
The Gold Coast Sport and Leisure Centre is a world-class competition venue for the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Our athletes will benefit significantly from having this facility available to them for competition, and it will also provide an exceptional atmosphere for fans to enjoy during the Games. Before and after the Games, the facility will be a centrepiece for community sport and active recreation, encouraging people from the Gold Coast and South-East Queensland to be active and healthy.
Commonwealth Games Minister Kate Jones said the Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre would be a valuable asset for the Carrara community:
This venue will continue to be used well after the curtain has closed on the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games closing ceremony. As a major sporting venue it will bring people to Carrara from all over the world, attracting even more visitors to the Gold Coast. In fact, this venue is already attracting international sporting events with the Sudirman Cup, the FIVB World League Volleyball competition, as well as big national events such as the Australian National Judo championships booked to use the venue. This is not only an investment in local community infrastructure, it is an investment in the future of the Gold Coast and Queensland.
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said all levels of Government were working together to deliver the best Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in 2018:
Legacy outcomes from the Games will be critical to our city’s future – and today, we are standing in front of one of the greatest legacy contributions to our city. Post-games, we will work tirelessly to build on our reputation as a world-class southern hemisphere destination for competition and training. Having this facility allows us to roll out the red carpet to sports across Asia, the Middle East and further north. It will also allow us to bid for major national and pacific competitions. Bring it on.
Project Stats
- Architect: BVN
- Managing Contractor: Hansen Yuncken
- Deliverables: New indoor sport facility and upgrades to facilities throughout the precinct
- GC2018 sports: Opening and closing ceremonies, athletics, badminton, wrestling and weightlifting
- Location: Carrara
- Size: 20,000m² overall GFA
Consultants
Department of State Development, Infrastructure & Planning
Client & Project Manager: ARUP
Geotechnical: Peddle Thorp
Civil, Landscape, Hydrology, Geotechnical: Cardno
Mechanical, Electrical, Hydraulics: Norman Disney & Young
Quantity Surveyors: Rider Levett Bucknall (RLB)
Catering: Mike Driscoll & Associates
Building Certifier: McKenzie Group
Pool Strategy: Stevenson & Associates
Traffic: Bitzios
Wind: MEL Consultants
First operational venue opens
GC2018’s first operational venue, the Volunteer Selection Centre (VSC), which will host the interviews of up to 25,000 volunteer applicants over the next four months, opened at Burleigh on April 27.
The opening comes after the LOC’s VolsRush initiative, where more than 47,000 people applied for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to volunteer at GC2018.
Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation (GOLDOC) Chairman, Peter Beattie AC said opening the VSC was another milestone on the road to GC2018:
Receiving 47,000 volunteer applications was a terrific result but now the hard part of actually selecting our great team begins. Inside the VSC, applicants will move through an ‘excite and educate’ zone, which features an overview of GC2018 Vision, Sports and Venues, the Gold Coast, the GC2018 Ambassadors and local Indigenous culture. For all applicants, it is important to remember this isn’t a first come, first served process. This is based on merit with all applicants to undertake a range of scenario questioning and one on one interviews.
GOLDOC Chief Executive Officer, Mark Peters said GC2018 volunteers will be the face of the Games:
The enthusiasm of volunteers is infectious. They’ll play a key role in shaping the Games experience for athletes, spectators and visitors and promote the Sunshine State to the world. Each and everyone has their own unique story and reasons for putting their hand up and I’m looking forward to meeting as many of them as possible ahead of the Games.
For a full rundown on venues and GC2018 updates, visit: www.gc2018.com
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