Goodwill Games

9/2/2000

ANZ Gets Goodwill Uplift

ANZ Stadium will be a world class athletics facility, following a $2.6 million upgrade for the 2001 Goodwill Games in Brisbane, Premier Peter Beattie and Brisbane City Councillor David Hinchliffe announced today.

ANZ Stadium will host the cream of the world athletics crop at next year's Goodwill Games, which runs from August 29 to September 9, 2001.

Mr Beattie and Cr Hinchliffe said this will be the most significant upgrade to the Stadium since the 1982 Commonwealth Games.

Work will start in late September and will be completed in February next year, in time for other international events including the Australian Track and Field Open and Under 20 Championships in March and the World Veterans Athletics Championships in July.
The upgrade will include:

$2.25 million in State Government funding for a new athletics track, timing and sports equipment
375,000 in joint State Government/ Brisbane City Council funding for lighting, communications and scoreboard.

"ANZ Stadium is fine venue and this upgrade will ensure it is a world class athletics venue," Mr Beattie said.

"The Brisbane Goodwill Games will be the most prestigious event on the world's sporting calendar in 2001, and will have a huge impact on Queensland in terms of exposure on an international scale and business here at home.

"Queensland has a great reputation for hosting world-class events, and the Goodwill Games will enhance that reputation enormously.

"When the Games are beamed to more than 450 million households around the world next year, we want to showcase our capital city and its sporting venues in the best possible way."

Councillor Hinchliffe, chair of the community policy committee, said the Brisbane City Council was proud to be a major player in hosting this world class event.

"The Council will be investing in upgrades to sporting venues around the city and other related works, such as beautification projects," he said.

Premier Beattie said the State Government is working in close partnership with the Brisbane City Council and will announce further upgrades to other venues in the near future.

2001 Goodwill Games Brisbane Sports and Venues

Athletics - ANZ Stadium; Basketball - Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre (BCEC); Beach Volleyball - South Bank Piazza; Boxing - BCEC; Diving - Chandler Aquatic Centre; Figure Skating - Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Boondall; Artistic Gymnastics - BCEC; Rhythmic Gymnastics - BCEC; Surf Lifesaving - Kurrawa Beach, Gold Coast; Swimming - Chandler Aquatic Centre; Trampoline - BCEC; Track Cycling - Chandler Velodrome; Triathlon -TBC; Weightlifting - BCEC.

Contact: Steve Bishop (Premier's Office) 0419 779 518

Janet England (Goodwill Games) 0412 234 937

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