Key messages

The Honourable Anna Bligh MP, Premier of Queensland

With Australia's 2018 Commonwealth Games bid we have a unique opportunity to host one of the world's great events in one of the world's great cities - Queensland's Gold Coast.

With around a quarter of its residents born overseas, the Gold Coast is a vibrant multicultural city ideally suited to embracing competitors, officials and visitors from throughout the Commonwealth.

As one of Australia and the Asia Pacific region's fastest growing cities with a new light rail network due to open in 2014, the Gold Coast is well positioned to create games infrastructure that complements existing facilities and caters for future growth. Elite sporting teams from 38 countries have already chosen the Gold Coast as their training venue. They love the weather, location, support services and facilities - all that the Gold Coast has to offer.

The Gold Coast is rightly proud of its reputation as Australia's favourite playground.

The time is now right for the Gold Coast to step up from the place where people play and train, to the place where people stay, play and compete!

Cr Ron Clarke MBE, Gold Coast Mayor

Council is proud to partner the Queensland Government and the Australian Commonwealth Games Association in the bid to host the Commonwealth Games in 2018.

Major international sporting events bring international athletes, the media and visitors to the host cities. However, the Commonwealth Games would do much more than that for the Gold Coast. It would leave behind a fantastic legacy of outcomes that would include city-building infrastructure such as improved sporting and training venues, improved public transport, and well-located residential accommodation.

And something you cannot put a price on - community pride and confidence.

Given the city's history in supporting and hosting major international events, I know we can successfully host the Commonwealth Games in 2018 and that the local community will get behind the event with tremendous enthusiasm.

We already have significant sporting facilities, our climate is superb, and our people are friendly and welcoming.

Sam Coffa AM JP, President of the Australian Commonwealth Games Association

The Australian Commonwealth Games Association is very pleased to join with the State of Queensland and the City of the Gold Coast to formally bid to host the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

We will be presenting a very strong athlete friendly bid which will highlight the assistance and support that will be provided to the Commonwealth Games Associations from the 71 Commonwealth countries.

We look forward to welcoming the delegates and officials from all parts of the Commonwealth Games family when they visit the Gold Coast to inspect the sports venues and learn of the plans for the organisation of the games.

We are convinced a Gold Coast Commonwealth Games will be an attractive option as it will put forward a viable "regional city" model which will encourage similar sized potential host cities to consider hosting the games in the future.

Last updated: 26 July, 2010

Last reviewed: 30 March, 2010

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