Plan to Bring Red Bull Air Race to Gold Coast

THE Queensland Government and Red Bull Air Race supremos are in talks to lure the lucrative event to the Gold Coast, The Gold Coast Bulletin reports. 
 
The event, which features displays of high-speed aeronautical acrobatics, has long been coveted by the city's events and tourism officials because it attracts an international television audience of millions of people.

The Broadwater has been discussed as the site for a potential race due to its picturesque nature and the Surfers Paradise skyline in the background.

Government officials travelled to Sydney in March for talks with air race organisers, The Gold Coast Bulletin reported.

A senior council source confirmed the Gold Coast had been involved in bidding for the event.


But he said  Premier Campbell Newman's tight rein on the budget had put the process on hold.

"It would be a good event to snare. It's been watched by millions of people around the world," he said.

There is tough competition to host the Australian leg of the event, with Perth, Sydney and Melbourne all believed to have rival bids in place.

It had previously been held in Perth from 2006 to 2010, but there was no event in 2011 or this year as the series is being revamped.

According to figures from the WA Government, more than 300,000 people attended the inaugural Perth air race in 2006, which pumped $14 million into the local economy.

A spokeswoman for Queensland's Tourism and Major Events Minister Jann Stuckey said Events Queensland was not involved in a bid for the 2014 air race, but could not rule out other years.

"The Newman Government is committed to major events on the Gold Coast as part of our plan to make Queensland Tourism number one again," she said.

"The budget outlining our funding commitment to events will be handed down next month."

Pilots in the event fly through a track of inflatable air gates and reach speeds of up to 370km/h.

It is watched by millions of people in more than 100 countries.

In 2010, former Events Queensland boss John O'Sullivan confirmed luring the famed race to the Sunshine State was on the agenda.

"We are looking at a number of events, not just for the Gold Coast but also for Queensland and certainly the Red Bull Air Race is one of those we are looking at," he said.

Queensland Secures Right to Host World's Young Cricket Stars

Queensland will host the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2012 for the first time ever in an event which will see the best young cricket talent in the world playing in Brisbane, on the Sunshine Coast and in Townsville next year, Premier Anna Bligh announced today.

Securing the event, through a partnership with Events Queensland, Cricket Australia and Queensland Cricket, represents a major milestone for cricket in Queensland - and it's only the second time in the event's 24-year history it's been held in Australia.

"This is great news for Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast and Townsville because it will bring the best young cricketers in the world here to play locally," Ms Bligh said.

"This is a first for Queensland and it's the only the second time Australia has hosted the competition - the last time being in 1988 in Melbourne and Adelaide.

"This event will deliver an economic shot in the arm to the host communities and showcase Queensland to the world - attracting 400 players and officials from 16 countries and generating an expected 7,000 bed nights for the local tourism industry."

"In addition, it will be televised into the homes of cricket fans in more than 100 countries including in Asia, the UK and South Africa via broadcaster ESPN STAR Sports."

Sports Minister Phil Reeves said the event - held every two years - had also previously been held in countries including New Zealand, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and South Africa.

"This is a truly international event that further cements Queensland's status as the Australian events state," Mr Reeves said.

"It's particularly exciting to be hosting it in 2012 because Australia is the current defending champion after winning the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup in New Zealand in 2010."

"Having this event here in Queensland as the chosen location in Australia next year is a vote of confidence in our ability to host major sporting events of international significance."

Ms Bligh and Mr Reeves thanked the ICC, Cricket Australia, Queensland Cricket and Events Queensland for their partnership which had delivered the event to Queensland.

Cricket Australia Chief Executive Officer James Sutherland said: "The ICC U19 Cricket World Cup is the showcase event for best young cricketers in the world and is where the next Cameron White or Yuvraj Singh gets their first real taste of top-level international cricket.

"It was only a couple of years ago we saw Mitch Marsh captain the Australia Under-19 team to victory in New Zealand with talents such as Josh Hazlewood, Alister McDermott and Alex Keath alongside him.

"We are very grateful to Queensland Cricket and Events Queensland for their support in hosting this tournament and I think all the teams and supporters will enjoy their time in Australia's sunshine state.

"We are building towards hosting the senior ICC Cricket World Cup in 2015 and this tournament will play a big part in getting ready for that event."

Queensland Cricket CEO, Graham Dixon, said: "Queensland Cricket is thrilled at the decision to bring the ICC U19 World Cup to our State, and especially with the decision to play in two important regional centres, Townsville and the Sunshine Coast, with the resulting positive economic impact on those areas."

"The support of the State Government and Events Queensland will enable Queensland to provide an international showcase around this tournament, which has grown into a significant event on the world cricket stage.

"Queensland Cricket is acutely aware that the ICC World Cup will be staged in Australia and New Zealand in 2015 and so tournaments like the Under-19 World Cup are an important proving ground for us, and for Cricket Australia, as it gets closer to hosting that major event.

"The support of government at all levels will be a vital part of our collective preparations for 2015, but I know that Queensland Cricket is looking forward to working closely with all of our stakeholders to make the Under-19 World Cup a memorable and successful event."

The event will be held in August next year. Further details of venues, ticket sales and match timings will be announced closer to the tournament.

The tournament will be the ninth ICC U19 Cricket World Cup which started in 1988 with the inaugural event in Melbourne.

Australia has won the event three times - taking home the inaugural title in 1988, then again in 2002 and also last year's event in New Zealand.

(Source: www.eventsqld.com.au )