Funding back in Goldoc court

GOLDOC will squeeze $19 million from its existing budget for the first ever Commonwealth Games beach volleyball event, with no extra funding to come from the State Government.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced the signature Gold Coast event as the Games’ 18th sport last March.

“I am proud my Government has been able to work with the Commonwealth Games Federation to expand the sports program and add beach volleyball to the GC2018 schedule,” the Premier said at the time.

But no additional funding for it was provided by her Government in the 2015-16 or 2017-18 State Budgets. Organisers expect to recoup about half the investment in ticket sales and other revenue.

Current Games Minister Kate Jones said the state’s overall $1.5 billion allocation “always involved some scope for change” and that beach volleyball was a highly worthwhile addition that would showcase the city’s stunning coastline.

“We needed to have an iconic event on the southern Gold Coast,” she said.

Organisers in May said they were looking at a budget shortfall for drug testing and secur- ity, which neither the State nor Federal Governments have yet agreed to fund.

Chairman Peter Beattie previously said organisers would have to dip into “contingency” money to cover that shortfall.

Organisers this week would not specify how they had found funds to stage the volleyball.

Pressed on the specifics, Goldoc sent a statement from Goldoc deputy chief executive officer Brian Nourse saying it was “through value engineering and efficiencies achieved within the overall event budget”.

The key elements of seating, temporary power and other infrastructure for the volleyball, to be held on the beachfront at Queen Elizabeth Park, have all been procured.

Ms Jones said she had worked hard to keep pressure on Goldoc to stay on budget, and that had allowed them to fund the volleyball.

“I make no apologies for ensuring Goldoc maximise those dollars, they are taxpayer dollars,” she said.

“We’re not blowing the budget because we’ve actually been managing our finances and making strong procurement decisions so we can actually hold events like the beach volleyball.”