STILL TIME TO JOIN PARTY AND CREATE MEMORIES THAT WILL LAST A LIFETIME

HALFWAY through GC2018, the world has already been blown away by what it has seen of the Gold Coast.

Years of planning have delivered magnificent venues linked by high capacity transport corridors – infrastructure that will put the Gold Coast at the front of the pack when it comes to hosting future world-class events.

Already, as International Amateur Athletics Federation president Sebastian Coe revealed yesterday, we have held preliminary talks about the possibility of hosting a future World Athletics Championships here on the Gold Coast.

As I have walked along the streets and beaches of the Coast in recent days, there is growing excitement among locals as much as visitors, especially younger residents who can see what GC2018 will mean for the future of the Coast.

I urge everyone on the Gold Coast to get involved while there is still time. Go to an event or one of the Festival 2018 events, especially around the hubs in Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach.

There’s nothing like having Australia’s biggest event in the last decade held in your own community. I don’t want any Gold Coast resident to wake up a week from now and regret not having been part of it.

I want families on the Gold Coast to come out and be part of the excitement during the school holidays, because I can promise the memories you make during this event, whether it is at a sporting event or watching it on the big screen with thousands of cheering fans, will last a lifetime.