How region can tap into coast games
THE Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce is confident it can overcome hurdles in securing a share of the works and services for the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Billed at the largest sporting event in Australia this decade, chamber CEO Jo Sheppard said the “time is now” for Toowoomba and surrounding areas to look into how they could secure a foothold in the major project which would deliver more than 30,000 jobs and more than $2 billion into the state’s economy.
“It’s not just about the infrastructure build that comes with a major event, it’s really the reach that you might have,” Ms Sheppard said.
“Have we, as a community or have we, as a business, thought about where we are going to take advantage of that opportunity?”
An estimated 1.5 billion people are predicted to watch the Commonwealth Games next April, with venues on the Gold Coast and in Brisbane, Cairns and Townsville.
Ms Sheppard said while it was a chance to showcase the Toowoomba and wider Lockyer Valley and Darling Downs regions, the city’s service sector could also benefit.
“Security, for example,” she said.
“There is going to be quite a significant requirement for security at the games and they won’t be able to fill that from the Gold Coast.
“So I think there is definitely going to be direct and indirect benefits and probably (the chamber’s) role is going to be to assist businesses to think outside the square, and think a bit differently about what those benefits might be.
“I don’t think it’s too late, I think we definitely need to be planning now.
“April is still a little while away, and I think the time is now.”