Annual Report 2008-2009 Summary - City of Greater Geelong

The Year Ahead
The City will embark on an ambitious
program of actions in the coming year.
Three of the major projects that will come to fruition during
this time are the planning for the 2010 UCI Road Cycling
World Championships, the opening of the new Leisurelink
Gym and Aquatic Centre, and the first stage subdivision of
Armstrong Creek.
2010 UCI Road Cycling
World Championships
Tour de France stars and Olympic champions
are bound for Geelong - host city of the 2010
UCI Road Cycling World Championships.
The world championships, which will be staged
in September 2010, are contested by national
teams similar to the Olympics. We will see
Australia’s best cyclists don the green and gold
and compete as a team against the best from
Europe, Asia and North America. More than 720
competitors from 48 countries are expected to
compete in this event which is second only to
the Tour de France in terms of importance and
prestige in international cycling.
The magnitude of this event was illustrated
by the 2007 world championships at Varese
in northern Italy, which was covered by 105
television stations, equating to a world wide
audience of some 400 million people.
38 Annual Report 2008-2009 | City of Greater Geelong
In addition to the television audience, it is
anticipated that about 250,000 visitors and locals
will be in Geelong not only watching the racing,
but also taking part in the many community
events that will be on offer. The estimated
economic benefit of this major event to Victoria
and Geelong is around $80 million.
This is a fabulous coup for Geelong and
recognition of our reputation as a major
events venue.
Mark the dates 29 September to 3 October 2010
in your diary. The world is coming and you can
see all the action for free, right here in Geelong.
Leisurelink Gym and
Aquatic Centre
The new Leisurelink Gym and Aquatic Centre
being built at Waurn Ponds has now passed
the halfway mark.
The new Leisurelink will cater for all – from
people learning to swim to lap swimmers, and
those keen to splash around the adventure
park, enjoying the Gold Coast theme park style
waterslides. There will also be a massive gym
with group exercise rooms and a crèche.
The structure is complete, most of the walls
and windows have been installed in the gym
and the 50-metre legacy pool from the 2007
World Swimming Championships is now fully
assembled. A state of the art underground
backwash water recycling system has also been
set up.
The City of Greater Geelong has provided
$28 million for the new Leisurelink and the
State Government has contributed $2 million
plus the 50-metre legacy pool.
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