Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate reveals his 2018 Commonwealth Games highlights and regrets
MAYOR Tom Tate admits he has a regret about the 2018 Commonwealth Games and reveals whether he thinks it was worth the Gold Coast’s 10-year journey to host the sporting event.
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MAYOR Tom Tate has given his assessment of the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and revealed his highs, lows and whether he thinks it was worth it.
GCB: What was your biggest surprise of the Games?
Tom Tate: It was not so much a surprise, but something which I found heartwarming was the volunteers. They went well beyond the expectations. I said in my speeches that it wasn’t just about the infrastructure but what you feel and the volunteers added that generosity and heart. I know we had it in us (to host the Games) but they took it to the next level.
What have you learned from the Games?
Mayor Tate: The pride of the Gold Coast is there and it runs deep. We only need an opportunity and event for it to shine. The Commonwealth Games has done this and it encouraged me to look at other world events such as the World Athletics Championships. We can handle it at a breeze. We have the infrastructure and the great volunteers so the pride will carry on.
What was your personal favourite moment?
Mayor Tate: It was the swimming and watching the back-to-back gold with the 4x100 medley relay when Bronte Campbell came from behind to get the gold for the team and then the men doing the same in the very next race. That showed the courage and I put it down to the crowds lifting our athletes to the next level. The number of personal bests was phenomenal.
Who was your personal hero?
Mayor Tate: I would say Kurt Fearnley. The courage he showed was incredible. He picked himself up and he continued to fight for the cause of the underprivileged and differently abled. He wants to change the world into a better place. He showed he was a true champion. It shows the true spirit of the event — doing your best with a community heart. He exemplifies that for me.
What immediate talks will happen now the Games are over ?
Mayor Tate: There will be debriefs of how the traffic congestion-busting solution could be used as a legacy, how we use the sporting facilities we now have. In the first instance I want to see the locals booking them out. We want all those things to be used. We will also reflect on Festival 2018 and the cultural part to take it forward to next year’s Bleach* Festival to make it even bigger than Festival 2018.
What happens in the next 12 months ?
TT: There will be talk about converting the confidence we have fostered into jobs and activation of projects. There are a lot of development applications in play and people talking about doing this but we have to convert this into sod turning.
What does it mean for the next 12 years for the Gold Coast?
TT: When you reflect on this you will see the city will have come of age. The economy will have been created, with education, medical, film and television all big. Young Gold Coasters will be able to get jobs on the Coast without having to leave. The family values will be even stronger.
Do you have any regrets?
TT: One thing we probably could have done better was anticipating the crowds. What I am getting at is that I would have liked buses to be there waiting for the crowds, not to have the crowds wait for the buses.
After meeting Prince Charles you admitted you didn’t get some of his jokes. Do you now?
TT: I get them now once I have had the chance to reflect on them. His humour is a bit dryer and deeper (than I am used to). I think they are meaningful jokes which needed some time to sink in.
After a 10-year journey, was it worth it?
TT: It was worth it and much more on so many fronts. It was worth it in the investment and infrastructure, it was worth it for the broadening of the economy, the pride of the city to shine and the promotional value we have got worldwide, and to show the credentials that we are a can-do city. This means investors saying if they can do it and have the infrastructure, then we should invest. Plus the Games were fun too.
‘It was a kick up the bum professionally’
A role at the Commonwealth Games gave this worker the ‘kick up the bum professionally’ she needed to help decide what she wanted to with her life.
Volunteer credits the Comm Games for her career
This Coast resident put in almost 18 months volunteering for the Commonwealth Games - and along with getting an experience of a lifetime, it has paid off career-wise.