Stadium offers WA more big events
The Tourism Council wants WA to bid for the 2030 Commonwealth Games.
They say the new stadium at Burswood, due to be completed by 2018, meant Perth would have the capacity to host many major events - even ones the size of a Commonwealth Games.
"The stadium will be a major economic asset because of the new seating capacity it will deliver," Tourism Council chief executive Evan Hall said. "No longer will Perth have to turn away local fans and interstate tourists from sporting events.
"Perth will have the ability to host world-class sporting and entertainment events - think Liverpool Football Club, Dallas Cowboys, U2, the Edinburgh Tattoo and even the Commonwealth Games in 2030."
But Mr Hall said it was important to start planning and funding event bids now.
"Without a schedule of stadium events, there will be no spectators, no tourist dollars and no jobs," he said.
In its Perth Stadium: Economic Game Changer report to be released today, the council urges the State Government to establish an event fund that would allow it to bid for events.
It also wants to develop homegrown events unique to WA, such as a stadium of lights laser, lighting and fireworks spectacular. "Sporting and major events have long lead times and need to be secured years in advance," the report said. "WA must start event planning and bidding now for the stadium to be active from 2018.
"A stadium event fund should commence in the 2015 State Budget so event planning and bidding can commence for events in 2018-22."
Tourism WA executive director of events Gwyn Dolphin agreed that attracting international events typically involved long lead times.
"Senior representatives from Tourism WA and other government departments started work several months ago on a strategy to secure and deliver a variety of events at the new stadium," Mr Dolphin said. "The nature of the strategy, and talks with event holders, are extremely commercially sensitive. We don't want our competitor markets to know what we are planning."
'WA must start event . . . bidding now for the stadium to be active from 2018.'" *Tourism Council report *
