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BCA London 2012 Olympics Dinner

10 August 2008, Hilton Hotel, Beijing

Acknowledgments

Co-host, the Australian Minister for Youth and Sport, Kate Ellis
Sir William Ehrman, KCMG, British Ambassador
Dr Geoff Raby, Australian Ambassador
Mr John Armitt CBE, Chairman, London 2012 Olympic Delivery Authority
Mr John Coates AC, Chairman Australian Olympic Committee
David Clarke, Chairman of the Business Club Australia Roundtable and Chairman of Macquarie Bank

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, I’m delighted to join the Australian Minister for Youth and Sport, Kate Ellis in welcoming you to the Business Club Australia headquarters.

Olympic success

Australia’s sporting prowess is well known around the world and particularly well known in the UK where we are great rivals in so many sports.

What is less well known is Australia’s prowess in the business and export of sport.

That is, the provision of the hardware – such as the design and construction of stadiums and other sporting arenas.

And the software - in terms of all of the associated supporting services and industries that flow from this – food and beverage, IT, security, media, transport logistics and the staging and management of sporting events.

It is Australia’s experience and long track record in combining these two key inputs through our network of sports focussed companies that stands us in good stead to contribute to the success of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

In planning for an Olympic Games there are three aspects that need to be considered.

The infrastructure – such as the stadiums and all of the associated facilities including housing and roads for example.

The Olympic overlay – that builds on the infrastructure to ensure it is Olympic Games ready such as temporary seating and media facilities.

And, then the legacy that the games can provide in terms of the on-going contribution that the facilities make to the urban environment.

With the London 2012 Olympics only 1,447 days away, and with both UK and Australian high-level representatives present in Beijing, we thought it timely to reinforce in the minds of LOCOG and British business, Australia’s experience and expertise in these three key areas.

Drawing on our experience with the Sydney Olympics in 2000, which showcased on the world sporting stage Australia’s abilities, and the Melbourne Commonwealth Games in 2006, Australian companies made a significant contribution to the last European Olympic Games in Athens in 2004.

This included 35 contracts in a diverse range of Olympic related aspects including:

  • the design of facilities
  • the provision of equestrian equipment
  • security
  • waste management
  • logistics for the torch relay
  • stadium seating and
  • concession sales

Building on our strong performance in the Athens games I am delighted that forty Australian companies have won 50 Olympics-related business projects ensuring that the Beijing Games also have a strong Australian business presence.

Australian firms have provided design and architectural services for many of the Olympic venues here in Beijing and other cities where events are taking place.

Along with engineering services, training services, transport and telecommunications services.

Some of the facilities in which Australian business has been involved and which I hope you will get the opportunity to visit during the games include:

  • the stunning Water Cube – where Australia won gold this morning
  • the Olympic Village
  • the main stadium – including the seating, hockey, tennis, archery, and rowing facilities
  • the equestrian facilities in Hong Kong
  • the new football stadium in Tianjin and
  • the sailing base in Qingdao

It is the Australian network of companies that have performed so well in the design construction and associated support services that stands us in good stead to make a significant contribution to future Olympic Games and other international sporting events.

And tonight we’re here to say that we stand ready to assist LOCOG in its preparation for the London Games.

More than a dozen Australian exporters from Australia’s leading infrastructure companies, architects and security specialists, have with the assistance of Austrade, made a good start in winning contracts for London 2012.

These include:

  • Lend Lease––the main contractors for the Olympic Village;
  • Westfield––developers of the Stratford City project, the major retail and community development adjacent to the Olympic Park;
  • Intelligent Risks––a consultancy advising LOCOG’s security team;
  • Sinclair Knight Merz––an engineering consultancy, part of a multi-disciplinary design team for the 12,000 capacity Basketball Arena;
  • Exsport Management––Advising LOCOG on the development of the volunteer workforce;
  • HOK Sports Architecture––architects in the Team McAlpine Consortium, responsible for constructing the main stadium; also contracted to advise on the overall Games Masterplan;
  • PTW Architects ––appointed to the design team for the Handball Arena;
  • Bligh Voller Nield––architects involved in the design of the Olympic Village; and
  • Denton Corker Marshall–– Appointed to the panel of architects for the Olympic Village.

But with LOCOG and the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) estimating that at least 50,000 individual contracts––and possibly as many as 75,000––will be entered into, there are still many areas where Australian companies can contribute further to the London Games.

We want to be part of that action and contribute to the extraordinary transformation of East London.

How we’ve succeeded in China

A good deal of the Australian input to the Beijing 2008 Olympic infrastructure began at Sydney 2000.

Chinese firms sought cooperation with Australian companies that provided input into the Sydney 2000 Games, and subsequently to other major international sports projects.

And now we are building on that, chasing new sports opportunities in China which will include the Asian Games in Guangzhou 2010 plus general development of sports and sporting facilities, including auto racing, equestrian, surfing, golf and specialist coaching.

Many Australian business successes contributing to the Beijing Olympics have been in the area of niche or specialised services.

And just as many of the Australian companies have provided these services in partnership with Chinese companies Australian companies could also enter into alliances with European partners.

This offers great potential to open the way for consortia to bid for future northern hemisphere projects, such as the Euro 2012 football tournament in Poland and the Ukraine in 2012 and the Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014 in Russia.

Conclusion

The Australian companies here tonight know that procurement for London is a rigorous process reflecting European regulations.

Austrade stands ready to help you better understand the decision-making architecture underpinning the logistical delivery of the Games, and connect them to Olympic business networks and key contacts within LOCOG and the ODA.

For our friends from London, I want to tell you that our companies from Australia are ready to make a significant and professional contribution to London in 2012.

I hope you are now well aware of our strong track record and impressed with the contribution we have made here in Beijing to these games.

Our network of companies stand ready to assist you – and to ensure that London builds on the Olympic legacy and continues the great tradition of the Olympic Games. Thank you.

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