Chamier (pictured below) was appointed chairman earlier this year when he took over from Mark Stockwell, but the experienced property developer, who also serves as chairman of NAC Investments Pty Ltd, said there is still a huge amount of time to prepare for the Commonwealth Games.

"This event is big and in fact will be the biggest event Australia will see in the next decade," said Chamier in a speech at an Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry dinner.

"Delivering is a task that requires thinking, consulting and planning.

"This is the phase that we are in at present.

"I remind everyone that we are five years and nine months away from staging the Games.

"They are not five months and nine days away.

"We are not building anything yet.

"Athletes are focused on London 2012 or Glasgow 2014 or even Rio 2016.

"We are not selling anything yet and we are not putting the call out just yet for the 15,000 volunteers we will need.

"We are fortunate that we have some great experience to draw on in Australia as the country has hosted the Commonwealth Games, the Rugby World Cup and the Olympic Games in the last dozen years.

"We have received significant help from those involved in the Melbourne 2006 Games and are receiving similar high levels of assistance from those involved in the 2014 Games in Glasgow.

"There's no shortage of advice to draw upon.

"What we are doing now is largely behind the scenes – as I said, thinking, consulting and planning.

"To use a construction analogy, we have been doing the groundwork.

"The next step is to lay the foundations."


The Gold Coast 2018 chairman also admitted that his Organising Committee was boosted by the recent visit of Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) President Prince Tunku Imran (pictured above left), who praised the work that has been done so far.

"A highlight thus far and a very beneficial education process was meeting and hosting the President of the CGF on the Gold Coast, HRH Prince Imran of Malaysia, for a series of the meetings," Chamier said.

"He was accompanied by the chief executive of the CGF [Mike Hooper] and a team of expert advisors who provided us with a wealth of information, and assessed our progress and transition from the Bid Company to the Games Corporation.

"I am pleased and proud to say that since the visit Prince Imran has told the global Commonwealth Games Family that he is 'very satisfied' with our work and approach to date.

"This is a very exciting time for the Gold Coast, Queensland and Australia.

"It is the first time our country will stage a Commonwealth Games and an event of this magnitude outside a capital city.

"As I said earlier, it will be the biggest event this country will see for a decade or more and in fact the biggest in the Asia Pacific in 2018 alongside the Winter Olympics in South Korea.

"So we need to do it right and we will.

"We will do Australia proud."

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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