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PROJECT ACTIVITIES
To ensure that visiting athletes and officials had a productive and positive experience of the Sunshine Coast and that all of the potential benefits of their visits were leveraged, a Welcoming the Commonwealth project was establish.
A small team of staff – with the generous help from other teams across the organisation – coordinated and delivered:
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• Fact-finding tours for visiting Commonwealth countries
• Access to services and deals from private and community facilities and accommodation houses
• Secure facilities for weapons storage
• Quotes for specialised training equipment
• Multiple traditional Indigenous welcomes for all guests
• A welcome bag for all guest, inclusive of local products and an Indigenous gift
• A welcome booklet designed for the needs and interests of our guests
• An adopt-a-team program with 17 local schools
• Athletes visits to 11 schools
• Team Wales participation in the Welsh Societies St David’s Day lunch
• Access to a team of trained volunteers at training and accommodation venues
• Transport assistance for our guests
• A community welcome festival on 25 March at Cotton Tree Park
• Two exhibition Hockey matches between Team Scotland’s men and women’s teams and Queensland representative athletes
• Two exhibition Basketball matches between Team Scotland’s men’s team and a local team and a District representative team
• Four exhibition Beach Volleyball matches between Team Scotland’s men and women’s teams and the English Commonwealth Games teams and local athletes
• Friendly Lawn Bowls matches between Team Scotland’s team and local athletes
• An Indigenous themed dignitaries lunch for the Scottish Minister for Commonwealth Games and the Head of Sport Scotland
• A business breakfast for the sports industry
• A tour for project partners of the athletes village on the Gold Coast
Commitment to delivering on the Reconciliation Action Plan
In addition to delivering outcomes for the sports industry, the project also delivered outcomes for the Sunshine Coast Reconciliation Plan 2017-2019 and the GC2018 Reconciliation Action Plan, by:
• Integrating Indigenous culture into messaging for the project
• Embedding cultural protocols into all functions and activities that are being delivered under the project
• Incorporating Indigenous culture and history into the program for any formal event, and;
• Maximising procurement opportunities for locally based Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses.
The “Welcoming the Commonwealth to the Sunshine Coast” design element is an example of this commitment. It was designed especially for the “Welcoming the Commonwealth to the Sunshine Coast” program of activity and reflects the beauty and diversity of our region - our mountains, our hinterland, our coast and waterways. With artwork courtesy of local Kabi Kabi man Kerry, the design features the Platypus – Djurgoo - a very special animal for the Kabi Kabi people; and the BunyaTree – Bonyee/Ba’nyee – that Aboriginal people from many kilometres around to the Blackall Range and other places celebrated.
This commitment was also demonstrated through:
• Inclusion of a Welcome to Country performance and Indigenous market traders at a community welcome Festival of Champions on 25 March 2018
• Invitations for key involved Indigenous leaders to a signature event for the Mayor and Minister for Commonwealth Games, Scotland on 31 March 2018 and incorporation of Indigenous culture into the menu and theme
• Inviting local Indigenous businesses to submit quotes for all products and services where there is a known local Indigenous supplier.
