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ourism and Events Queensland has announced the state will host eight Australian Surf Life Saving Championship events between 2023 and 2032.

The announcement was made in partnership with Major Events Gold Coast (MEGC) and Sunshine Coast Council and forms part of the Palaszczuk Government’s COVID-19 Economic Recovery Plan.

Revealing the partnership, Tourism and Sport Minister, Stirling Hinchcliffe, said the deal with deliver more than $100 million to the Queensland economy.

“This is a significant deal for Queensland’s economic recovery and locks in eight Australian Surf Life Saving Championship events between 2023 and 2032,” Hinchliffe said.

“Surf lifesaving is as Queensland as our sandy beaches and has always had the strong support of the Palaszczuk Government.

“Over the years, the championships – affectionately known simply as The Aussies – have become an iconic Queensland event, bringing more than 7,000 competitors annually from more than 315 Australian clubs.

“Competitors come with family and friends, making The Aussies an incredibly important event for tourism operators and our Economic Recovery Plan for the tourism industry,” he said.

Discussing the 2021 event, which was held on the Sunshine Coast and generated more than $16 million for local business, Hinchcliffe said the securing of the event is a show of Queensland’s work to minimise the impacts of COVID-19.

“The experience on the Sunshine Coast this year demonstrates the value of this event to our visitor economy, particularly now the championships are locked in for Queensland over the next decade,” Hinchliffe said.

“We are able to commit to big events like The Aussies and sporting hubs because of the hard work of Queenslanders in managing health impacts of the global pandemic.

“The agreement with the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships is a clear vote of confidence in Queensland’s ability to host major events and our world-class visitor destinations on the Gold and Sunshine Coasts.

“It’s a win for regional Queensland and a win for surf lifesaving,” he said.

As part of the partnership, the eight Championships will be shared across the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast.

Surf Life Saving Australia president, John Baker, said: “We are deeply grateful to our major sponsors in Tourism and Events Queensland who, without their support, an event the size of The Aussies simply can’t go ahead.”

“To be able to lock in eight editions of The Aussies, our membership will be looking forward to returning to the sunny beaches of the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast in Queensland again,” Baker said.