Grandstand opening completes University Athletics Centre precinct

Queensland Minister for Sport Terry Mackenroth will officially open The University of Queensland's $4 million Athletics Facilities and Grandstand today.

The newly-completed $2 million grandstand includes undercover seating for 600 spectators, spacious dressing rooms, a conference room, a state-of-the-art photo-finish facility and a privately-operated sports medicine clinic.

The project was funded jointly by the University and UQ SPORT.

The opening of the grandstand marks the completion of work on the $4 million UQ SPORT Athletics Centre precinct opened in 1998 to provide a base for the highly successful University Rugby and Athletics clubs.

The State Government and the University provided $1 million each for the first stage of the facility, which has been approved by the International Amateur Athletics Federation for top-level meets.

The Italian, Polish and Czech track and field teams will use the facility as a training base in the lead-up to the Sydney 2000 Olympics later this year. The Victorian and New South Wales Institute of Sport squads have also booked it.

At the opening, Mr Mackenroth will present the annual University of Queensland Sporting Scholarship awards to nine high-achieving students.

This will be followed at 5pm by the Northern Conference University Athletics Championships, featuring competitors from universities throughout Queensland and northern New South Wales.

For more information, contact Brad Turner, UQ Communications, on (07) 3365-2659.

Please note: Mr Mackenroth will perform the official opening at 4pm in the grandstand's function room, at Oval No. 5 on Sir William MacGregor Drive on the St Lucia campus.

Enquiries can also be directed to communications@mailbox.uq.edu.au