Benalla will be nominated as the location for the 34th World Gliding Championships after the
Victorian government recently announced funding to improve the town’s
airfield.
News of the bid comes just weeks after the the airport secured a grant of $210,000 to improve facilities.
“The world
championships are the highest level of competition for this exhilarating sport
and will attract the sports elite from around the globe,” said Victorian Aviation Minister Gordon Rich-Phillips.
“The funding we are providing will deliver infrastructure improvements
that will be a key component of Australia’s bid.”
Mr Rich-Phillips said
as home to the state’s gliding community and the Victorian Gliding Club, Benalla
would be an excellent choice for the world championships.
“Our
investment in Benalla’s aerodrome will put Australia in a strong position to vie
for the rights to hold the world championships,” he said.
The location of the 2016 World Championships will be announced at the end of March 2013.
The championships were last held in Australia in 2001 when they were staged at Gawler in South Australia. The event has been held every two years since it first began in Switzerland in 1948.