I speak today on a fantastic event that was hosted by Wollongong over the past week. The 2022 UCI Road World Championships brought over a thousand riders from 70 countries to compete.

The UCI is one of three international cycling competitions that form the triple crown of cycling. The Tour de France is also a part of this. Against the beautiful backdrop of our coastal home, and over multiple courses, world-class cyclists raced towards the finish line to Wollongong City Beach.

The event attracted people from all over the world to Wollongong and put our region on the map as an area of outstanding beauty.

This event could not have occurred without the hard work and dedication of those involved. Thank you to Stu Taggart and Dean Dalla Valle and your whole team for your vision and the experience you brought to the planning and execution of this event.

To the amazing volunteers who helped make this event the success it was, you were all so friendly and helpful in assisting our visitors, and everyone was so complimentary about the work that you did.

Thank you to the Wollongong City Council staff, who worked tirelessly in the lead-up to and during the event. Your work in planning, fixing roads and keeping our streets clean during the event was so important. Wollongong looked amazing.

And thank you to the police and emergency services, who ensured a safe event.

Finally, thank you to the people of Cunningham. There were inevitably some disruptions to our roads and schools and to business, but thank you for persevering and making our visitors feel so welcome.

ENDS