A new footbridge linking the city with Melbourne Park is open and ready to usher thousands of fans to the 2017 Australian Open.
Acting Minister for Sport Philip Dalidakis declared Tanderrum Bridge open today. It’s the centrepiece of the Andrews Labor Government’s $338 million stage two redevelopment of Melbourne Park.
The Bridge will shave pedestrian travel time between Flinders Street Station and Birrarung Marr to under ten minutes – and it spells an end to having to cross Batman Avenue at street level.
Tanderrum is a welcoming ceremony by the people of the Kulin nations, featuring song, dance and cultural exchange, and providing safe passage for visitors on country.
It’s a fitting name for a footbridge, which will welcome hundreds of thousands of fans to one of the world’s great sporting events, and many other sports and entertainment showstoppers throughout the year.
Cities right around the world can only dream of staging a grand slam, and fans from right around the globe love watching all the action in Victoria.
Last year, a record 720,362 fans poured through the gates, with 900 million more seeing the best of everything in Melbourne on television broadcasts.
Melbourne Park is home to more than 350 world-class events each year – and they’re all big drivers of visitation.
Our world-class calendar of events keeps our bars, hotels and restaurants busy, creating more jobs for Victorians.
It’s why we’ve added $80 million to our major events war chest, and why we’ve established a $20 million Regional Events Fund.
The Australian Open begins January 16.
Quotes attributable to Acting Minister for Sport Philip Dalidakis
“Tanderrum Bridge is another wonderful access point for fans to get from the city to Melbourne Park, providing a quicker and safer route.”
“Melbourne Park is one of the world’s flagship venues for the big events. Our ongoing investment is ensuring the home of the Australian Open remains one of the top choices for the world’s best to come and play.”
“With the best of the best in action on the court and loads of entertainment the whole family can enjoy, the 2017 Australian Open promises to be a grand slam like no other.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020