As part of the US$ 3.4 billion transformation of Darling Harbour, the US$ 1.5 billion International Convention Centre (ICC) Sydney has been opened to the public by New South Wales (NSW) Premier Mike Baird, who was joined at the public launch by Minister for Infrastructure Andrew Constance and Minister for Tourism and Major Events Stuart Ayres.
“The ICC Sydney sets a new standard for convention and exhibition venues and today’s opening demonstrates the ability of this government to deliver projects we’ve committed to from start to finish. This was the first major infrastructure project we promised to build after 16 long years of Labor, and it’s just the start of so much more to come. The mega space will employ 300 full-time staff and 1500 casual workers, and is expected to pump at least US$ 5 billion into the NSW economy over the next 25 years,” said Baird.
Constance said the ICC Sydney was fast becoming Australia’s most desirable business meeting location and exhibition space. “This is no ordinary build. The convention building has 2400 tonnes of steel, and the exhibition halls have the equivalent of six football fields of trade show floor space. ICC Sydney is the epicentre of the transformation of Darling Harbour by the NSW Government and cements Sydney as the first choice for the major events industry,” he stated.
Ayres said that almost 500 major events had already been booked until 2026, which would attract hundreds of thousands of visitors to Sydney and NSW. “Imagine opening a restaurant or hotel and having bookings out for a decade. The business confidence in our city and our government is unprecedented and ICC Sydney is creating new jobs, supporting many industries, hosting more tourists and pouring billions of dollars back into our thriving economy,” added Ayres.
