MELBOURNE has been named the world's top sports events city, ahead of joint second Paris and Sydney, in the first analysis of its kind.
The result is predicted to provide a boost to tourism, bids for events -- including the soccer World Cup -- and international opportunities for Melbourne's events planners and organisers.
The study found Melbourne had an "unparalleled track record reputation" for hosting sport, with international events industry bosses also praising its "versatility,
stadia, city atmosphere and local passion for all sports".
In welcoming the result, Premier Steve Bracks said: "The world is acknowledging what we already know -- that Melbourne is the sport capital of the world.
"This year's Commonwealth Games was just the latest in a long list of world-class sporting events staged in Melbourne -- a list that stretches back to the 1956 Olympics and beyond."
The study to find the best location to hold a sports event was completed by London-based consulting and research firm ArkSports, whose clients include the NFL, BT, Visa and Ladbrokes.
Berlin, in Germany, was fourth, with London fifth. Twenty of the world's top sports cities were selected for the study, based on their history of hosting events.
Factors that were analysed and scored included each city's events list from 2002 to 2010, the public interest in terms of attendances and media coverage, their legacies, the city's quality of life, facilities, transport and accommodation, government support, weather and tourism.
In addition to analysing data, ArkSports took on the opinions of 50 events industry executives, including major sponsors.
As well as being overall winner, with 341.5 points -- 29 points ahead of its nearest rivals -- Melbourne was top for the level of public interest in events, its facilities, its number of major events won and the level of government support.
It finished second in the majority of other categories, including quality of life (behind Vancouver), accommodation (behind New York) and weather/tourism and legacy (behind Sydney).
The only area in which it polled badly was transport.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sto...8-2862,00.html
While I agree NZ is a great place Syn, If it was indeed better than Australia surly you would still be living there? 
, But we're not stupid we know there’s easy money to be made here.... and if it wasn't for us working here the Australian economy will fail and collapses, then where would Australia be 
