Governing bodies of four major Olympic sports have told a Senate inquiry that they want improved plans for legacy infrastructure from the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.
Current plans for the Brisbane Olympics are that Athletics, Hockey and Swimming events will each be held at venues using temporary facilities ‘dropped in’ for the Olympics and removed soon after the closing ceremony.
Plans for hosting Football events at the Brisbane Games are flawed and will deliver no Olympics legacy, says Football Australia.
Community opposition to Olympics plans
While popular sports with millions of followers miss out on legacy outcomes from the Brisbane Olympics, the Queensland Government is planning to splurge $100 million on an Olympic whitewater facility at Birkdale, for the lower profile sport of canoe slalom.
Community groups oppose whitewater plans
Redlands community representatives raised concerns about the Birkdale whitewater project’s impacts on koala habitat and Indigenous Cultural and European Heritage values, at the Senate Inquiry’s Brisbane hearing on 22 August.
They said the legacy for Redlands ratepayers would be a ‘white elephant’ financial burden for many decades, and it would make more sense to use the whitewater facility in Penrith, NSW for the 2032 Olympics.
Gabba Athletics plans slammed by Brisbane community
The Senate Inquiry also heard from Brisbane community groups opposed to plans for Athletics at the Gabba which entail demolition of the existing stadium, closure of the adjacent East Brisbane State School and repurposing Raymond Park in Kangaroo Point as the Athletics warm up track.
Three petitions to Queensland Parliament have been initiated:
- The 2032 Olympic Whitewater Stadium proposed for Birkdale in Redland City
- Save East Brisbane State School
- Scrap the $2.7 billion Gabba Redevelopment and Save Raymond Park
Local communities and sporting bodies want the Queensland Government to consult more extensively about its plans for the Brisbane Olympics. With nine years until the opening ceremony, there’s still time to make sure that the Brisbane Olympics delivers positive legacies for popular sports and local communities.
Temporary tracks for athletics
Current Brisbane Olympics plans are for the Gabba Stadium to be demolished and rebuilt with a temporary ‘drop in’ track for Athletics. A ‘drop in’ warm track for Athletics is proposed for Raymond Park in Kangaroo Point, 400 metres from the Gabba.
The temporary athletics tracks at the Gabba and Raymond Park will be removed after the Games, leaving no Olympics legacy for athletics in Brisbane.
“Athletics fares poorly regarding games infrastructure legacy with Games athletics tracks being temporary and the long-term facilities benefit being to sports such as AFL and cricket” says Athletics Australia in its submission to the Senate Inquiry.
Steve Moneghetti. Director of Athletics Australia, told a Senate Inquiry hearing on 29 August that improving local sporting facilities ahead of the games was an important part of delivering legacy from major events.
The Queensland Athletics Centre (formerly the QE2 Stadium used for the Brisbane 1982 Commonwealth Games) is old, outdated and not configured appropriately to attract major athletics events says the Athletics Australia submission.
The State Government has reportedly been considering turning the Queensland Athletics Centre into an AFL facility for the Brisbane Lions while the Gabba is being demolished and rebuilt. This could make it even more difficult for local athletes to prepare for major competitions, including the Brisbane Olympics.
Football plans are “flawed”
Concerns about arrangements for the Brisbane Olympics football competition have been raised by Football Australia in its submission to the Senate inquiry.
Football Australia says it is “surprised by the lack of consultation regarding the crucial Olympic infrastructure required to successfully host football at the games”.
“The absence of consultation not only sidelines the expertise and perspectives of FA but also hints at a potential oversight in the comprehensive orchestration of the Olympic spectacle” says Football Australia.
Training infrastructure for the Brisbane Olympics
The Brisbane 2032 Master Plan’s initial analysis on the sufficiency of current training infrastructure is “flawed’ says Football Australia. They submit that up to 40 international training facilities may be required for the Brisbane Olympics across the three states hosting football games.
The recent FIFA World Women’s Football Cup only required 15 facilities which Football Australia says was difficult to provide at the required standard.
Olympics Competition venues
The current venues selected in Queensland for the Brisbane Olympics are “not fit for purpose” and deliver no Olympics legacy says Football Australia in its submission.
They say that Brisbane is the only Australian city without a modern Tier 2 stadium.
Construction of a Tier 2 football stadium at Perry Park with a capacity of 10,000 to 15,000 people is a “pressing necessity” says Football Australia. With temporary seating added, this stadium’s capacity could be doubled for major events such as the Olympics.
This would provide men’s and women’s football with an alternative to the “prohibitive overheads’ of Suncorp Stadium.
A ’boutique’ 15,000 seat stadium at Perry Park is estimated to cost $100 million to $130 million, according to Football Queensland’s Strategic Infrastructure Plan 2020-2024.
Hockey says new infrastructure overdue
Australia has won several Olympic medals in hockey but current plans for the Brisbane Games will deliver no Olympics legacy for this popular sport.
The current hockey infrastructure in Brisbane does not meet International Hockey Federation (FIH) standards and the ratio of synthetic pitches to players and competitions is the lowest in Australia say Hockey Australia and Hockey Queensland.
The current Brisbane Olympics plan is for hockey to be played on temporary ‘drop in’ facilities at the Ballymore Rugby Union precinct.
“New infrastructure for hockey in Brisbane is long overdue” says Hockey Australia’s CEO David Pryles.
Hockey Australia and Hockey Queensland are calling for a dedicated, purpose built and permanent hockey facility that can host national and international hockey events.
Brisbane has not hosted an FIH-sanctioned event since the Champions Trophy in 1999.
Temporary pool for Brisbane Olympics
The Queensland Government plans for swimming and water polo events at the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic games to be held in a temporary pool at the Brisbane Arena, a new $2.3 billion 17,000 seat indoor entertainment centre.
“Brisbane Arena promises to be an exciting venue for swimming in 2032 and its construction in time for the Games will deliver a lasting legacy for Brisbane as an indoor entertainment venue, but it does not deliver a permanent legacy venue for swimming” says Swimming Australia in its submission to the Senate Inquiry.
Their submission says:
The Games should be an opportunity to add much needed capacity and address capability gaps in swimming’s infrastructure network, particularly for High Performance and major event requirements but also to drive investment in facilities that support swimming clubs and community participation.
Swimming Australia’s submission to the Senate Inquiry calls more regular and direct engagement on Games planning, saying: “Early and ongoing engagement has the potential to deliver a range of lasting benefits”.
Water Polo at the Brisbane Olympics
Water Polo Australia is also calling for legacy investment in Queensland. They say there is significant performance and community need for an additional facility. At present the Brisbane Aquatic Centre in Chandler is only available once or twice a year for major events.
Diving at the Brisbane Olympics
While swimming and water polo events for the Brisbane Olympics are proposed to be held at the temporary pool in the Brisbane Arena, diving will be done at the Sleeman Complex in Chandler built for the Brisbane 1982 Commonwealth Games.
This facility needs to be refurbished. While this is happening, Queensland based divers will have no indoor facility for training. The diving facility at the Gold Coast has no roof which makes this venue less usable.
Diving Australia says that it has had “very little consultation in the development of competition and training venues” for the Brisbane Olympics.
They say that plans to refurbish the Chandler facility as a venue for diving at the Brisbane Olympics will mean that divers will have to relocate interstate so there may be no Queensland based and trained athletes diving at the Brisbane 2032 Games.
Redlands2030 – 31 August 2023
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