Residents and ratepayers raise questions about the financial burden of the proposed Redlands Whitewater Centre, alarm about Olympic spending plans, and ongoing concerns about other Redland City Council projects which should have received greater scrutiny.
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We need whitewater transparency for ratepayers
Would you ever buy a product from a retailer without knowing the price because the retailer can’t or won’t tell you?
Would you ever authorise a massive multi million-dollar public works without knowing its financial projections? Of course you wouldn’t – unless you had some vested interest in seeing it done.
This is the unhealthy situation brewing in Council regarding the Birkdale white water venue.
Despite massive opposition, a cabal of Councillors are supporting it without any idea about costs or maintenance into the future.
None of them have a clue about the financials or long term impacts or how Olympic tourists are to get in and out of town.
I doubt they would even know the level of public infrastructure needed for parking and access to the site, how could they?
Their response is “our projections show it will be a massive success”. Then show us the figures that support this statement.
Fact is they won’t because they don’t have any or if they do it shows the opposite. This is financial negligence of the highest order so let’s man the decks and stop it before its too late. You know the rest of the story – so get proactive before your money goes down the drain.
Jonnie
Wello Ratepayer
The 2032 Olympics are a terrible mess
I read with interest the Redlands2030 Newsletter dated 25 July 2026, on the matter of the 2032 Olympic Games. I totally agree with the R2030 team.
The powers that be who are responsible for ‘the Olympics’ have made a terrible mess of everything – Brisbane, the Redlands and beyond.
They seem to expect all of us to ‘clap our hands with glee’ at the prospect of the destruction/devastation to take place so that they can host the ‘fly by night’ Olympics. They are not prepared to look at what we have already have and work with that.
Previous countries which have hosted the Olympics have said – ‘Work with what venues etc – ‘you’ already have.’ Destroying so much of what we already have is just criminal, costly and has a huge impact on wildlife etc. Frankly I do truly wish another Country had won the rights for these games.
Nothing good will come out of hosting the Olympics.
A.H.
Redlands
Ratepayers deserve better than costly mistakes
Redland City residents are being asked to accept ongoing rate increases while many are questioning if Council is making the best use of their money.
No one disputes that maintaining a growing city is expensive, but ratepayers have a right to expect careful financial management and sensible priorities.
Unfortunately, there have been too many examples where Council has committed significant resources to projects that many residents believe should have received greater scrutiny.
The proposed Birkdale Olympic Whitewater Centre is one example. At a time when Council faces pressure to maintain roads, drainage and essential services, many residents questioned whether committing tens of millions of dollars to a specialised facility was the right priority.
The Toondah Harbour development process also demonstrated the risks of investing heavily in ambitious projects without sufficient community support or certainty of delivery.
Similarly, ongoing concerns about projects such as Willard’s Farm highlight the need for stronger financial oversight and clearer accountability.
Council should not treat rate increases as the easiest solution to financial pressures. Before asking residents to contribute more, elected representatives should demonstrate that existing funds are being spent wisely.
Ratepayers are not an endless source of revenue. They deserve a Council that makes careful decisions, listens to the community and accepts responsibility when investments fail to deliver value. Good governance means protecting the community’s money — not simply finding new ways to spend it.
R.B.
Cleveland
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