Queensland Olympics must learn from Commonwealth past and future
If Queensland is to put forward a bid for the 2028 Olympics it must learn lessons from the Gold Coast’s preparation for the 2016 Commonwealth Games, says Queensland deputy premier Jackie Trad.
“There’s a real fine line to tread in terms of making sure the enormous investment that you make leverages off legacy infrastructure and legacy outcomes for the city and the region,” said Trad at a Local Government Association of Queensland conference in Brisbane on August 19.
Ms Trad, also the state’s trade and infrastructure minister, took care to highlight issues of financing.
“From a state perspective, I know how costly it’s been delivering on the infrastructure that’s required to make sure that we put on the best Commonwealth Games that we can in 2018.” added Trad.
“We’ve got to make a hard-nosed decision about whether or not we want to invest $30 billion staging a large event,” she said referring to the Olympics.
Lord Mayor of Brisbane Graham Quirk is also taking lessons from the 1982 Commonwealth Games and the relative remoteness of the Queensland Sports and Athletic Centre at the centre of the Brisbane event.
“Our analysis has identified the most cost-effective model for a South East Queensland Olympic Games is to place the main stadium, village and a number of key venues near the Brisbane CBD,” Quirk told the Courier Mail
There was speculation that QSAC could be reborn as the main stadium of an Olympic bid, but insiders speaking to the Courier Mail quashed those rumours.
One reason cited was the stadium is considered too far removed from the city centre, a factor that has also hindered the legacy of the 2000 Sydney Games.
