Olympics Games for SEQ 2032

[ozbob]

The BrizCommuter word on a transport legacy that is required for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.
https://brizcommuter.blogspot.com/2020/01/brisbane-2032-olympics-transport-legacy.html

Sent to all outlets and

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1219365076047519744

[timh]

The BrizCommuter word on a transport legacy that is required for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.
https://brizcommuter.blogspot.com/2020/01/brisbane-2032-olympics-transport-legacy.html

Nice Brizcommuter. A few extra things I would have added though:

- Hamilton rail extension to service a potential athletes village there.
- Eastern busway extension to Belmont and Chandler to provide high frequency public transport to the state of the art Anna Meares Velodrome, Belmont rifle range and Queensland BMX centre. With some renovations other sports may also be held across other venues at the Sleeman centre.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

[BrizCommuter]

They are good points, might add them to the article later.
The BrizCommuter word on a transport legacy that is required for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.
https://brizcommuter.blogspot.com/2020/01/brisbane-2032-olympics-transport-legacy.html

Nice Brizcommuter. A few extra things I would have added though:

- Hamilton rail extension to service a potential athletes village there.
- Eastern busway extension to Belmont and Chandler to provide high frequency public transport to the state of the art Anna Meares Velodrome, Belmont rifle range and Queensland BMX centre. With some renovations other sports may also be held across other venues at the Sleeman centre.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

[BrizCommuter]

^^ added to the article.

[techblitz]

From a rather irritated regional academic...

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-21/regional-australians-need-to-be-ground-troops-climate-war/11874930

Regions should not have to scream out for workers when there is an obvious labor oversupply in the cities...

In my hometown of Rockhampton, commuting to and from our workplaces robs just 2.5 per cent from our workday, which pales against the unmitigated productivity theft perpetrated by capital city congestion.

Compared to the capital cities we carry far less of the crippling national household debt load, given the affordability of our homes, therefore enabling us to be greater discretionary consumers.

spot-on......house prices and debt....cities are rife with it......thanks to incompetent politicians and the population Ponzi scam...
The fact that apparently the only thing to save SEQ is a sporting event.....really shows how pathetic the situation is..

@onr
id say the more gullible ones are the folk that fall hook,line,sinker for the  'sustainable living or walkable communities ' tagline but have no concept of the downsides to shoving countless human beings into concentrated areas......without the economical backing to truly keep it sustainable...

Apart from the rent-seeking owners and the odd opportunistic politician/councellor that help build these things(which increases inequality.....proven to be a negative in agglomerate economies)......where are the sustainable jobs to go with that living? How many uber eats workers on bikes or scooter juicers do you think the economy can sustain before the economy goes further south?........what...get the city vibrants a job at david jones or harris scarfe??


So let me get this straight......retail takes a reaming....our economy is so sh%t that we now have a higher risk of capital flight out of the country.......yet we keep cramming then in....in the hope that our economical situation in the cities will magically improve?? 


We need to be smarter on how to manage the economical side of this so called 'sustainable' ponzi.....and definitely not take a leaf from this clowns book...the one who originally termed 'big australia'

https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6512525/rudd-wants-immigration-boost-to-combat-china/


[yt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xnB3kI6BdM[/yt]

[Gazza]

Capital cities are a bit more interesting to live in, despite the congestion.

Regional cities are a bit overly conservative for my tastes, just mention Sunday trading or daylight savings or art etc, or building a buiding higher than 3 stories 


If you like home time,  then absolutely the regions are for you, but if you like doing stuff, capitals are still better.

I dont think we are crammed in, even with high rises etc going up, its still less dense than europe.

[techblitz]

Cities are better recreationally for sure...
Coming back from mackay after xmas I did the 'very long' bus trip back via rocky,agnes waters,hervey bay,maryborough,bundy etc......you cant help but appreciate them.....but also adknowledge the work that is needed to grow them......we need to up the investment into these places......I know.....its a case of what will be the more productive investment.......most will say cities......but wont that(as the vice-chancellor hints at)......be countered with less congestion costs in the regions??
We need that darn NCL line upgraded asap...

I.T is one of the consistent sectors for growth.....a good sector to try and push out to the regions......1 year contracts in a regional area would be a start.....

I dont think we are crammed in, even with high rises etc going up, its still less dense than europe.

No doubt.....but as you are aware....they have far more complex/innovational economies with more based unicorn/fortune500 companies than Australia could ever hope to have......that's our probem gazza......the main one....our simple economy mixed with record rates of population growth......at least you have previously adknowledged in the other thread that the rate has to be slowed...

Im wondering what the density of south bank/south brisbane/newstead et al is nowadays.The so-called uni-ring.....obviously no Tokyo

On the inner city especially south brisbane.....i think we may have overexposed ourselves to potential uni student boom/bust cycles....too exposed to international students.....not to mention potentially decreasing the quality of degrees earned due to stuff like group assignments' that need to now be done due to overburdened faculty....that alone is not sustainable and at some point...detrimental to our reputation as a quality place to study..

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Olympic Games will be a boon to regional Qld too

Southeast Queensland might be the host, but if our 2032 Olympic Games bid is successful there'll be hundreds of millions of dollars flowing to the rest of the state too.

STRUGGLING regional centres are primed to pick up hundreds of millions of dollars in manufacturing and supply contracts and from hosting international teams in the lead-up to a 2032 southeast Queensland Olympic Games.

In a swift rebuff to Pauline Hanson's campaign against the games, bid backers have highlighted the landslide of economic and social benefits Queensland experienced as a result of Sydney 2000.

Bid architect and former lord mayor Graham Quirk said regional Queenslanders were on board the Games proposal once they were reminded of what Sydney 2000 did for Queensland, and the tens of millions of dollars visiting teams tipped into their towns.

A state government report compiled in the months after the Sydney 2000 Games says more than 179 teams with 2500 athletes from 48 countries trained across the state from Cairns to Rockhampton, Bundaberg, Toowomba, the Gold and Sunshine coasts and Brisbane.

A home Games would only make Queensland centres more attractive for teams in 2032, Mr Quirk said, who launched the 2032 SEQ Games push while head of the Southeast Queensland Council of Mayors.

Queensland businesses picked up contracts worth over $400 million in year 2000 terms, with major contracts going to companies including in Townsville for prefabrication of parts of the Olympic Village down to others who supplied Moreton Bay figs for the Olympic Park, the taskforce report says.

Olympian and prominent Queensland businessman Mark Stockwell, who sat on the Queensland Olympics 2000 task force, said while Queensland did well out of targeting spin-off opportunities from the Sydney Games, a home event would multiply those "100-fold".

The Council of Mayors (SEQ) proposed a Games bid to fast-track new roads and rail with a feasibility study which gathered momentum on the back of The Courier-Mail's Future SEQ campaign.

In June, The Courier-Mail and southeast Queensland sister mastheads officially backed the bid with front-page editorials.

In December, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced Queensland was going for the 2032 Olympics and Paralympics, won over by projections showing billions of dollars extra would pour into the state economy and create another 129,000 jobs.

The Government's value proposition analysis showed 10,000 jobs predicted from tourism in the Games year alone, with half of all international games tourists tipped to visit regional Queensland providing a $10 billion uplift to the regional economy.

Mr Quirk, who has spoken to nearly every mayor in Queensland and told them bluntly the Games proposal would only win IOC backing if events were centred on the southeast, said there were massive flow-on financial, jobs and tourism opportunities for regional areas.

Mr Stockwell said Queensland needed to focus on winning the Games bid, harnessing support across the state.

The Olympic medallist offered to sit down with high profile Queensland Senator Pauline Hanson, who says she is opposed to the Games being held in southeast Queensland when rural Queensland needs more spending.

AOC president John Coates has said staging the Games would be cost-neutral for the state, with $US2.3 billion to come from broadcast agreements and a minimum $US1.8 billion from the IOC to help stage the event.

Mr Quirk said a southeast Queensland Games would also inspire a generation of young Queensland kids to put down their electronic devices and get into sport.

Senator Hanson's campaign against the Games bid has drawn the ire of regional mayors, who say the games could deliver vital infrastructure for their regions.

The Toowoomba and Lockyer Valley regional councils' campaign to secure a passenger rail link between Brisbane and the key regions may be boosted by a successful bid for the Olympic Games.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday morning and announcing the formation of the Ipswich to Toowoomba Passenger Rail Alliance, Lockyer Valley Mayor Tanya Milligan said Senator Hanson's campaign was "all politics".

"I'm disappointed by the comments. Put your energy into something that's really great for our community," Cr Milligan said.

"If everyone worked together, regardless of what party you belong to, the community would be far more grateful. We would get a hell of a lot more done."

Toowoomba Mayor Paul Antonio was also critical of the senators opposition to the games.

"My response to Pauline Hanson is that the Olympics do many things for communities," Cr Antonio said.

"We put our hand up because it will generate significant activity here – we'll get infrastructure, we'll get a legacy in this area, that we wouldn't have without the Olympic Games."

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Queensland Olympics bid: 2032 Games could end up leaving the state with a surplus – AOC chief

To the naysayers like Pauline Hanson who say Queensland can't afford to host the 2032 Olympics, running a Games here will be cost neutral or could even produce a surplus, according to Australian Olympic Committee President John Coates.

RUNNING a southeast Queensland Olympics would cost taxpayers and ratepayers nothing and could even create a surplus, Olympics boss John Coates said in the wake of criticism from Pauline Hanson that regional Queensland could not afford the Games.

Australia's Olympics boss has requested a meeting with Senator Hanson to bring her up to speed on the costs of running a Queensland Games in 2032 after her party launched a billboard blitz calling for an end to the bid and for the money to be funnelled into regional development.

Olympic Committee chief John Coates said the One Nation senator had been citing an old Oxford University study to convince regional Queenslanders a Games bid was a waste of taxpayer money.

"Senator Pauline Hanson has recently questioned the potential of a Queensland Olympic Games on the basis of cost," Mr Coates said.

"But running a Queensland Games will be cost neutral, or even produce a surplus, thanks to changes by the International Olympic Committee (IOC)."

The SEQ Council of Mayors proposed a Games bid to fast-track new roads and rail with a feasibility study which gathered momentum on the back of The Courier-Mail's Future SEQ campaign.

In June, The Courier-Mail and sister SEQ mastheads officially backed the bid with front page editorials.

In December, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced Queensland was going for the 2032 Olympics and Paralympics, won over by projections showing billions of extra dollars would pour into the state economy and another 129,000 jobs would be created. The government's value proposition analysis showed 10,000 jobs were predicted from tourism alone, with half of all international event tourists tipped to visit regional Queensland, providing a $10 billion uplift.

Mr Coates has said staging the Games would be cost-neutral for the state, with US$2.3 billion ($A3.4 billion) to come from broadcast agreements and a minimum US$1.8 billion ($A2.7 billion) from the IOC to help stage the event.

"Known as 'The New Norm, these changes have made Games much cheaper to run, while delivering benefits that can last 20 years and beyond," Mr Coates said in an exclusive editorial for The Courier-Mail.

"I have offered to take Senator Hanson through them, including the IOC contributing around $2.5 billion towards the operating costs.

"When you add revenue from national sponsors and ticket sales, the operating costs of the Games themselves will not require any contribution from taxpayers or ratepayers. These games-changing benefits weren't available to previous Olympic hosts. The IOC wants hosts to use existing venues as much as possible, reduce venue sizes and ensure the Games fit in with Queensland, not the other way around.

"In the case of Brisbane and Queensland's candidature, we already have 85 per cent of the venues in place or planned. The benefits start 10 years before the Games' period and will last for another ten years to follow.

"Today's 10-year-old child will be an optimistic 22-year-old in 2032 – with real job opportunities, actively involved in sport and living in a thriving state with a vibrant economy."

Senator Hanson said she would sit down with the AOC.

"A briefing has been organised for later this month," Senator Hanson said.

A generation of potential sporting champions are already excited about the possibility of an SEQ 2032 Games.

Bodhi Dusha, 10, from Balmoral Cycling Club, said he "could race in front of my family and friends. We'd get a lot of support, it'd be so loud in the velodrome".

Churchie Rowing Club's Liam Ardrey, 17, said it would keep more Queensland children in sport.

"We will have a once-in-a -lifetime opportunity to truly perform at the highest level in our home town," Liam said.

Eastern Suburbs Football Club player Lucy Hubczenko, 11, said "to compete in the Olympics in the town I was born would be amazing and a dream come true".

A State Government report compiled after the Sydney 2000 Games showed the whole state benefited, with more than 179 teams and 2500 athletes from 48 countries trained from Cairns to Rockhampton, Bundaberg and the Gold and Sunshine Coast.

[SteelPan]

"....the operating costs of the Games themselves will not require any contribution from taxpayers or ratepayers." Operating costs are FAR from the total cost of hosting the worlds most overrated sports carnival.

"....running a Games here will be cost neutral or could even produce a surplus, according to Australian Olympic Committee President John Coates. Coates would say that...wouldn't he and "could" is a mighty BIG risk in a multi-billion dollar overrated sports-carnival game.

Vic and NSW are getting multi-billion dollar RAIL projects and not hosting any Olympics...Qld must get the same...agree with Hanson [for once], much rather see us put Oz taxpayer dollars into Regional Oz!

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> What 2032 Oympic Games will mean for QLD

An economic analysis has revealed the huge jobs, exports and tourism bonanza Queensland is on the cusp of if we secure the 2032 Olympic Games.

QUEENSLAND is in for a $36.2 billion jobs, export and tourism bonanza if it secures the SEQ 2032 Olympics and Paralympics, the State Government's economic analysis of the bid shows.

The value proposition blueprint – which won the State Government over into backing the bid – shows an SEQ Games would open up an extra $8.6 billion in increased export opportunities statewide and create an extra, quantifiable economic benefit of $7.4 billion on top of that.

The massive export benefit comes in addition to the already revealed $20.2 billion in international tourist expenditure that any 2032 Games would generate in the decade leading up to the Games and then 10 years after it.

The Value Proposition Assessment blueprint has been released ahead of a top level leadership meeting of key bid partners in Brisbane today. The leadership group includes AOC boss John Coates, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, Federal MP Ted O'Brien for the Prime Minister, Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner and Sunshine Coast Mayor Mark Jamieson. It shows the cost of running the Games would be $4.45 billion, but the State Government and AOC says that would be completely covered by $2.5 billion in International Olympic Committee grants and revenue from ticket sales and sponsorship for the biggest event in the world.

The report also says there are a range of unquantifiable community and health benefits, including increased participation in sport and volunteering and that 80 per cent of venues already exist or could be delivered through temporary solutions.

It also points to the creation of 130,000 direct jobs, including 10,000 in the Games year plus tens of thousands of indirect jobs.

In addition to whole-of-state benefits, the report underlines opportunities specifically for regional Queensland including:

• $10 billion in international tourism spending.

• Procurement and supply chain opportunities for regional business.

• Training and hosting opportunities for international teams.

• Participation in torch relay, cultural festivals and other games activities.

According to the report, Townsville's new stadium could play host to international teams in the lead-up to the Games, while that city, Cairns and Toowoomba are in the frame to host preliminary football rounds.

Cairns could also use the Games attention to expand its slice of the authentic indigenous First Nations art market, while Townsville could tap into it to expand its burgeoning health care and new-tech opportunities like lithium-ion battery manufacturing.

The SEQ Council of Mayors proposed a Games bid to fast-track new roads and rail with a feasibility study which gathered momentum on the back of The Courier-Mail's Future SEQ campaign.

In June, The Courier-Mail and sister SEQ mastheads officially backed the bid with front page editorials.

In December, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced Queensland was going for the 2032 Olympics and Paralympics, won over by projections showing billions of dollars extra would pour into the state economy.

The southeast's infrastructure wishlist includes fast rail connecting the Sunshine and Gold coasts with Brisbane, Ipswich and ultimately Toowoomba as well as upgrading roads and other public transport infrastructure in addition to the State Government's Cross River Rail and Brisbane City Council's Metro.

With 80 per cent of actual event infrastructure already in place, south-east Queensland could be in the market for a 65,000 seat stadium and some other, smaller facilities that can be repurposed for community use before and after the Games. Even the main stadium could be repurposed and expanded for the weeks of the Games and Paralympics.

Ms Palaszczuk said yesterday she was determined a Queensland Olympics must be inclusive of the whole state.

"Two things I have said from day one: the benefits of these Games must outweigh the cost, and everyone has to share the excitement and the pride," the Premier said.

The Value Proposition highlights the IOC's "New Norm", which makes hosting the Games much cheaper.

The report highlights the economic benefits achieved from the 2018 Commonwealth Games which returned money to the Government.

Those Games generated a $2.5 billion boost to Gross State Product, including a $1.8 billion boost to the Gold Coast. It lured 1.3 million visitors who spent $1.1 billion in the state plus promoted export and foreign direct investment of $840 million, and provided contracts worth $14 million to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/InQldMedia/status/1227070758427348992

[verbatim9]

The site at Albion should include a new Aquatic centre at the same standard as Albert Park in Melbourne and Olympic Park Homebush in Sydney

[timh]

The site at Albion should include a new Aquatic centre at the same standard as Albert Park in Melbourne and Olympic Park Homebush in Sydney

The current going idea from what I've been hearing is to build a temporary pool into Brisbane Live, much like was done for the at Rod Laver Arena for the FINA championships in 2007.
See:

[Gazza]

Can Albion even fit much more than a Stadium?

[verbatim9]

The site at Albion should include a new Aquatic centre at the same standard as Albert Park in Melbourne and Olympic Park Homebush in Sydney

The site at Albion should include a new Aquatic centre at the same standard as Albert Park in Melbourne and Olympic Park Homebush in Sydney

The current going idea from what I've been hearing is to build a temporary pool into Brisbane Live, much like was done for the at Rod Laver Arena for the FINA championships in 2007.
See:

Can Albion even fit much more than a Stadium?

The whole point of the Olympics is that new infrastructure can be utilised post games. There are no world class Aquatic and leisure centres to date in Brisbane. Adelaide has one in Marion, Melbourne in Albert Park, Sydney at Homebush. They are fully fitted out as all year indoor Aquatic Centres. Facilities include whirlpools, hydrotherapy pools, spa pools, diving pools , spill buckets, steam and saunas, as well as the training and competition pools

[verbatim9]

A report into a 2032 Queensland Olympics is forecasting extraordinary growth and benefits before and after the Games.

All up it says there's going to be a $32 billion windfall, a return the Palaszczuk Government can't ignore. @lcalcutt #QldPol #9News https://t.co/eSbA0mp0iu

https://twitter.com/9NewsQueensland/status/1227143805033439232

[#Metro]

How accurate is the forecast?

[Gazza]

The site at Albion should include a new Aquatic centre at the same standard as Albert Park in Melbourne and Olympic Park Homebush in Sydney

The site at Albion should include a new Aquatic centre at the same standard as Albert Park in Melbourne and Olympic Park Homebush in Sydney

The current going idea from what I've been hearing is to build a temporary pool into Brisbane Live, much like was done for the at Rod Laver Arena for the FINA championships in 2007.
See:

Can Albion even fit much more than a Stadium?

The whole point of the Olympics is that new infrastructure can be utilised post games. There are no world class Aquatic and leisure centres to date in Brisbane. Adelaide has one in Marion, Melbourne in Albert Park, Sydney at Homebush. They are fully fitted out as all year indoor Aquatic Centres. Facilities include whirlpools, hydrotherapy pools, spa pools, diving pools , spill buckets, steam and saunas, as well as the training and competition pools

Chandler?

They could do a bit of a paint to make it look fresher.

The Marion aquatic center seats 3500, Chandler seats 2700. They could just expand the seating a Chandler.

Chandler is also going ahead with a new ski jumping pool.

[timh]

The site at Albion should include a new Aquatic centre at the same standard as Albert Park in Melbourne and Olympic Park Homebush in Sydney

The site at Albion should include a new Aquatic centre at the same standard as Albert Park in Melbourne and Olympic Park Homebush in Sydney

The current going idea from what I've been hearing is to build a temporary pool into Brisbane Live, much like was done for the at Rod Laver Arena for the FINA championships in 2007.
See:

Can Albion even fit much more than a Stadium?

The whole point of the Olympics is that new infrastructure can be utilised post games. There are no world class Aquatic and leisure centres to date in Brisbane. Adelaide has one in Marion, Melbourne in Albert Park, Sydney at Homebush. They are fully fitted out as all year indoor Aquatic Centres. Facilities include whirlpools, hydrotherapy pools, spa pools, diving pools , spill buckets, steam and saunas, as well as the training and competition pools

Chandler?

They could do a bit of a paint to make it look fresher.

The Marion aquatic center seats 3500, Chandler seats 2700. They could just expand the seating a Chandler.

Chandler is also going ahead with a new ski jumping pool.

I know some guys who work at Sleeman Centre and from what they've told me, the pool there is no longer up to modern Olympic standards. They can't hold high level competitions there as a result. I don't know enough about the specifics of why but I can ask? I figure though if this was an easy fix it would have been done. It must be something structural with the pool.

Still a lot cheaper to do than build an entire new Olympic sized aquatic centre but I think they would be hesitant to hold Swimming at Chandler. I expect it would be used for Water Polo.

[aldonius]

Beijing 2008 rewrote what it means to be an Olympic class pool. They're wider and deeper to give the athletes much less turbulent water. This is a big reason why so many records fell there.

[verbatim9]

The battle to become South East Queensland's hotspot for surf and whitewater recreation is heating up. The Gold Coast is now in the running for bragging rights as Logan and Redlands city councils battle for a whitewater park. https://t.co/VZ3A1cpmr5 @STitmus7 #7NEWS https://t.co/p1JEGC4UZJ

https://twitter.com/7NewsBrisbane/status/1238022697726009344

[SteelPan]

  given Coronavirus there's not going to be a "spare'' 20c in any govt coffers for years to come!

[verbatim9]

^^This is all printed money at the moment due to quantitative easing from the RBA. There wouldn't be money to pay for this otherwise. The only benefit the Olympics may have is an increased Federal budget infrastructure spend in Qld plus private industry spend on civil construction such as hotels and retail etc.....

[#Metro]

There is a lot of printed money being dumped into the economy. However, the real value in the economy is the production of goods and services. That is falling.

Stimulus works up to a point. Beyond that it is like giving everyone monopoly money and inflation could take hold. Could result in high unemployment + high inflation combination.

[verbatim9]

There is a lot of printed money being dumped into the economy. However, the real value in the economy is the production of goods and services. That is falling.

Stimulus works up to a point. Beyond that it is like giving everyone monopoly money and inflation could take hold. Could result in high unemployment + high inflation combination.

^^Like Argentina

[verbatim9]

[verbatim9]

^^I agree the stadium should be built at Bowen Hills (Mayne Yards)

[red dragin]

It's a heavily contaminated flood plain that's part of an active railway system, and about to be carved up for CRR.

[verbatim9]

It's a heavily contaminated flood plain that's part of an active railway system, and about to be carved up for CRR.

Good reason to clean it up. CRR is utlising a small section. Stadiums usually placed on cheap land.

[#Metro]

Mayne yards?

I can't really see that working.

Maybe they should use land near the airport.

[red dragin]

It's a heavily contaminated flood plain that's part of an active railway system, and about to be carved up for CRR.

Good reason to clean it up. CRR is utlising a small section. Stadiums usually placed on cheap land.

Small part? Stabling yards and cutting right through the middle of the block.

[SteelPan]

Newgen ''Mayne Yards'' underneath the stadium...would that work?

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1263906498263957506

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/7NewsBrisbane/status/1263946700244180994

[SteelPan]

Do NOT allow pollies to tie significant investment in long-overdue new rail infrastructure in SEQld to winning an overrated sports carnival. Note, Sydney and Melbourne are flagging similar huge new projects and no ''Olympics benchmark'' for them to meet!

We want fastER rail in SEQld regardless of securing sporting events, particularly events 99% of SEQldérs haven't even been asked if they really want them in the first place!

[HappyTrainGuy]

Newgen ''Mayne Yards'' underneath the stadium...would that work?

Not with a massive expense due to breaky creek and portals.

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Qld Olympic bid faces serious threat after Qatar enters race

QUEENSLAND'S Olympic bid faces a serious threat after the oil-rich empire of Qatar formally entered the race for world sport's biggest prize.

Qatar, already the confirmed host of the 2022 FIFA soccer World Cup, has requested to engage in the "continuous dialogue" phase of the International Olympic Committee's 2032 bidding process in a move that should have Brisbane bid chiefs worried, according to sports administrator and former Olympian Mark Stockwell.

The buzz around the announcement of Qatar's bid comes with Queensland's own Olympic campaign in hibernation while the state manages the coronavirus crisis.

Mr Stockwell, who guided the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games Organising Committee through its own bidding battle against the Sri Lankan city of Hambantota, said the post-COVID-19 world would place renewed value on events like the Olympics and he expected other countries to line up for the chance to host what is often described as 'The Greatest Show on Earth'.

"I think Queensland should be worried," he said.

"The Olympics is this lightning bolt in a bottle that can really supercharge a host city or nation and Qatar has the finances and the credibility to pull it off.

"We (Queensland) are going to have to fight for it.

"No one at the IOC is just going to give us the bid, so we have really got to show that we can actually do it."

Stockwell, a former Olympic swimmer who won three medals at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, is one of Queensland's most successful businessmen and also serves on the Australian Sports Commission.

So far there have been rumours of bids from India, China and even a joint-North and South Korea union, but Qatar is the first rival to Brisbane to officially declare an interest. Overlooked twice in previous Games' bids, Qatar's turn at hosting the 2022 World Cup lends instant credibility and a compelling storyline for a region that has never hosted an Olympics.

Queensland's Olympic bid is officially on hold while the coronavirus pandemic rages across the world.

A spokesman for the Australian Olympic Committee said the bid would "resume dialogue with the IOC" when the time was right.

"The AOC recognises the potential for the 2032 Olympic Games to play a critical role in Queensland and Australia's economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, quite apart from all the long term health, wellbeing, economic and sporting legacies," he said.

Sunshine Coast Mayor and Council of Mayors (SEQ) representative, Councillor Mark Jamieson, said Queensland remained a strong contender to host the 2032 Olympics.

"Not only would southeast Queensland provide a spectacular backdrop for the 2032 Games, Australia has a great reputation for its ability to deliver successful and memorable world events," he said.

"Regardless of which nations enter the race, we remain focused on creating a compelling proposal for South East Queensland to host the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games."

[ozbob]

In Qld --> Oxford University study that says we should walk away from Qld's Olympic bid

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/SEQMayors/status/1335757018297090050