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Goal, goal, goal: Games should turn Brisbane into nation’s ‘sport HQ’

National sporting codes should base themselves in south-east Queensland if Brisbane is chosen as host of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, according to the Committee for Brisbane.

Mar 19, 2021, updated Mar 19, 2021
Photo: Bryan Turner/Unsplash

Photo: Bryan Turner/Unsplash

Other goals to aim for as part of shaping the regions’s long term legacy of the Olympics should include a greatly expanded film and screen industry supporting more than 10,000 jobs, a “zero waste, zero carbon” economy and even a policy of having signage that identifies and promotes First Nations languages.

The legacy goals are contained in a committee paper on what the Olympics could deliver the region, launched by Australian Olympic Committee president John Coates today.

It says south-east Queensland should work to convince national sporting organisations to permanently base their primary operations in the region because such a move would attract athletes, teams and coaches for training and competitions in the lead-up to the 2032 Games.

The International Olympic Committee has conferred preferred bidder status on Brisbane and may confirm the city has 2032 Games host as early as June.

Committee for Brisbane chief executive Barton Green said the Games provided a chance for the region to develop as a “hub for high performance, sports technology and recreational development”.

He said the paper identified 20 goals that “could and should” be achieved by 2033 if Brisbane became Olympics host.

“Another focus should be fast rail infrastructure for south east Queensland, that would be essential to ensure efficient mobility during the proposed 2032 Olympics and Paralympics, to create a legacy that will allow the region to cope with the next 25 years of growth – to achieve a vibrant city and a better connected region,” Green said.

Coates said identifying and striving for Olympic legacies for his cities was crucial.

He said convincing sports bodies to shift to south-east Queensland was achievable.

“A lot of big companies and corporations move from Melbourne to Sydney, or at least have large offices in Sydney and the progression should continue,” he said.

“I would hope Brisbane could attract some Asian companies to invest and headquarter here rather than Melbourne or Sydney.”

He said with an Olympic Games to stage, the region would be well placed to emerge as a competitor to established corporate meccas like Singapore.

Also included in the legacy goals is the ambition to develop south-east Queensland into a “45 minute region” with high speed transport links, a shot in the arm for the fast rail network the region’s mayors have been lobbying for.

 

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