Letters: Brisbane needs to plan an Olympic Games legacy
We need to climb on the shoulders of the visionaries who gave us the 1982 Commonwealth Games and World Expo 88 and take the long view on Olympic Games venues.
Opinion
Don't miss out on the headlines from Opinion. Followed categories will be added to My News.
We need to climb on the shoulders of the visionaries who gave us the 1982 Commonwealth Games and World Expo 88 and take the long view.
Because of their foresight and determination, we still have the Sleeman Centre including its great pool, the athletics stadium at Mt Gravatt and the wonderful South Bank precinct.
The 2032 Olympic Games need to leave more behind than great memories of a great event.
Here is an opportunity to build a stadium at Victoria Park that will benefit Brisbane for generations to come.
The two events in 1982 and 1988 gave Brisbane its “can do” spirit.
Our state is so much wealthier now.
Let’s show that same “can do” spirit is still here.
Henry Boegheim, Birkdale
Olympians have now waded into the Olympic venues debacle (C-M, Mar 21), which has escalated into a billion-dollar bungle.
The Olympics are all about the raw talent and sporting expertise of the athletes, and not the luxurious and lavish constructions of buildings destined to become white elephants in the not-too-distant future.
Olympians are athletes who can perform no matter what, so why all this importance placed on buildings when Olympians are the main event, not the extravagant, over-the-top constructions?
Helen Holdey, Brighton
Why do we need a new stadium when we have a perfectly serviceable Suncorp Stadium?
The economic climate is such that we have homeless people with no hope of renting let alone buying in the city or regional towns.
Children are missing out on school trips and other educational opportunities as parents are struggling with the cost of living.
Hospitals are understaffed and have long waiting lists.
I strongly feel that Greece as the home of the Olympics should be helped to have a permanent Olympic site which competing countries would assist by contributing to the cost of development and maintenance.
Competitors would then know what conditions they should train for and, as a relatively poor country, it would assist Greece’s economy.
We should not waste money on a new stadium here and definitely not at Victoria Park, which should be maintained as a green space for the people of Brisbane.
Janet Chapman, Bardon
A good gimmick for the Brisbane Olympic Games might be to do it on the cheap.
We could show the world how you don’t have to waste an enormous amount of money in order to hold a successful event.
Use Chandler pool and all the other venues from the 1982 Commonwealth Games, with a few updates. Recycle the velodrome.
Forget a new stadium. Use what we have.
It would send a message that Brisbane knows how to go its own way, and knows how to be economical and tasteful, not wasteful.
This would be what makes our Olympics memorable in a good way, plus it would save a lot of money.
Simon Sandall, Sandgate
A new stadium is not solely about the two-week Olympics, it is about the future opportunities for South East Queensland in terms of attracting top class entertainment and international sporting events making this venue a very attractive place to come.
If built at Victoria Park with supporting infrastructure this would be a great outcome for Brisbane for many years.
Dale Himstedt, Kangaroo Point
The Olympic stadium decision is a classic case of “too many cooks spoil the broth”.
Victoria Park is the long-term vision no-brainer.
Eric White, Bannockburn
Brisbane needs a new cricket/ football stadium with a capacity of 55,000, not just for the Olympics but for the people of Queensland for the next 50 years.
Perth and Adelaide managed to build world-class venues without an Olympics but now it is our time.
Tony Roberts, Seven Hills
Time is running out for Brisbane’s Olympic preparations so let’s get on with the latest version of the venues plan.
The intervention by IOC vice-president John Coates is a declaration of serious concern with timing and the need to get work started.
And let’s keep in mind that while venue size and attendance is of some interest to the Olympic authorities, the real game for them is the revenue flowing from TV, radio and internet rights to allow worldwide focus on the various Olympic activities.
It’s not simply about venue attendance.
Are we being too parochial in focusing on venues and facilities from a local spectator point of view?
Denis Ives, Wakerley
I thought when Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner announced the closure of Victoria Park golf course he indicated that park would rival Central Park in New York.
Now he wants to build a huge stadium there.
I should be confused, but I remembered he is a former politician.
Barry Gercken, Lutwyche
NOTHING WILL SAVE MILES
Well may we say God save the King, because nothing will save Premier Steven Miles.
Never before has this state been in such a mess, and instead of fixing the issues of the people of Queensland, he, like his predecessor, has turned this once great state into a laughing stock.
All Miles will succeed in doing is leaving one hell of a mess for the next premier to fix.
An election should be called tomorrow.
Justin Brown, Tarragindi
PAY FOR OWN PILL TESTING
Regarding the Queensland government’s decision to fund pill testing at music festivals (C-M,
Mar 21), I don’t see why people who obviously have money to buy illegal drugs and to attend a music festival cannot afford to pay for their own pill tests.
Instead, the government will spend up to $1 million on supporting a pill testing service.
As a taxpayer, I am appalled that my taxes will be used to effectively aid and abet illegal activities.
John Yared, Wynnum
TAXIS MUST FACE CHANGE
I wholeheartedly agree with Les Farbotko (“Industry was rank”, Letters, Mar 20) that the taxi industry in this state needed a “good shake-up and got it” with the arrival of Uber and ridesharing years ago.
As a former taxi driving veteran of 15 years and former spokesperson for a taxi driving association, that now a decade later I drive exclusively for Uber is a reflection of how the rideshare economy has transformed the taxi industry in this state.
Taxi companies, their management and the Taxi Council of Queensland only have themselves to blame for how they handled Uber from the start.
The industry is still in a shambles years later.
It is welcome news that Uber saw fit not to drag-out further court proceedings and thousands of taxi drivers and owners will at least receive some compensation from the $270m settlement this week.
However, they should be equally as disappointed with taxi industry leaders who failed to recognise that the gig economy and the changing nature of what has been happening around them in relation to Uber and rideshare platforms.
The taxi industry could change its “model of service” to the same service as Uber and other rideshare providers tomorrow if it wanted to.
Stubbornly it won’t, and perhaps in less than a decade the taxi industry may become totally obsolete in a “brave new digital world”.
Paul Henderson, Manly
**********
Join the conversation. Email your letters to letters@couriermail.com.au or go to couriermail.com.au/letters
‘Sorry Robbie, these issues are at the bottom of the priority list’
Queensland’s state election may be weeks away but it seems many have already had enough of the politics. HAVE YOUR SAY
Seriously minister, this is why voters are over the hypocrisy
To borrow Shannon Fentiman’s own phrase, one of the reasons people are so reluctant to trust politicians is the constant shameless hypocrisy, writes the editor.