Brisbane River no Seine: Mayor says river can’t be focus of Games

Brisbane’s Lord Mayor says its eponymous river, dubbed the Brown Snake, has a role to play in the 2032 Games Opening Ceremony but has a fatal flaw that means it cannot be the focus. POLL

A photograph taken from an helicopter on July 26, 2024 shows an aerial view of the delegation boats navigating on the Seine. (Photo by Lionel BONAVENTURE / POOL / AFP)

Brisbane’s Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner says its eponymous river, dubbed the Brown Snake, has a role to play in the 2032 Games Opening Ceremony but has a fatal flaw that means it cannot be the focus.

Mr Schrinner said his deputy, Krista Adams, who has been on a fact-finding tour of the Paris Games, has reported back to him that many viewers were forced to watch the controversial Opening Ceremony on screens.

That was because even the famous Seine River was too wide for spectators along the banks to see athletes up close.

“One of the great things is we will have had three Olympics — Tokyo, Paris and Los Angeles — to learn from,’’ Mr Schrinner said.

“Some things (in Paris) have worked well, other things haven’t.

“It certainly was unique. I really liked the concept (of using the Seine) but in the actual implementation there were some hiccups.

“It’s important that people get that personal experience. The river in Paris is probably less than half the size of the Brisbane River in terms of width and you want that up close and personal experience.

“It’s one of the icons of our city. People gather around the Brisbane River for major events like Riverfire and New Year and there’s an opportunity to do things like that, but not exactly like Paris.’’

Mr Schrinner said Brisbane had a unique lifestyle and should focus on celebrating that rather than copying other Olympic cities’ Opening Ceremonies.

His comments came after Police Minister Mark Ryan this week teased his support for holding the 2032 Opening Ceremony along the river.

“Well, we are known as the river city,” he said.

“I think that having the spotlight on Queensland and Brisbane will show the world how great the place we call home is, so having events which showcase all the great things about Queensland, I think, is a good thing.”

The LNP was not convinced, with Brisbane MP Tim Nicholls saying opening ceremony decisions should be left to the experts.

“I mean, the Brisbane River is a great river,” he said.

“We don’t need to wait till 2030 to enjoy the beauty and benefits.”

Mr Schrinner meanwhile refused to buy into the ongoing debate about an opening stadium.

“It’s always been, for us, about better transport. Transport is something we use every single day, a stadium is something we use occasionally,’’ he said.

“Yes, the stadium is a decision that must be made, but it’s something that no doubt the state government will do in coming months.’’

Deputy Mayor Krista Adams has been in Paris this week with Brisbane Economic Development Agency CEO Anthony Ryan to learn from the 2024 Games.

Central ward councillor Vicki Howard was due to leave for Paris soon to study the handling of the Paralympics.