Editorial: Lessons for legacy from former hosts

David Crisafulli will today take to the stage in the main ballroom at Queens Wharf to answer the question every Queenslander is asking, writes the editor.

The Australian team at the opening ceremony of the 1992 Barcelona Olympics

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The most critical moment of today’s sold-out Future Brisbane event – in the main ballroom at Queens Wharf (broadcast on Sky News and streamed on couriermail.com.au) – will be when Premier David Crisafulli announces on stage what exactly he will be tasking his venues review group to consider.

The terms of reference for this group of experts charged by the new government to make the final call on what should be invested remain a mystery, despite the legislation to establish the group having gone through Parliament yesterday.

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We have said it before and so we implore Mr Crisafulli and his deputy Jarrod Bleijie again: the terms of reference for this group must remain as broad as possible.

There is absolutely zero point in putting together a team of experts (who is on that team will also be announced on stage) if they have to follow too strict a set of guidelines determined by a politician, who is not an expert on venues delivery.

This story is part of The Courier-Mail’s annual Future Brisbane series advocating for a focus on the right legacy outcomes from the hosting of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. You can read all our coverage here

If that team then proposes a new stadium is necessary for the city (not for the Games), the Premier must have the courage to dump his “no new stadiums” mantra and take their expert advice. This was the big mistake former premier Steven Miles made: to ignore the review findings and go his own way. Mr Crisafulli must learn that lesson.

Lessons for legacy from former hosts

It is good to see the new Crisafulli government bake legacy outcomes into the first laws it has passed that relate to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The legislation to redirect what was the Games Venue and Legacy Delivery Authority to the Independent Infrastructure and Coordination Authority locks that authority into making decisions that ensure regional areas receive legacy benefits from the Games.

It also states – in law – that the primary purpose of the authority is that it ensures Queensland’s readiness to successfully host and maximise the legacy and benefits from the Games. This is good.

As we have consistently said in this column, we need to ensure as a community that we are all working together to be deliberate about the delivery of legacy outcomes from this once-ever opportunity for our city and our state.

If not, we risk looking back on this incredible time and, while no doubt celebrating what will be an amazing Olympic and Paralympic Games, we could rue the missed chances for using those events as both a catalyst and a deadline for generational infrastructure that will change the way we live in this greatest place on earth.

To lead that conversation, we have spent the past two weeks looking back at the past nine summer Games hosts to see what legacy outcomes they were left with – the good and the bad; the planned and the unplanned. From these insights, we have built out an action plan of the best ideas for our city and state that have emerged.

First, we believe there should be a single water authority established to govern what can and cannot be done on the Brisbane River to make it easier for great ideas for tourism and transport on it to be delivered.

Currently, a hodgepodge of state and council authorities makes this all but impossible.

Second, we should learn from Barcelona – which benefited hugely from hosting the 1992 Games – and design a cohesive tourism strategy that maximises global awareness and visitation leading up to and beyond 2032.

Another lesson from the Spanish city that now dominates its nation’s tourism numbers is that we should better activate our iconic Gold and Sunshine Coast beaches for events and hospitality services – and end the long-held ban on beach clubs, like those on the Mediterranean.

Fourth, we should be inspired by 1996 host Atlanta, which used its Games to accelerate urban development projects, and deliver more green space in the inner-city.

Sydney showed how the Games could be a catalyst to accelerate reconciliation and First Nations recognition in 2000. This is our fifth suggestion for legacy, along with exploring the opportunity for new cultural tourism offerings.

Beijing took great strides as a nation on its recognition of people with a disability when it hosted the 2008 Games, and we should not miss this opportunity for us either.

Inspired by the need of all host cities to maximise the use of public transport, we believe the new government must also focus on finally resolving the Airtrain contract issue that bans alternative mass transport options to Brisbane Airport. This is our seventh ask.

Finally, we identified the need to define “Brand Brisbane” to help sell our capital city to the world beyond just being a Games host. With the global spotlight on us, we want businesses as well as tourists to consider investing here.

There are of course myriad other opportunities for legacy outcomes. But these are the highlights of our deep dive into former host cities.

It is not up to The Courier-Mail to pick winners in this space. But it is critical that as a community we deliver focus on delivering a few.

Responsibility for election comment is taken by Chris Jones, corner of Mayne Rd & Campbell St, Bowen Hills, Qld 4006. Printed and published by NEWSQUEENSLAND (ACN 009 661 778). Contact details here