Queensland bidding for giant global sporting events
Queensland’s bid for the 2032 Olympics is common knowledge, but it’s not the only major world sporting event that the Sunshine State is gunning for. SEE THE LIST.
Future QLD
Don't miss out on the headlines from Future QLD. Followed categories will be added to My News.
IF Queensland has become Australia’s sporting ark this year, giving codes the chance to play despite COVID, it has also positioned itself to go even bigger, jumping onto the world stage for a golden decade of sport.
The Sunshine State is already signed up for a slice of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023 and is in the frame for mega-fixtures like the Gay Games, the Rugby World Cup and, biggest of all, the 2032 Olympics and Paralympics.
Your Say 2020: Take the Queensland sentiment survey
Kick-start Queensland: Sky’s the limit for jobs under roadmap
Blueprint for fast rail plan to unlocked SEQ and create 8000 jobs
Game on: Premium sports bar planned for Brisbane
$300m of new attractions opening in time for Christmas
How the State Government is wasting huge amounts of money
While the sporting spectacles attract the most obvious attention, they would also tip billions of dollars into the Queensland economy, both in direct investment but also tourism exposure.
According to analysis prepared for the Southeast Queensland Council of Mayors – the original proponents of the Olympics bid – more than 1bn people watched the FIFA Women’s World Cup when it was hosted in France, and every euro spent generated another 20 euros in the economy.
The last two Rugby World Cups, in the UK and Japan, tipped more than $10bn combined into their economies.
While smaller, the Gay Games would also provide a payday for sporting events and tourism operators, slated to be worth $164m to the economy.
But all four would only provide an entree compared to hosting the 2032 Olympics and Paralympics, bid backers say.
In December, the Queensland Government released its conservative estimates of the wide-ranging benefits of securing the Games – $8.6bn in increased export opportunities, quantifiable economic benefits of $7.4b, $20.2bn in international tourist expenditure, 130,000 direct jobs including 10,000 in the Games year plus tens of thousands of indirect jobs.
The Games, first proposed by the Southeast Queensland Council of Mayors as a catalyst to build desperately-needed rail and road infrastructure, including fast rail linking Brisbane, the Gold and Sunshine coasts and Toowoomba to create a ‘45-minute’ region, has drawn some strong backers.
Toowoomba businessman Denis Wagner, part of the Wagner business family who built Wellcamp Airport as well was selling hi-tech concrete and construction products around the world, said an Olympics bid was an essential part of Queensland’s long-term fight back from COVID.
“I think it is very important that we put in a credible and winning bid to host the 2032 Olympics,” Mr Wagner said.
“Fast rail is integral to that.
“What we will get with fast rail is that connectivity for four major airports – Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Wellcamp.
“It leads to a lot of options for the whole of southeast Queensland to access the world.”
The Star Entertainment Group boss Matt Bekier said an Olympics would show Queensland to the world.