IOC supremo backs 2032 vision, fires Rockhampton warning shot

International Olympic Committee boss Thomas Bach has thrown his weight behind the state government’s bold Olympic plan and urged the nation to “stay united” ahead of the historic event.

Outgoing International Olympic Committee boss Thomas Bach has pleaded with Australia’s politicians to unite behind the Crisafulli Government’s venues masterplan for the 2032 Games.

In an exclusive interview with The Courier-Mail during a whistlestop trip to Brisbane on Monday, Mr Bach also backed the state government’s plans to hold Olympic events outside of the southeast.

But he could not guarantee that Rockhampton would host the rowing events on the crocodile-infested Fitzroy River - saying “this remains to be seen”.

He revealed World Rowing would be visiting in July to make their initial assessment of that proposal.

“The respective International Sports Federations will have to look at the venues - whether they meet the international requirements for a fair competition for all the athletes, but this is always, you know, a give and take,” Mr Bach said in an interview with The Courier-Mail editor Chris Jones.

Mr Bach couldn’t promise the rowing would be in Rockhampton. Picture: John Gass

“They (World Rowing) will come and visit during this (northern hemisphere) summer, and it will even happen at the time of the Games in July, so to have comparable weather conditions (as in 2032) and then they will make their evaluation.

“So let’s see … but we have well understood and seen how positive it was to include more communities, and this inclusion will happen one way or the other.”

Mr Bach claimed he had not been concerned about successive premiers changing the plan for the location of the new main stadium for the 2032 Games, saying he was “very happy” with the progress so far.

But in a thinly veiled swipe at the delays under former premiers Annastacia Palaszczuk and Steven Miles, Mr Bach said he had not been nervous - because of the unprecedented decade-long runway the IOC gave Brisbane to prepare.

“We have allocated the Games to Brisbane 10 years before, so there was time to carefully study the needs and to align it with a regional and state development plan,” Mr Bach said.

“We were not nervous, but we were also clear that at a certain moment the decision has to be taken.

Courier-Mail Editor Chris Jones with Mr Bach. Picture: John Gass

“And there, I must say, we were pretty much impressed with the speed and the commitment the newly elected (Crisafulli) government, the state government, undertook for this effort, and has presented such a well thought out master plan.”

He said: “We have something concrete now at the right time - seven years before - so now full speed ahead.”

Mr Bach - who will hand over the reins to incoming IOC president Kirsty Coventry next month - urged the relevant councils, state and federal governments to “stay united” with the organisers.

“There must be a very close and trustful cooperation between all the stakeholders, the organising committee, the Australian Olympic Committee, the city, the cities, the state, the federal government - they all have to stay committed to the Games,” Mr Bach said.

The Labor Albanese federal government has not yet agreed to the LNP State Government’s plan for venues, which was unveiled on the eve of the pre-election caretaker period in March.

The Prime Minister wants the new Brisbane Arena at Woolloongabba to be publicly funded, while the state thinks it can be delivered by the private sector - and so the $2.5bn federal contribution for it can be reallocated to the new Victoria Park Stadium and national aquatic centre at neighbouring Spring Hill.

Mr Bach tries his hand at volleyball. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen

In a plea to both sides to do a deal, Mr Bach said a “very important component of the success of the Games” is that they bring together “political parties, which the rest of their lives or existence are opposing each other and are competing with each other”.

On the 2032 event itself, Mr Bach said Brisbane should not aim to be the “Best Olympic Games ever” - as his predecessor Juan Antonio Samaranch famously said of the Sydney 2000 event.

“You cannot really compare the different editions of the Games,” Mr Bach said.

“They are happening, happening in different times, under different circumstances, in different cultures - and to compare this in a fair way, in a reasonable way, even is mission impossible, so you should not even, not even try it.”

He said instead that Brisbane 2032 should aim to inspire not only Brisbane, Queensland and Australia “but the whole Pacific - and make the whole region shine on a world stage.”