Miles govt moves to establish independent Games delivery authority

Steven Miles has set an ambitious target to appoint key players to the independent Olympics delivery body in the coming weeks.

Steven Miles has set an ambitious target to appoint key players to the independent Olympics delivery body in the coming weeks, as the government moves to ease the political burden of Games decision-making.

State Development Minister Grace Grace will on Wednesday introduce legislation to set up an independent statutory body to manage the delivery of venues and legacy, with the government hoping to appoint an interim chief executive by the end of June.

The first direction for the Games Venue and Legacy Delivery Authority will be to develop a transport and mobility strategy within the first 18 months of operation.

The creation of the authority as a statutory body under legislation will allow it to operate at arm’s length from politics, the government said, immune from election cycles.

Ms Grace said the body would have control over its finances, have operational independence and be subjected to public sector accountability.

“The authority will follow a similar model to Sydney 2000 and London 2012 and will ensure we build the best value-for-money community sports infrastructure to create lasting benefits at a grassroots level,” she said.

Mr Miles said the legacy for the community stemming from the Olympics was a critical element of hosting the major event, because “the Games themselves don’t go for long”.

“But if we want to make the most of the opportunity, we need to have all the right people at the table taking a collaborative and cooperative approach,” Mr Miles said.

Games boss Andrew Liveris said the Brisbane 2032 Organising Committee was supportive of an independent authority to oversee planning and delivery of new and upgraded venues.

“Delivering an Olympic and Paralympic Games is complex and requires consistent stakeholder engagement to ensure planning is collaborative and timelines are met,” he said.

“The Games will be the biggest event in Queensland’s history, and I have confidence that a Delivery Authority focused on both infrastructure and legacy will lead to positive and long-term social and economic benefits across Brisbane, Queensland, and Australia.”