Olympians, Paralympians tell Premier Steve Miles it’s ‘no’ to QSAC stadium in open letter

High-profile Olympians and Paralympians won’t change Premier Steven Miles’s mind despite issuing an open letter slamming his QSAC decision as an “embarrassment”.

A group of high-profile athletes have signed an open letter to Premier Steven Miles urging him to reconsider the Queensland Sport and Athletic Centre as the main Olympic and Paralympic venue for 2032.

But there plea has been rejected, with Mr Miles this morning saying he would not review the decision.

Mr Miles last month chose to ignore several recommendations made by independent reviewer Graham Quirk on which venues would best be suited for Olympic and Paralympic investment.

He instead pledged to spend billions on upgrading the grandstands and facilities at QSAC, formerly QEII, and an undisclosed additional amount on transport infrastructure needed for the site, claiming the option was of better value for Queenslanders.

The decision prompted negative and positive public response, but has particularly not sat well with athletes, who raised concerns over the Nathan venue not having enough capacity and lacking legacy beyond 2032.

Paracanoe gold medallist Curtis McGrath said the proposed use of QSAC was of serious concern. Picture: Nigel Hallett

The Quirk review found that while initial QSAC upgrades would meet legacy requirements, the project was declared as having a “very limited broad community legacy” and did not represent value for money.

Sixteen Olympians and Paralympians, including Grant Hackett, Curtis McGrath, Karni Liddell, Sally Pearson, Geoff Huegill, Leisel Jones and Brenton Rickard, have signed the letter to the Premier.

They ask him to reconsider the embarrassing stadium choice, which if pursued, would also inevitably disrupt the training schedules of high-performance athletes.

Paralympian Liddell said the government had lost sight of the Games’ legacy and had stopped talking about accessibility requirements for venues, transport and infrastructure projects, which would have dire consequences for para athletes and attendees with disability.

“Paralympians have been left out of the decisions and this stadium one has been the hardest to listen to,” Liddell said.

Paralympian Liddell says the state government has lost sight of the Games’ legacy. Picture: AAP Image/Richard Walker

“They used us really well for the bid. Every events and discussion about legacy has mentioned accessibility, so I’m really disappointed in the coverage and government speaking on it and not mentioning Paralympics at all.

“In Athens, I got into a forklift because there was no accessibility and that’s what will happen here.”

Paracanoe gold medallist McGrath said the proposed use of QSAC was of serious concern, particularly for Paralympians, and Brisbane was missing a unique chance to enhance all levels of sporting infrastructure.

“QSAC is good for what is currently serving but the Paralympics or Olympics? Absolutely not,” McGrath said.

“The accessibility not just for disabled athletes but all members of the community need better – this event gives us the chance to have better access to our sporting facilities that are not just a bolt on for a month or two in 2032.

Australian swimmer Liesel Jones co-signed the letter to Premier Steven Miles.

“Legacy is clearly not part of this decision and we are all united in the thoughts that QSAC is not the right choice for the world’s largest sporting events.

“We also have to be careful and not spend the savings made on this choice to blow the budget on operational costs due to inaccessibility and poor location and legacy oversight.”

In response to the letter, Mr Miles on Tuesday urged athletes to “look at what this plan actually delivers”.

“They’re entitled to their opinions - but we listen to Queenslanders.

“They’re talking to me about their hospital, about their school, about how hard they’re finding it to make ends meet.

“When Queensland is facing those kinds of day to day challenges, I can’t justify spending billions more on stadiums, no matter how many swimmers ask me.”

However, it’s not just the stadium that will require an upgrade.

Mr Quirk’s review found transport to and from QSAC would be “extremely challenging and costly”, with current estimates for infrastructure forecast up to $1bn.

Another red flag raised was the displacement of athletes who train at the newly renovated QSAC and the vast bushland surrounding the site that would need to be cleared.

Infrastructure Minister Grace Grace has conceded there was a “question mark” over the required QSAC transport spend, claiming the government would lean on experts to figure out how to make the site accessible.

“To talk about what exactly was the additional funding that was mentioned in the review and how do we best deliver for that facility,” she said.

Freestyle swim star Melanie Wright stressed that the main stage was the “centrepiece” of the Games and needed to be done right.

Freestyle swimmer Melanie Wright says the main stage is the “centrepiece” of the Games and needs to be done right.

“The Olympics is our chance to showcase our beautiful state to the world and the main stadium is the centrepiece to this,” she said.

“If done right, the money spent will be paid back in spades by way of tourism dollars and the widespread economical benefits of this – not to mention the ongoing social and health benefits this kind of infrastructure provides.

“It’s a no-brainer.”

The LNP has attempted to steer clear of the stadium debate, but pledged to fix planning for the Games within 100 days of the October state election if elected to power.

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli is calling on politicians to now step aside and let independent authorities make decisions.

The letter

Dear Premier,

We, the undersigned, representing current and former Queensland Olympians and Paralympians, implore you to revisit your decision to host the 2032 Olympics and Paralympics events at the current Queensland Sport and Athletic Centre at Nathan.

While we understand that you want to get the best value for taxpayers out of the Games, we do not believe that the QSAC site represents that, not just financially but also in terms of a legacy for Brisbane and Queensland.

Olympic great Grant Hackett. Picture: Luke Marsden

And frankly, a main stadium with a capacity of only 40,000 would be an embarrassment which in no way would represent the go-ahead spirit of Queensland.

Also, the QSAC facility is the nursery of athletics in this state, and any disruption to the site could only hurt our performance in our home Games.

We all remember the magnificent event that Sydney put on in 2000. Queensland deserves something equally spectacular, without a centrepiece that would reek of compromise.

It’s not too late to change your mind, Mr Miles.

Signed:

Curtis McGrath

Grant Hackett

Monique Murphy

Karni Liddell

Brenton Rickard

Brooke Hanson

Melanie Wright

Chris Wright

Geoff Huegill

Jon Sieben

Andrew Baildon

Sally Pearson

Leisel Jones

Jessicah Schipper

Emily Petricola

Steven Bradbury