Final push to host water sports on Fitzroy River and Capricorn Coast
As the countdown begins to the final decision on where the 2032 Olympic events will be held, the push to host several events in Rockhampton and the Capricorn Coast has intensified.
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“It would be something really special.”
These were the words of Rockhampton Fitzroy Rowing Club member Nick Thompson, 17, who one day hopes to compete against the world’s best rowers in Rockhampton.
Mr Thompson was alongside club coach Phoebe Doolan and Rockhampton community representatives as they band together with others in the push to host the rowing and canoeing events of the 2032 Brisbane Olympics in Rockhampton and the surrounding areas.
It comes as the Games Independent Infrastructure and Coordination Authority’s 100-day review is set to be made public in little more than a week’s time.
The report will recommend where the events of the Brisbane Olympics should be hosted with local representatives pushing for the rowing and canoeing events to be held on the Fitzroy River and sailing and ocean rowing events to be held on the Capricorn Coast.
Currently, the events are planned to be held in south-east Queensland.
Ms Doolan said rowing on the river was an amazing experience and holding an Olympic event in Rockhampton would benefit club members who have aspirations for performing at the elite level.
“Having the Olympics here would just drive that passion for the students who are currently rowing,” she said.
The push for Rockhampton to host Olympic rowing events isn’t just being made by members of the local rowing club, with MP Michelle Landry and Rockhampton MP Donna Kirkland both saying that holding rowing events in town makes sense.
“This is very important for our community,” Ms Landry said.
“We have got a fantastic venue for it. The river goes on for kilometres and kilometres. We’ve got the airport, the city nearby and it is just a fantastic facility.”
“We are urging the committee that is deciding where the rowing is going to go, to think ‘let’s think about Rockhampton, let’s think about Central Queensland, let’s think about getting things out of the city’.”
“The benefit for the community in Rockhampton is incredible, the benefit for Central Queensland will be amazing and I really think it needs to go ahead.”
Ms Kirkland noted the Fitzroy River has already played host to state and national rowing championship events and that by having the rowing in Rockhampton “we can save a hundred million dollars,” as it would cost less to host the events in Rockhampton then the currently planned locations.
“That’s a lot of savings,” she said.
Ms Kirkland also highlighted the issue of what legacy such an event would have on the local community, especially regarding infrastructure.
“Looking at around 1200 homes (built) potentially and those homes will then be utilized later on for affordable and social housing and everything else in-between,” she said.
“We’d be able to redo the landscape here, upgrade buildings here, meaning that there is a legacy not only for our rowing cohort but our tourism in the region.
“It is going to bring tourists to Rockhampton from all around Central Queensland.
“Rowing for the Olympics in Rockhampton makes sense.”
Ms Kirkland is asking residents to get behind their push.
“We’re calling out to everyone out there to be active, to be pro-active on your Facebook pages, wherever you can… talk about how you want the rowing to be in Central Queensland,” she said.
The Shelter Collective chair Dave Grenfell echoed Ms Kirkland’s belief in the benefit that potential Olympic housing would have on the Rockhampton community.
“There are currently more than 1460 people in Rockhampton on the social housing rental register,” he said.
“The proposal to build an athletes village that could be transformed to legacy affordable housing would help alleviate the affordable housing crisis in Rockhampton in the years ahead.”
Meanwhile, Capricornia Chamber of Commerce president Jason Foss said holding the Olympic rowing events in Rockhampton ticked all the boxes.
“Think the boost to the local economy, the boost to tourism… the legacy housing, the pathway for our young kids coming through,” he said.
“It’s really the no-brainer choice.”
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