Inside Brisbane’s bid to save the Olympic Games

This is the inside plan to resurrect the Olympic Games brand in Brisbane and regain the excitement lost after almost three years of government infighting, public protests and insular leadership.

• Analysis: Brisbane in danger of producing ‘ALDI Olympics’

Brisbane’s 2032 Olympic Games opening ceremony could be split across several regional cities as part of an ambitious pitch to rebuild support for the “damaged” event, powerbroker John Coates has declared.

The Sunday-Mail can reveal the inside plan to resurrect the Olympic Games brand in Brisbane and regain the excitement lost after almost three years of government infighting, public protests and insular leadership that has made for a toxic atmosphere.

Mr Coates, the International Olympic Committee and Brisbane 2032 vice president who last week declared its brand had been “damaged” by the controversial Gabba rebuild, called for a better focus on regional Queensland and a demonstration of the financial viability of hosting the event.

“Once the community understands we’re not bankrupting them out of this, once they understand we’re using 84 per cent of existing venues and upgrading other existing ones – then the message we had originally that the Games can cut even, will be there,” he said.

“That must go a long way to restoring confidence.”

Mr Coates argued more needed to be done to build support for the Games outside the state’s southeast corner and revealed a left-field idea cooked up by Australian Olympic Committee President Ian Chesterman.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner with Andrew Liveris AO at the Brisbane Convention Centre . pic: Lyndon Mechielsen/Courier Mail

“We really need to be doing something more in the regional communities … Ian suggested things like having part of the opening ceremony in Townsville, Cairns and the Gold Coast and letting the community being part of that,” he said.

“Welcome Olympic and non-Olympic sportsmen.

“I’d love to do that … Johnathan Thurston could appear in Townsville.

“There’s no reason not to.”

Mr Coates, a veteran of the Olympic movement, insisted excitement for Brisbane 2032 would rebound across the state within months when Australian athletes arrived in Paris.

The Sunday-Mail can also reveal targeted sentiment polling undertaken by the state government in 2023 found falling community support and excitement for the Games compared with a year earlier.

John Coates. Picture: John Feder/The Australian.

In 2023 it found community support for Brisbane 2032 “remains moderate”, with 73 per cent of Queenslanders expressing support – a decline from 76 per cent a year earlier.

Worryingly for the government, however, was the regional breakdown which revealed Mackay, Townsville, outback and far north Queensland residents were “more likely to think Brisbane 2032 won’t benefit them personally”.

That polling prompted Mr Miles to put planning the Games behind the scenes of his government by axing the three Olympics-related portfolios that featured in Ms Palaszczuk’s Cabinet.

Queensland parliament this week debated a motion by regional Queensland’s Katter’s Australia Party to “immediately commence the necessary steps” to cancel the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games. The party argued it would benefit only the southeast corner while regional roads and services were left in ruin.

The Katter’s push was supported by Pauline Hanson’s One Nation but defeated 84-3.

Former Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk, whose early advocacy for the Olympics has led some to dub him “father of the Games”, is due to report on 2032 venues by March 18.

His review, which will likely call for the Gabba rebuild to be scrapped, will land on State Development Minister Grace Grace’s desk almost 1000 days since Brisbane won the bid.

While residents would rightly question the progress of Games’ planning and the lack of promised benefits in the 971 days since the announcement, Mr Coates insists the important cogs in the Olympic organising committee were turning.

“It would be a mistake to underestimate the work (president) Andrew Liveris and (CEO) Cindy Hook are doing,” he said.

“We’re going all right.”

Mr Liveris agreed, citing the establishment of an inaugural Organising Committee strategy, Games plan, annual report, brand assets and team structure as evidence Brisbane’s Olympic planning was ticking along.

“While others have focused on politics, we’ve been focused on progress,” he said.

“Sentiment will ebb and flow over the course of the next eight years, but as an Organising Committee, we remain driven by our long-term vision and the job at hand – preparing for and delivering an Olympic and Paralympic Games to be proud of.

“We’ve had a busy and productive 18 months since our first staff joined the Organising Committee.”

Mr Liveris said work was underway to recruit three paid First Nations interns to support the development of its brand and emblems before the team turns its attention to the sports program.

“All this work – and more – has taken place before an Organising Committee is traditionally stood up, seven years out from a Games,” he said.

Ms Grace said she was “confident” Queenslanders would embrace the Games as planning progresses.

“Our current review of Games venues will help to deliver value-for-money venues which will benefit the state long after the Olympic flame is extinguished,” she said.

“The government is determined to deliver a Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games that brings Queenslanders together and creates legacy benefits for decades to come.

“We won the Games and we will deliver them and the best is yet to come”.

Brisbane 2032 Organising Committee director and five-time Olympian Natalie Cook said the decade between the announcement and opening ceremony was always going to deliver challenges.

“This is the cycle, we have a 10-year runway and this is the cycle where there’s a bit or nervousness or budgeting,” she said.

Of course there’s challenges, of course there’s problems – that’s what happens to an Olympic athlete.

Queensland Sports Awards night at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre - Natalie Cook Thursday 30th November 2023 Picture David Clark

“An athlete goes through injury, pain, doubt and fear – and it seems like it’s the same for the politicians and community right now.

“We know that when you get to the start, you’re in the best place.”

Ms Cook agreed Brisbane’s excitement would berejuvenatedd by Paris” in July.

“The best way to rebuild the Olympic and Paralympic brand is performances on the field, pool and beach,” she said.

“Paris will bring the adrenaline and the excitement back for the city, the state and the country.

“This (2032) is the greatest thing that will happen to our and city and our state since Sydney 2000.”

Legacy, Ms Cook argued, would be best delivered to Brisbane with a new Gabba stadium build before the Games for the AFL and cricket.

“This is an AFL and a cricket legacy and it’s a city legacy,” she said.

“The Gabba is a meeting place for sport – the Olympics will borrow it and the Paralympics will borrow it.

“I’m a fan of the Gabba. This will be the greatest legacy.

Ms Cook is known for herbounding optimism and energy, but acknowledged right now Brisbane’s Games’ enthusiasm “has waned”.

“I’m hopeful the dwindling support is temporary and it will pass because it is a long runway and usually Brisbane wouldn’t be announced until next year,” she said.

“The danger of having a long runway is there are opportunities for support to come and go.”

Ms Cook, who competed in Atlanta in 1996, said the Olympic rings in the city’s Centennial Park were “still shiny” when she visited last year, 27 years after the Games.

“This will be about what Queensland looks like in 2042,” she said.