Critical Olympics roles for Annastacia Palaszczuk, Steven Miles

Annastacia Palaszczuk and Steven Miles will take key postings on a group established to manage the $5bn 2032 Olympic Games – and other plans are afoot to take more control.

Olympic gold medallist Natalie Cook and indigenous sprinter Patrick Johnson will join Brisbane’s powerful Olympic Games organising committee after receiving the call-up from Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.

Ms Palaszczuk on Monday named her four appointments to the committee - revealing her and Deputy Premier Steven Miles would join the board.

Ms Cook, who won a gold medal in beach volleyball at the Sydney 2000 Olympics, is the head of the Queensland Olympic Council while Mr Johnson competed at the 2000 and 2004 Games and was the first Australian to run under 10 seconds in the 100m sprint.

The Premier insisted it was “very important” her and Mr Miles sit on the organising committee – which will be responsible for planning and managing the $5bn 2032 Olympic Games.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk during a press conference. Picture: Liam Kidston.

“It’s no surprise that we need to have the two most senior members of government on this organising committee … and I made a number of commitments to the people of Queensland when I signed the contract and I need to make sure that everybody does exactly that as well,” she said.

Mr Miles, from the left faction of the government, has beaten Sports Minister Stirling Hinchliffe, from the Premier’s right faction, to a place on the organising committee.

However, Mr Hinchliffe will chair the separate Legacy Committee, which will be responsible for ensuring the state secures long-term benefits of the Games.

A global recruitment process to find the last five organising committee nominees – including the chair – is in the final stages.

The five names must be endorsed by Ms Palaszczuk and Prime Minister Scott Morrison, before the first committee meeting is held by the end of April.

The Courier-Mail this month revealed delays in appointing nominees meant the Palaszczuk Government was forced to ask the International Olympic Committee for an extension to hold the first meeting.

Ms Palaszczuk on Monday denied it had taken too long for the committee to meet.

Olympian Natalie Cook celebrates the announcement that Brisbane will host the 2032 Olympic Games. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

It can also be revealed a second organisation responsible for building infrastructure for the 2032 Games could be squashed into a state government department.

The Palaszczuk Government was considering incorporating the powerful Olympic Delivery Authority within government departments – likely the departments of transport and state development.

Such a move would mark a shift in how Olympic Games infrastructure is built, with the Olympic Delivery Authority usually an independent body separate from the government and accountable to the overarching organising committee.

Critics argue a government-incorporated authority would have been lumbered with bureaucracy and against the 50:50 partnership agreement between the state and federal government.

It’s understood the Commonwealth had previously raised concerns about the state government’s proposal, which would give it unchallenged oversight of the Games planning.

A spokesman for Ms Palaszczuk refused to answer questions about the state government’s plans and how it would benefit the state.

“Announcements about the Olympics will be made at the appropriate time,” he said.