Queensland Olympics bid rebooted with high-level talks

Queensland’s proposed bid to host the 2032 Olympics is back on track after a COVID-enforced hiatus.

Queensland’s race to host the 2032 Olympics is back on track with high-level talks between Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and AOC boss John Coates being held today to reboot the bid.

The bid proposal was put on the backburner in March as the world grappled with COVID, but the Premier and Mr Coates – president of the Australian Olympic Com­mittee and vice-president of the International Olympic Committee – will meet this morning to fire up the bid to seize on Queensland’s early advantage.

Mr Coates chairs the joint federal, state and local government committee organising the Games candidature.

Annastacia Palaszczuk and John Coates will meet to discuss Brisbane's Olympic bid.

Today’s meeting will lay the groundwork for the full bid process to restart early next year. The Courier-Mail can also reveal that the state government will soon write to IOC president Thomas Bach telling him of Queensland’s continuing support for the Games.

“There is more work to be done to determine what hosting an Olympics means,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“And we must ensure any future decisions are fully informed and in the best interests of Queenslanders.

“That is why it is critical as we progress these discussions over the coming months that we obtain the necessary support of all levels of government,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

The state government will also be seeking more information from the IOC once the postponed Tokyo Games gets the final green light, hopefully for the middle of next year.

IOC president Thomas Bach in Tokyo, where organisers hope to host the games in 2021. Picture: Behrouz Mehri/AFP

An Olympics and Paralympics would pour tens of billions of dollars into the economy in tourism exposure and the building of transport infrastructure needed to ­secure the Olympics and Paralympics, according to the state government’s value proposition investigation.

State government analysis has shown that a 2032 ­Olympics could turbocharge Queensland’s economy with fast-tracked infrastructure projects and a tourism boost creating as many as 130,000 jobs and bring in $2.5bn provided by the IOC.

Earlier investigations also found that Organising Committee costs for the Olympic and Paralympic Games of $4.45bn could be delivered at no cost to the state or Queensland taxpayers, taking into account IOC contributions and domestic revenues, resulting in great opportunities for Queensland businesses.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison met with Thomas Bach in Japan to reiterate the federal government’s support for the Queensland Games. Picture: Adam Taylor

Queensland secured a headstart after the SEQ Council of Mayors proposed a Games bid to fast-track new roads and rail with a feasibility study, which gathered momentum on the back of The Courier-Mail’s Future SEQ campaign and Premier Palaszczuk’s invitation to talk directly to IOC boss Mr Bach at Olympics headquarters in Laussane, Switzerland.

In December last year, Ms Palaszczuk announced that Queensland was going for the 2032 Olympics and Paralympics, won over by projections of what it would do for the economy right across the state. But there have been ­recent warnings that Queensland needed to keep up the momentum or lose its headstart against potential challengers, including Qatar, India and Indonesia. China last week threatened to launch a bid too.

Prime Minister Scott ­Morrison last month publicly reiterated the federal government’s support for a Queensland Games when he met Mr Bach in Japan.