2032 Olympic Games: 11th hour plea from Rowing Australia and Rowing Queensland for southeast Queensland venue

The head of Australia’s peak national rowing body is making an 11th-hour plea for the Gold Coast to host the event at the 2032 Olympics. FIND OUT MORE

The head of Australia’s peak national rowing body is making an 11th-hour plea for the Gold Coast to host the event at the 2032 Olympics.

Rowing Australia CEO Sarah Cook and Rowing Queensland CEO Matt Bialkowski have written a scathing six-page letter to the state government’s 100-day Games review warning the loss of rowing and paddling, either to north Queensland or interstate, would deliver a body blow to the Games legacy and to the future of the sport.

Chief Executive Officer of Rowing Australia Sarah Cook. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

It comes just a day out from the state government unveiling the results of the review on Tuesday.

In the letter, obtained by the Bulletin, the CEOs warn interim games independent infrastructure authority CEO David Hourigan of the long-term impacts on the sport if it is left out.

They fear the rowing events will be relocated to either Rockhampton in central Queensland or Penrith in Sydney to reuse facilities left over from the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.

“Rowing has participated in all of the relevant review processes ranging from the gateway review panels, the 60-day review and now the 100-day review in good faith and focused on the committed goals of delivering beneficial legacy and generational outcomes for our athletes and the communities where they live throughout Queensland,” the CEOs wrote.

“The uncomfortable truth is that the success of Brisbane 2032 as a Home Games will be dependent upon the success of the Australian Olympic Team.

“As the National Sporting Organisation (NSO) for rowing, Rowing Australia cannot produce world-class athletes in the absence of world standard facilities and world-class events in our region.

Hinze Dam. Picture Glenn Hampson

“In the same way, Queensland cannot host international events without facilities of world-class standard.

“Without international-standard facilities for Olympic sports in Queensland, there is no green and gold runway, there are simply lost opportunities that will flow to other Australian jurisdictions.”

Rowing Australia and Paddle Australia both made separate submissions to the Games review in February, asking for an assessment of Hinze Dam to be used as an event location instead of Wyaralong Dam west of Beaudesert.

They argued it would save money on building infrastructure as well as transport costs.

In the new letter, the CEOs note that rowing and paddling will make up the largest cohort of athletes at the 2032 Games and the potential relocation of those events would cause economic harm to the southeast.

“Any decision made to shift rowing and paddle events for Brisbane 2032 to an interstate venue will ensure that Queensland receives no beneficial impact from hosting the largest athlete cohort of the Games,” they wrote.

“Rowing understands that approximately 10 venues have been considered throughout the initial 2032 candidature process with the International Olympic Committee, the 60-day review and now 100-Day Review processes.

Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen

“While Wyaralong Dam in the Scenic Rim is a feasible venue that, based on the significant analysis to date, meets the sport’s technical specifications, we support the formal request made by our colleagues at Paddle Australia that a thorough feasibility assessment of the Hinze Dam on the Gold Coast is completed.”

The state government’s Delivery 2032 plan will be presented to Cabinet on Monday for sign-off before it is announced on Tuesday.

Deputy Premier Jarrod Blejie said “all would be revealed on Tuesday”.

“Subject to Cabinet’s endorsement, the premier and I, and (Sports Minister Tim Mander) will announce the plan for 2032,” he said

“The premier set me a task and that was to deliver a 100-day report. It has been received by government and we have been considering it with stakeholders for the past two weeks.

“What people will find on Tuesday when we make the announcement, we will deliver a plan for the future including generational infrastructure with both road and rail.”