Gold Coast’s Olympics 2032 bid: Why pitch to host athletics at Carrara was rejected

The real reason the Gold Coast’s bid to host athletics events during the 2032 Olympics was rejected can finally be revealed, with a major problem highlighted with the stadium in Carrara.

The Gold Coast’s Carrara Stadium was ruled out as the athletics venue for the 2032 Olympics because competitors would have to travel too far to get there, the Premier says.

In a lengthy submission to former Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk’s Games venues review, council suggested using existing Gold Coast venues including Carrara could save about $5bn on new infrastructure.

The submission was rejected, with the review recommending a new $3.4 billion stadium be built at Brisbane’s Victoria Park.

The ageing QSAC stadium in Mt Gravatt was ultimately chosen by the state government as the venue for athletics, with $1.6 billion to be spent on its upgrade.

The decision sparked fury from Mayor Tom Tate, who called the review a “debacle” and said the state’s decision to overlook Gold Coast venues flew in the face of 2032’s initial pitch as a “cost-neutral” and “regional games”.

A general view of Carrara Stadium during the Australian Athletics Championships on February 16, 2018. Picture AAP Image/Dave Hunt.

It can now finally be revealed that the Carrara Stadium option was rejected because of concerns about how athletes would get there.

Premier Steven Miles said: “It (Carrara) was considered in some detail, in fact has been considered on a number of occasions.

“I understand and appreciate how passionate Tom Tate is about the Gold Coast and about getting more events here, I completely understand him saying that.

“The fact is the temporary overlay to use Carrara would cost hundreds of millions of dollars, but the bigger complication is the athletes’ village.

“The current plan for the Athletes’ Village at Robina would not be sufficient to house the athletes in the athletics.”

Premier Steven Miles.

Mr Miles said if Carrara was chosen as the venue for athletics, competitors would have to be transported from the main Athletes’ Village at Hamilton in north Brisbane.

“It (Carrara) is clearly too far from the main athletes’ village in Hamilton. The IOC has clear rules about how far athletes can travel,” he said.

“So a lot of this is informed by the athletes’ experience, and wanting to make sure that we make their experience as good as possible.

“And it would require a very substantial expansion to the athletes’ village here on the Gold Coast to be able to host athletics at Carrara.”

Mr Miles said he believed the decisions taken would deliver a world-class Games.

“I’m confident this is a good plan to deliver a great Games,” he said.

“We need to do appropriate due diligence to determine the best way to activate the QSAC site.

“The IOC have committed to work with us to minimise the additional costs required for the Olympic and Paralympic overlay, so we need to do that work as well.

“But the other stadiums we can press go on just as quickly as we can.”

His comments come after Australian Olympics team boss Anna Meares, for the Paris 2024 Games, said Brisbane 2023 organisers should truly embrace regional cities such as the Gold Coast with event planning.

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