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MP Don Brown to ask Premier to hold off on Olympic whitewater venue as mayoral race heats up

The future of an Olympic venue south of Brisbane hangs in the balance after a state Labor MP said he would call for construction to be put on ice until after the local council elections in March.

A graphic image of the proposed Olympic whitewater rafting venue planned for Redland City Council land at Birkdale. Picture: Redland City Council
A graphic image of the proposed Olympic whitewater rafting venue planned for Redland City Council land at Birkdale. Picture: Redland City Council

A state MP will ask the Premier to hold off on constructing an Olympic whitewater rafting venue on council land south of Brisbane until after the upcoming March local election, citing division over the plans.

Capalaba MP Don Brown said he would discuss holding off construction of the Redland City whitewater rafting venue with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk until after the March 16 poll.

He was speaking out after Redland City Council mayoral candidate Jos Mitchell said she opposed the whitewater rafting venue “based on the information supplied by council to date, and community response”.

However, Mr Brown refused to reveal whether he supported the state government’s plans to build the Olympic facility in Redland city, south of Brisbane.

The whitewater rafting centre is earmarked to be built on Redland City Council land on Old Cleveland Rd at Birkdale.

Mr Brown said he believed it “was important not to force a major piece of infrastructure onto a council and a city that potentially does not want it”.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk; Redland mayoral candidate Jos Mitchell; Redland mayor Karen Williams; and Capalaba MP Don Brown.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk; Redland mayoral candidate Jos Mitchell; Redland mayor Karen Williams; and Capalaba MP Don Brown.

“We should respect the will of the people and be open to working with both sides,” Mr Brown said.

“If the mayor (Karen Williams) is successful, then we can move ahead as planned or if Jos Mitchell is successful, then we can work with a new council on an alternative.

“It will be interesting to watch it unfold.”

Mr Brown would not reveal what an “alternative” plan would be and whether it would still include building a whitewater rafting facility on the council’s Birkdale land.

Mayor Karen Williams was asked to comment on Mr Brown’s move.

Redland residents can put concerns into writing to a Senate committee inquiry into the country’s preparedness to host the games.

Submissions close on May 29 with a report to address the impact on local government, communities and business due in September.

Once the venue is built, Redland City Council will take ownership and maintenance of the whitewater venue, which ratepayers will fund.

It is still unknown whether this month’s federal budget will include funding for the whitewater rafting venue, which is so far uncosted.

However, money has been promised under a $1.7 billion Minor Venues Program which will be co-funded by the state and federal governments.

Redland council also allocated $12 million in this financial year’s budget for the Birkdale precinct.

A map showing the Birkdale site where an Olympic venue will be built.
A map showing the Birkdale site where an Olympic venue will be built.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk endorsed the whitewater rafting venue in February when they announced $7 billion of federal funding for 16 Olympic venues for the 2032 Games.

Fencing around the Old Cleveland Rd, Birkdale site was erected last month in preparation for the preliminary ground works.

In February, Mr Brown defended the project and the lack of costings.

“The whitewater rafting venue is undergoing a project validation with a report, much similar to a business case, due this year,” Mr Brown said at the time.

“That will determine the costs, design and construction process.

“The councillors complaining must have amnesia because Karen Williams and her council have voted for and endorsed this master plan.

“Councillors who don’t like the venue idea should have voiced their opinions before now — not to the state government but to the mayor.

“This is council land and the council was the entity that decided what to do with its own land — the state and federal governments are paying to build an Olympic venue on that land.”

Originally published as MP Don Brown to ask Premier to hold off on Olympic whitewater venue as mayoral race heats up

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Original URL: https://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/news/gold-coast/logan/mp-don-brown-to-ask-premier-to-hold-off-on-olympic-whitewater-venue-as-mayoral-race-heats-up/news-story/973d7019f7b8908c2822ee0c03a0608e