Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate ‘all aboard’ for Olympics bid

After previously being reluctant to back the 2032 Olympic Games bid, Tom Tate says a meeting with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, Sunshine Coast Mayor Mark Jamieson and swimming legend Dawn Fraser has him convinced.

GOLD Coast Mayor Tom Tate has emphatically backed a 2032 Queensland Olympic Games bid, declaring he’s “all aboard” for the sporting spectacle.

Cr Tate, who has previously been reluctant to support a bid, said a Queensland Games would deliver a boost to infrastructure, prestige and pride in our state.

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It comes after he attended a meeting with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk in Brisbane today, along with Olympics swimming legend Dawn Fraser and South East Queensland Council of Mayor’s representative Mark Jamieson.

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate and Annastacia Palaszczuk at a press conference following their meeting about the 2032 Olympic Games. Picture: AAP/Josh Woning

The Mayor said he did not believe the Gold Coast needed any more sporting venues following last year’s Commonwealth Games to be part of a successful Olympics bid.

“Now that the information is before me, I would say to you we’re all aboard,” he said.

“Surfing is an Olympic sport – well there’s 56km to choose from there and we’ve got the world championships there.

“That’s one done and dusted. From our city’s point of view, there’s a lot of world class sporting facilities.”

Sporting treasure, Ms Fraser, said Queensland’s weather and its people were among its best assets as it prepares for an Olympics bid.

“We’re not doing it for ourselves, we’re doing it for the future of our children who are going to grow up in this wonderful country of ours,” she said.

“I’m sure with the Premier, the way she’s pushing it too, that we’ll get it.”

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, Olympic swimmer Dawn Fraser and Sunshine Coast Mayor Mark Jamieson. Picture: AAP/Josh Woning

The Courier-Mail revealed earlier this week that Ms Palaszczuk would lead a taskforce charged with determining the cost to taxpayers of hosting the Games, with the State to match the Commonwealth’s initial $10 million bid commitment.

Ms Palaszczuk said Queensland’s huge advantage was its delivery of a successful Commonwealth Games, describing it as the “shining light” for the Olympic Committee.

“So let’s take the lessons learned from that and you still have many people who’ve been involved in that process now working on this process,” she said.

“So if anyone can do it, Queensland can do it.

“In fact we even have people meeting in this building (1 William St) as we speak, talking about venues and transport and security.”

Originally published as Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate ‘all aboard’ for Olympics bid