Venue uncertainty, cost blow-outs, board resignations, athlete unrest and contradictory comments from the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) over venues and costs have abounded.

These issues are magnified by political posturing in the looming shadow of a State election, followed soon after by a Federal election, infecting clear, visionary decision making.

Today, public sentiment about the 2032 games is at a low ebb and collectively, we have lost the critical ingredient needed for success: community license.

Without that license, we are fighting an uphill battle and the experience our athletes, para-athletes, volunteers and sponsors hoped for is at risk.

The State election is throwing up the very real issues of cost of living, law and order, health and housing yet I still believe the public will get behind a clear vision that balances the need for investment in community and sporting infrastructure with those very real daily challenges people are facing.

Revitalising “goodwill” will require more than a glossy marketing brochure. It will require enormous work at a political and sports administration level. It will also require all parties getting back to the vision and charter of the initial 2032 bid.

In February 2021, the man often referred to as the Olympics supremo John Coates was quoted as follows: “The IOC is working on a budget of $4.5b with the IOC putting in $2.5b, then you get approximately $1b from national sponsorship and $1b from the ticketing.

“That’s enough to pay for both the Olympics and Paralympic Games without any call on State, Federal or Local Government.”

As it has turned out, nothing could be further from the truth leaving some in the community thinking they were conned by these words and similar commentary from political leaders about a “cost neutral Games” using “85 to 90 per cent existing or temporary venues”.

The rush to get a tick from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Tokyo in July 2021 created a lot of these “bold statements” and venue agreements were hastily put together to give the impression we had all our ducks in a row. I personally signed a venue agreement for the golf to be held on the Gold Coast only for it to be moved to Brisbane after the Games were awarded. Despite seeking a reason for that change, I have never been provided with one.

Athletics and opening and closing ceremonies at the Gabba are now to occur at the Queensland Sports and Athletics Centre (QSAC) and Suncorp Stadium respectively. The Brisbane Live venue has been moved up the road. The Redlands is divided over the merits of a whitewater rafting facility and I could go on.

The ratepayers of the Gold Coast, thanks to investment from ratepayers and the Queensland Government, own more proposed Olympic venues than any other Queensland city including Brisbane and we are scheduled to host the second-most events after Brisbane. Despite that, and in total disregard to our experience delivering the 2018 Commonwealth Games, we were not provided a position on the Olympics Board. To the Government’s credit, they finally addressed that recently, providing the Gold Coast, through its elected Mayor, with a voice at the table.

In respect of that opportunity, I will of course work constructively with my fellow board members and the Government to get the best outcomes for the Gold Coast and Queensland. I am convinced the 2032 Olympics can still be a wonderful success for all Queenslanders.

So what needs to happen to get us back on the pathway to success?

Subsequent to the Quirk Review - by former Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk - the Government has set out a revised plan, but with an election three months away, and the Opposition rightly asking for 100 days to get their head around this should they win Government, momentum will be stalled until later this year.

Public and media focus will ramp up quickly after the election however and whoever holds the reins of power after October 26 needs to focus on the following priorities;

- Delivering a financial plan for the Games that keeps costs to a level that are acceptable to Queenslanders and, where new sporting/events infrastructure is proposed, demonstrates a clear legacy for the State for the next 30 years;

- Delivering a transport plan for Queensland that invests in public transport and significant road upgrades for the State’s major roads including the M1 and the Bruce Highway;

- Convincing Queenslanders that they have a sensible plan to improve their lives through cost-of-living relief and investments in law and order, health and housing.

These are not simple problems for the Government, but if we cannot credibly deal with the issues, we will struggle to regain the community license needed to deliver the world’s biggest event.

The 2018 Commonwealth Games provides a great example of how a major sporting event can provide lasting community outcomes that will deliver economic, community and environmental outcomes for the Gold Coast for decades.

Regarding sporting infrastructure, we invested in a major upgrade to the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre making it the pre-eminent swimming venue in Australia providing not only for a growing community but hosting major events like Australian titles and Pan Pacific Games. At Coomera and Carrara we got two world-class indoor sporting venues. These venues pay for themselves every year with over 98 per cent occupancy from our local schools and sporting clubs and catering for major school and open-age events in sports like volleyball, badminton and basketball which bring thousands of people to our city every year.

Beyond sporting infrastructure, we invested in bringing light rail stage two forward in time for the Games, thus paving the way for light rail stage three. One million people a month use the light rail and that will grow to 1.5 million a month when stage three to Burleigh opens. Aside from that, do you remember when Bundall Road was only a two-lane road? It became a three-lane road because of the Commonwealth Games, and we also benefit from a $165m investment in duplicating the heavy rail between Coomera and Helensvale.

These are just some of the legacy benefits from the 2018 Commonwealth Games that Gold Coasters and visitors to our city now take for granted. Without the Games they would not exist or would still be at the planning stage at best.

The challenge is clear for all politicians, including myself. Demonstrate to the majority of Queenslanders how the 2032 Olympic Games will benefit them.

Queensland is a unique Australian State in terms of size and geographic distribution of the population.

The 2032 Olympic Games were sold to the public as a Games for all Queensland that would be delivered at a price we could afford. If the people of South-East Queensland are saying we are off track in terms of sticking to that promise, then I can only imagine what the people of Mount Isa, Mackay and the Maranoa are saying.

In essence, the bid vision signed by participating local councils, the State and Federal governments and the Australian Olympic Committee was to deliver a “regional games” with real legacy outcomes, managing costs and community expectations while presenting a sustainable event for all involved.

In fact, the Gold Coast only signed up for the initial bid because the Australian Olympic Committee, led at the time by former president John Coates, convinced us that it would be a ‘true regional games’.

When Mr Coates sat in my office almost seven years ago, he was unequivocal: “Without the Gold Coast as a signatory, the Games bid would fail”.

So in good faith, we signed on. History now shows we were hoodwinked and that the current version of the 2032 games is effectively a Brisbane Games with some crumbs spread around the SEQ region.

That does not sit well with the people of Queensland, particularly at a time when we have hospital ramping, significant youth crime issues, too many people ae homeless or facing housing insecurity etc.

Can we blame them for thinking new stadiums for sport or concerts in Brisbane are “first world problems”, at least until we have the basics covered?

What concerns me the most about all this is the looming loss of legacy opportunities.

Legacy doesn’t just come from built-form infrastructure. It comes from upskilling labour in the regions, from boosting volunteering, from advancing cultural awareness, from giving First Nations people real outcomes and from creating better connectivity between key regional areas across south-east Queensland.

Legacy is also about the long-term global reputation we leave behind.

Since the Games were awarded in 2021, our legacy has been one of disharmony, division, stadium debates, proposed temporary sports facilities and fights to save historic schools. It has resulted in athletes and para-athletes openly questioning the Olympic charter and its vision.

The Member for Fairfax and the Prime Minister’s representative for the 2032 bid, Ted O’Brien MP, summed it up perfectly when he said the rush to build bright and shiny new venues in Brisbane “flew in the face of everything we were pitching to the International Olympic Committee about avoiding a big spend on venues and it also broke faith with the people of Queensland who had been assured the 2032 Games would not become a spendathon with taxpayer money.”

Recently, when the State Government announced its Brisbane 2032 Infrastructure Review, our council welcomed the opportunity to provide comment. To us, this was a chance for all parties to re-set the priorities and seek true value-for-money in every decision.

Our submission reminded the review panel that the initial “regional bid” was about fast-tracking investment and delivery of key infrastructure projects for the entire south-east Queensland region, not just Brisbane. Projects like rail, motorways, airport upgrades, community venues, streetscaping and improved outcomes for First Nations people. Not simply about building grandiose venues with multibillion-dollar price tags, almost all in Brisbane.

I was heartened to see comments from Australian Olympic Committee president Ian Chesterman in February this year where he said: “The IOC’s New Norm process is designed to ensure the Games are both affordable and sustainable, with a strong preference for the use of existing or temporary facilities.”

Our review submission reinforced the significant opportunity presented by the Games to profile our region on the world stage, providing enhanced cultural, social, and economic benefits for our region.

Leading into this review, the public had witnessed the ugly slanging match over the mooted Gabba rebuild with costs of $3.5 billion-plus thrown about. They had witnessed the parents of East Brisbane State School District rally to save their historic school. Decent, hardworking families demanding an end to the madness.

As such, we decided to focus our review paper largely on the sensible idea to maximise use of existing venues, not only on the Gold Coast but throughout the SEQ region.

Our paper outlined up to $5 billion in savings which could be achieved through exploiting existing infrastructure and using future initiatives we already have in the pipeline.

None other than the IOC itself had already recommended that Carrara Stadium and the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre be considered for 2032.

A summary of our proposals included:

- Using Gold Coast Aquatic Centre, saving up to $2.5 billion including installation of a roof (but not necessarily a permanent roof);

- Using our GC Sports Precinct including People First Stadium, providing $2.7 billion in savings while expanding on the existing integrated high-performance/community sports precinct which already exists;

- Pizzey Park - bringing forward planned upgrades for this world-class precinct to accommodate skateboarding and other action sports associated with 2032. This would result in a permanent elite and community BMX and skate park (legacy in action);

- Gold Coast Hockey Centre - use the existing Keith Hunt precinct, saving $2 million while boosting the existing elite and community hockey centre;

- Returning golf to RACV Royal Pines, or The Grand or Sanctuary Cove, requiring no further capital investment;

- Regatta Waters Lake at Damian Leeding Memorial Park - create a permanent elite and community watercraft facility; and finally, support our council to build a new 12,000-seat multipurpose arena.

Every one of these world-class facilities would bring legacy benefits to the entire SEQ corner and more importantly would divert major spends on new Brisbane venues freeing that money up for health, housing, public transport etc.

So why not get smart and “sweat the assets” we have?

In addition to the council and state-owned facilities within the city, we also have existing world-class accommodation facilities - with more on the way - which could be considered as satellite athlete village options. This would be completely in keeping with the “new norms” espoused by the AOC.

Cast your mind back to the Covid period of 2020-21 and both the AFL and NRL successfully deployed the Gold Coast hotel-option to keep their seasons running. It can work, and of course Olympic athletes can be housed in existing hotels too under the “new norms”.

Our review submission also reminded the panel that the IOC’s own legacy aspirations, identified in the Elevate 2042 report, commits all parties to delivering a sustainable Games that minimises our carbon footprint.

In that regard, President Chesterman has indicated a strong preference for the use of existing facilities.

Ironically, the Paris 2024 games - and Los Angeles 2028 - have adopted a similar approach with no new venues being built for Los Angeles and only two venues constructed for Paris 2024.

Through the use of the Gold Coast’s existing assets, our entire region would be well placed to emulate this positive precedent set by fellow host cities.

To further support our candidature commitments for the Olympic Games, the council will consider funding, or at least co-funding, any required capital improvements for Gold Coast facilities confirmed for the Games sport competition program, subject to local community return on investment.

TOM TATE IS THE GOLD COAST MAYOR AND OLYMPIC ORGANISING COMMITTEE BOARD MEMBER