Queensland 2032 Olympic Games bid explained

Modelling of a $7.3 billion Brisbane bonanza has been cast into doubt by the scary Olympic nightmares of Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro.

Blast the naysayers, Queensland knows what it’s doing dipping its toes into the murky waters of an Olympic Games bidding campaign. So it says.

Like any NRL or AFL club choosing to recruit a player with a record of misbehaving, the Queensland State Government believes it can succeed where so many before it have failed.

State premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s announcement on Monday that Queensland will chase the hosting rights for the 2032 Olympics and Paralympics is another case of an administration believing it can buck the trend and stage an Olympics that doesn’t burn a hole in the wallets of the Australian taxpayer.

Palaszczuk, with the support of Prime Minister Scott Morrison, announced plans for a South East Queensland joint bid, featuring facilities across Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast.

Brisbane hosted the 1982 Commonwealth Games and the Gold Coast hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2018 — but the Olympics is another dramatic step up.

Palaszczuk said Queensland had a potential advantage over other bidders because 80 per cent of the venues were already in place. The Gabba ground, famous as an international cricket venue, could host the opening ceremony of the games, which take place from July 23 to August 8.

Estimates released in May put the cost of hosting the games at $5.3 billion. But financial consultants KPMG estimated the games could return $7.3 billion in benefits to Queensland.

Olympic cost estimates are notoriously low and usually soar three or four times over estimates. Economic benefits are also unclear and often small, if they exist at all.

WHAT’S THE PROCESS?

International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach and president of the Australian Olympic Committee John Coates.

The IOC is not expected to make a decision on the 2032 Olympic until at least 2021 and it could take until 2025 until the winning bid is confirmed.

Until recently there were reports up to 20 cities were considering a play for the Games, but less than 10 remain in the race.

The bidding process has had a dramatic directional shift recently as part of the IOC’s Olympic Agenda 2020 policy which aims to cut costs for future host cities and stop potential host cities from being scared away by the costs involved.

Queensland’s eventual bid will be submitted to the IOC across three steps.

The three step process normally takes at least 12 months — from the moment the IOC finalises its shortlist of host candidates.

During the third stage of the IOC Olympic Candidature Process, IOC representatives will visit each host city applicant to assess plans in person.

The IOC’s Evaluation Commission will then compile a report on the bids submitted before giving a recommendation to the IOC executive.

WHY IT’S A RISK

Even Beijing’s 2008 Games has had stadium’s go unused since the event.

IOC president Thomas Bach may have suggested the 2032 Olympics are Queensland’s to lose, but there remains at least seven legitimate rival bids yet to be formally declared.

A joint North Korea-South Korea bid is expected to feature strongly in IOC considerations while London, Madrid, Mumbai, Madrid, Florence and Jakarta are also preparing bids.

A German bid to host the Games across 13 cities is also expected to enter the race.

Entering the bidding race and failing is just where the risk starts.

Securing the host rights is one of the biggest gambles in modern sport.

Recently, Tokyo 2020’s preparations have been overshadowed by public angst surrounding a budget blowout.

Having initially bid for the 2020 Olympics with modelling of a total 700 billion yen ($US6.5b) budget, the cost to host the event has risen to more than $US12.5b.

The IOC is providing just $US1.6 billion.

The most recent Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro were also an economic disaster for host country Brazil.

The Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games was a success.

Many facilities used for the 2016 event have fallen into disrepair or been abandoned, including the swimming and diving centre.

The main stadium, the Maracana Stadium recently had its power cut off because of a bill dispute between the IOC and the local government.

According to reports the host city saw almost no economic boost following the Games and the cost of the event made the state of Rio de Janeiro late in paying teachers, hospital workers, and government employee pensions.

There is another side to the story of hosting major sporting events, however.

The Gold Coast’s recent hosting of the 2018 Commonwealth Games has been declared a total success by the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation.

For an event where the Queensland and local Government spent $1.5 billion, research by Griffith University estimates the event has produced a $2.5 billion boost to the Queensland economy.

The success of Gold Coast 2018 is one of the motivating factors behind Queensland’s Olympic push.

WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE?

Mascot Borobi with Eve Lutze, who was the face of the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games bid.

State premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s declaration that up to 85 per cent of Olympic infrastructure is already in place doesn’t mean major work isn’t needed.

Boosted by the promise of a $2.6 billion handout from the IOC, further transport and stadia projects would still be needed.

The most intriguing project would be the proposed changes to the Gabba, where there is early speculation the 42,000 capacity stadium could be turned into a stadium with capacity for up to 80,000 spectators.

The Queensland government has already been proactive, impressing IOC president Bach with its recent feasibility studies during the Olympic bosses’ visit to Brisbane in May.

WHO ARE THE MAIN RIVALS

Even with major rival Russia blown out of the water by its recent WADA doping ban storm, a South East Queensland bid would have to upstage some of the most iconic sporting cities in the world to win the bid.

Russia was on Monday forced to swallow a further four-year ban following the countries’ failure to provide cooperation into further investigations into state-supported doping.

The penalties handed down by WADA includes a four-year ban on Russia bidding to host any major international sporting event.

Brisbane’s hopes are further boosted by widespread expectations that the 2032 Games will take place in the Asia-Pacific region with the next Games (Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028) to be hosted in Europe and North America.

A joint North Korea-South Korea bid is expected to feature strongly in IOC considerations while London, Madrid, Mumbai, Madrid, Florence and Jakarta are also preparing bids.

A German bid to host the Games across 13 cities is also expected to enter the race.

— with AP, AFP