Axed Brisbane Olympics board member says ‘nothing replaces’ Indigenous representation

Dumped Brisbane 2032 Olympic Organising Committee board member Shelley Reys has rejected an invitation to join a newly formed First Nations advisory group, saying it was an insufficient alternative to having Indigenous representation on the board.

“I have declined the invitation to be involved in the First Nations advisory body,” Reys said.

“Now that First Nations representation has been removed from the board, the creation of an advisory body is a good alternative, but nothing replaces the role and powers of a board member, that being to ensure lived, professional and informed experience to the decision-making table.”

Shelley Reys lost her place on the Brisbane 2032 Board.Credit: Michael Quelch

The requirement that at least one member of the organising board be an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person was removed from the legislation that governs the Brisbane 2032 Olympics in amendments passed into law last month. 

In an effort to “streamline” decision-making, the requirements of Indigenous representation and that women make up at least 50 per cent of members were scrapped, and the total number of members was reduced from 24 to 15. There are nine men and six women on the new board.

Former world No.1 golfer and now businessman Greg Norman has been renominated to the board after losing his seat when Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s picks were reduced from four members to one, and he selected federal Minister for Sport Anika Wells over Norman.

In a document obtained by this masthead through a freedom-of-information request, the federal government had set June 30 as the deadline to ask the Queensland government for extra nominations, citing the importance of having a “strong voice on the board to guide decision-making”.

Though they did not receive additional nominations, two of their original four representatives, Norman and Gold Coast Titans co-owner and businesswoman Rebecca Frizelle, have been re-nominated by Queensland Minister for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tim Mander as “independent directors”. Mander was once an NRL referee.

Their re-election prevents most of the five original independent nominations, including Reys, from joining. Only Andrew Liveris, who is also the board’s president, remains unchanged as an independent director.

Like Reys, former Olympic athlete Patrick Johnson also lost his seat on the board after Queensland Premier David Crisafulli also lost three of his four board nominations. It was announced on Saturday that Johnson will chair the new First Nations advisory group.

On announcing the new board on Saturday, Mander said: “The changes made ... are sensible and practical to shape good governance and make for a truly spectacular Games for which all of Queensland can be proud.”

Alongside Reys, Queensland Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie, three-time Olympian Tracy Stockwell and Australian Olympic Committee chief executive Mark Arbib have lost their places alongside seven others. Arbib will still participate in meetings as an observer.