‘Give it to Sydney’: Swimming great warns Brisbane not ready for Olympics

Olympic legend Tracey Wickham says Brisbane has ‘missed the boat’ on planning and should let Sydney host the 2032 Games.

Former Australian swimmer Tracey Wickham. Picture: AAP

Australian swimming champion Tracey Wickham says Brisbane should hand Sydney the hosting rights of the 2032 Olympics after a shambolic three years of planning.

Queensland Premier Steven Miles this week axed the controversial Gabba rebuild and rejected a proposed new $3.4bn stadium at Victoria Park, instead announcing the ageing Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre at Nathan would host track and field events for Australia’s third Olympics, even though it’s not on a train line and might seat only 40,000 people.

Mr Miles’ cabinet endorsed the QSAC option on Monday without a transport plan or business case, although an independent review costed upgrades at $1.6bn.

Wickham, who competed at the 1976 Montreal Olympics as a 13-year-old and went on to set world records for both the 800m and 400m freestyle, said Brisbane’s Olympic organisers had “missed the boat” on infrastructure planning and were now at risk of embarrassing Australia on the world stage.

“Let’s just bite the bullet and give it to Sydney, they’ve done it before, they’ve got everything there and they have proven themselves before,” she told The Australian.

“We just don’t have the facilities ready, and it’s not just the ­actual stadiums it’s all of the road infrastructure and the transport logistics.

“I just don’t want Australians to be made a fool of and we will be, people will talk about it forever. The legacy will be ‘Australia is ­pathetic’ if we try to handle this without being ready.”

Teen swimming sensation from the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, Tracey Wickham being presented with her gold medal for the 400m freestyle, by Queen Elizabeth during the games

Wickham celebrates winning the 800m freestyle event at the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane in 1982.

Wickham, a Brisbane local, said the Games had the potential to deliver huge benefits to the city. “But I just think we’re running out of time and we are not ready,” she added.

“There’s too much in-house fighting and discussions – should we do this? No we will do this, Should we pull (the Gabba) down? No we won’t – it should all be sorted by now. If they are going to do it, friggin’ do it, but they have been bickering for three years and I think they have missed the boat.”

Wickham’s comments come after NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey this week suggested Sydney would be ready to take over hosting rights.

“Our record is unmatched and we’ve set a very high standard for Queensland to reach,” he said.

“If they can’t do it, they should give me a call.”

Four-time Olympian Cate Campbell also added her voice to criticism of Mr Miles’ Olympic venue plan this week, ­accusing his government of allowing its re-election prospects to get in the way of progress.

In parliament on Thursday, Mr Miles said the independent infrastructure over­sight body would be established by mid year but would not have powers to make “important budgetary decisions”.

“It is the end of the sitting week and still the leader of the opposition has no answer, no decision and no response,” he said. “On this side we have been crystal clear. We will deliver the best Games ever, but we will do it in our existing venues and the Brisbane Arena, and we will do it within the existing funding envelope.”

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli has not declared a position on the Olympic venue plan, saying he would let an infrastructure agency make decisions, leaving the door open for another stadium overhaul if the LNP wins government at October’s state election.

Mr Crisafulli has said he will not take a venue plan to the election, but pledged the oversight agency would deliver a plan ­within 100 days.

Under his terms of reference, the authority would have to prioritise road and rail infrastructure, use existing venues, not exceed the current $7bn funding envelope and present legacy opportunities for the entire state.

“I am giving Queenslanders a pathway to fix the mess,” he said.

“We do have time.”