‘Back to the 80s’ Olympics plan locked in: IOC chief John Coates

IOC chief John Coates says the Brisbane 2032 contract for the Olympic Games was for a low cost Games using existing facilities.

Olympic Boss John Coates in the AOC offices in Sydney. Picture: John Feder/The Australian.

Olympic supremo John Coates has said the “back to the 80s” Olympic plan propagated by Queensland premier Steven Miles was locked in and there was unlikely to be any change to the plan to renovate the Queensland Sports and Athletics Centre for track and field for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games.

Mr Coates, in Lausanne for an International Olympic Committee executive board meeting this week, has told The Australian that the Brisbane 2032 contract for the Games was for a low cost Games using existing facilities.

He said the idea of a new $3.4 billion new stadium at Victoria Park – as recommended by former Brisbane mayor Graham Quirk in a review of Games infrastructure – was not in the IOC plans and that if there was a change of state government after the October elections, any new proposal outside of repurposing existing stadiums for the 2032 Olympic Games would have to have sign off from Lausanne and the international sports federations.

Queensland Premier Steven Miles. Picture: Dan Peled / NCA NewsWire

“If there was to be a new stadium this is contractually very different from what was signed (by the IOC and the Queensland government) to have a low cost Games and so it would have to have approval from the IOC and the sports federations which would be affected by the decision,’’ he said.

“Mr Quirk was part of the team which helped get the Games and so this would not be a surprise to him.”

He added: “The IOC is very sensitive to the cost of the Games and so this approval (for any deviation from the contract) is not a given’’.

Earlier this week there was fierce criticism of a lack of vision by Mr Miles’ government to use the Games needs to build a new brand new stadium in the inner area of Brisbane, close to transport links that would provide sporting codes with a modern legacy after the Olympics. Critics claimed his intent to repurpose existing venues was just a quick revamp of ageing venues from half a century ago when the state held the 1982 Commonwealth Games.

However the apparent cementing of Mr Miles’ plans to abandon a rebuild of The Gabba, and the rejection to build a new 55,000 seat stadium has been welcomed by the IOC powerbrokers because it wants future Games to be contained to encourage other cities to become hosts, and also to keep taxpayers on board.

Mr Coates said an independent analysis given to the IOC of the cost of a refurbishment and upgrade of the Queensland Sports and Athletics Centre, formerly known as ANZ Stadium and QE II, located at Nathan south of Brisbane, came in at around $600,000. This would allow for temporary seating to allow the venue to hold 40,000 spectators.

He suggested that the extra $1bn quoted in the Quirk review was for improved transport to the stadium which would also enhance transport options to the nearby Griffith University.

Mr Coates, who has stood down from his long term role as president of the Australian Olympic Committee, but who holds influential sway on the IOC as a close ally of president Thomas Bach, has been blamed for Mr Miles’ quick rejection of Mr Quirk’s review recommendations.

Mr Coates had encouraged the use of Suncorp Stadium, also known as Lang Park in inner suburb of Milton for the opening and closing ceremonies so that an expensive rebuild of The Gabba was discouraged.

Mr Coates said it was “utterly preposterous’’ and “completely wrong” that Mr Miles had considered walking away from the Games, in a similar fashion to former Victorian premier Dan Andrew who cancelled the 2026 Commonwealth Games being held in country Victoria on exploding cost grounds.

He said: “Mr Miles rang both myself and (Brisbane Games organising committee president) Andrew Liveris when he took over from Annastacia Palaszczuk and he was completely on board with hosting the Games. There has never been any suggestion that his government was considering abandoning the Games. That report is completely wrong.’’