‘Freeloader’: Qld Mayors’ 2032 Games civil war goes nuclear

Brisbane City Council’s refusal to invest in Olympic venues has frustrated Games organisers and prompted Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate to go on the attack. HAVE YOUR SAY

Brisbane City Council’s refusal to invest in Olympic venues has frustrated Games organisers and prompted Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate to launch a thinly veiled attack on “freeloader” Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner.

Cash-strapped organisers of Brisbane’s Olympic and Paralympic Games have grown increasingly frustrated at the lack of investment offered by Brisbane City Council to build venues for the 2032 event.

Venues for the Games are slated to be delivered under a $7.1bn funding envelope, split 50-50 between the state and federal governments.

However Mr Tate has promised to contribute hundreds of millions of dollars if swimming, hockey, rowing and golf are moved to the Glitter Strip in 2032.

In a swipe at Mr Schrinner’s refusal to match his infrastructure contribution, Mr Tate told The Courier-Mail leaders needed to follow advocacy with cash.

“As is always the case, if you don’t have skin in the game you are a freeloader,” he said.

“With the 2018 Commonwealth Games we created an infrastructure legacy with 50-50 funding split with the state government, including the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre.

A fired up Mayor Tom Tate talks about the Olympics at a press conference at Gold Coast City Council. Picture: Glenn Hampson

“In line with this team spirit, City of Gold Coast will honour joint funding with the state to invest in a legacy project upgrade to the Aquatic Centre for Olympic swimming.”

The Gold Coast has offered to split the forecast $150m cost of adding a roof to the aquatic centre for 2032.

One state government source hit out at Mr Schrinner’s “whingeing” about regional Queensland, the Gold and Sunshine coasts for attempting to steal Games events.

“He hasn’t put up anything, not one dollar,” they said.

The state is expecting the council to significantly contribute to transport and other Games-associated logistics during the four-week Olympic and Paralympic event.

Mr Schrinner said these “silly squabbles” put at risk federal government funding and could result in sports being sent interstate.

“Unlike other councils, we’ve invested billions of dollars in projects typically delivered by the state, like Brisbane Metro and new bridges, without a cent of state support,” he said.

“We’re also the only council that delivers public transport services and our bus fleet, one of Australia’s biggest, will be critical to moving people around during the Games.”

Mr Schrinner argued, as a percentage of its budget, Brisbane City Council would invest more in the Games than the state and Commonwealth governments.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner. Picture: Liam Kidston

“Despite all the talk about costs, the simple fact is less than 1 per cent of state revenue and less than a 10th of a per cent of Australian government revenue over the next six years is being invested into venues,” he said.

“Under our council’s formal agreement with the IOC, we’re responsible for delivering a significant suite of Games services and support, including transport and traffic co-ordination, a non-accredited media centre, visitor services, a volunteer program, citywide wayfinding and enhanced cleaning and waste services, to name just a few.

“As a proportion of budgets, our investment will not only eclipse other councils but also the state and federal governments.”

The City of Paris spent some $161m from its $15bn budget on the Games – about 1 per cent.

To match Paris’s 1 per cent contribution, Brisbane City Council would need to spend $40m on the Games from its $4bn city budget.

Separate to the $7.1bn infrastructure program, the Brisbane Organising Committee will have $5bn to spend on ceremonies, transport, security and other requirements to run the Games.

In 2021 the Labor state government pushed Brisbane City Council – and others – to contribute to venue infrastructure.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner gives the keys to the city to the Paralympians Welcome Home Celebration for Queensland-based athletes who competed in the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Picture: John Gass

A person familiar with the negotiations said the state was told the council had limited cash.

Instead, Brisbane City Council would take long-term ownership of minor venues.

It is the latest incident in an escalating war of words between Mr Schrinner and Mr Tate, who last month hit out at Brisbane for failing to contribute to sport infrastructure,

“He’s not putting a dollar in, because his council is heading towards $5bn in debt,” Mr Tate said.

The Gold Coast mayor has also come under fire, however, for a lack of support for the Southeast Queensland Council of Mayors’ push to bid for the Olympics.

The Gold Coast Council quit the Council of Mayors in June 2021 over its $350,000 membership fee.

Mr Tate was then ineligible to be its pick on the Brisbane Organising Committee for the Olympic Games, with former Redlands mayor Karen Williams and Noosa Mayor Clare Stewart appointed instead.

After years of scathing criticism about the city being left out of planning, Mr Tate was appointed to the organising committee board in May by former Premier Steven Miles.

Originally published as ‘Freeloader’: Qld Mayors’ 2032 Games civil war goes nuclear