Brisbane Olympics boss Andrew Liveris coy over stadium stoush

The boss of the 2032 Games organising committee says there are still decisions to be made around venues, but said the event should deliver long-term infrastructure for Brisbane and Queensland.

The Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre will be upgraded for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics

After 24 hours of turmoil around the Brisbane 2032 Olympics, President of the Brisbane 2032 organising committee Andrew Liveris has defended the political gymnastics on stadium infrastructure as “very normal” but maintained that the Games should “deliver long term sporting venues and infrastructure to support the fastest growing region in Australia.”

Speaking at the Sport NXT conference, Liveris carefully avoided commenting on Queenlsand Premier Steven Miles’ captain’s call to scrap the major recommendations of the Games’ independent review of venues, instead saying that decisions were still to be made.

“Recommendations from it are being assessed for their appropriateness and decisions will be made with full consultation of our Organising Committee and the IOC and AOC, and provide a path forward for the Australian and Queensland governments to decide on,” he said.

Brisbane 2032 Olympic President Andrew Liveris has defended the political gymnastics on stadium infrastructure.

Liveris’ comments will give some hope that the Premier’s decisions are not seen as final by the organising committee, particularly the reference to the Federal Government.

“There will be lots of opinions, and there’ll be natural ebb and flow in sentiment,” he said.

He also maintained that ongoing use of venues to attract major events should be part of the Olympic legacy. This would seem to be less likely under the Premier’s new plan to increase seating at QSAC significantly for the Games only.

“New venues have to be accepted by the population as legacies and as venues that make sense for legacy utilisation,” Liveris said.

“A path that has the capacity to provide a powerful combination of legacy sporting venues from grassroots sports through to professional athletes, a path that can deliver long term sporting venues and infrastructure to support the fastest growing region in Australia, and a path that secures world class vendors and infrastructure worthy of delivering the most recognised event in the world and utilised to attract the very best national and international sporting and entertainment events.”

Liveris cited the experiences of London, Paris and Los Angeles that changes and reviews into infrastructure was not a cause for alarm.

“A review of venues and the game’s master plan is very normal in the history of Olympic and Paralympic committees.”

The Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre will be upgraded for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.

Yesterday Queensland Premier Steven Miles rejected the independent review recommendation to build a new $3.4 billion, 55,000-seat venue in the city’s inner-north at Victoria Park, along with the original proposal to knockdown and rebuild the Gabba.

Instead, the Premier plumped for the cheaper option of a $1.6 billion renovation of the Queensland Sports and Athletics Centre that was built for the 1982 Commonwealth Games, and to hold the opening and closing ceremonies at Lang Park.

It has resulted in criticism across Australia about how the budgetary decision will result in a second rate Olympics, and further reports that the idea of relinquishing the games was even explored.

Originally published as Brisbane Olympics boss Andrew Liveris coy over stadium stoush