Bringing the world’s biggest event to Brisbane is a step closer and the Property Council’s Queensland executive director Jen Williams says industry is lined up in the gates and ready to race.
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Three key takeaways:
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According to reports, the organising committee for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics and Paralympics will include four independent directors selected by the Queensland premier, four selected by the prime minister Scott Morrison, and five appointed jointly by the federal and Queensland governments.
The panel will oversee the sports program, accommodation for athletes and officials, and events including the opening and closing ceremonies and torch relay.
Last month Palaszczuk appointed herself Olympics minister, deputy premier Steven Miles as minister assisting the premier on Olympics infrastructure, and sport and tourism minister Stirling Hinchliffe as minister assisting the premier on Olympics and Paralympics sport and engagement. Federal Liberal MP Ted O’Brien is the special envoy for Brisbane’s 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Jen Williams, the Property Council’s Queensland executive director, says the property industry will play a central role in the success of Brisbane’s Olympics.
“Underpinning the month-long sporting extravaganza of the Olympic and Paralympics will be a decade-long effort requiring collaboration across all three tiers of government and the private sector,” Williams says.
A recently Property Council luncheon to explore the emerging Olympics infrastructure opportunities attracted more than 250 people, including all layers of government. Among the speakers was Brisbane lord mayor Adrian Schrinner, who emphasised the confidence that the successful bid had instilled in local businesses.
Federal MP O’Brien noted the significant role that private enterprise would play in shaping the Games’ legacy and stressed the importance of a good governance structure to ensure constructive engagement.
Minister Hinchliffe noted the Games would catalyse accelerated infrastructure investment and encouraged Property Council members to register with the Queensland Government as suppliers.
James Tuma, group director for Urbis which supported the luncheon, noted that the successful bid had already stoked investment activity in the private sector.
Planning will continue at pace, as there is “no room for complacency,” Williams says. “With our population expected to swell to the size of Sydney by the time the Games arrives, the countdown is well and truly on.”
One of the key opportunities for the Olympics legacy is to bring new levels of vibrancy to Brisbane’s CBD, Williams adds.
“The CBD needs to be the jewel in our crown.” Brisbane will follow games in iconic cities like London, Paris and, in 2028, Los Angeles, she says.
“Our CBD needs to possess an atmosphere and vitality that competes with these world class cities. Building our own brand has never been more important.”