Only two new venues could be built under ‘game changer’ plan to keep spending under control

To that end, Brisbane fits the bill after it was named on Thursday morning (AEDT) the IOC’s preferred bidder for the 2032 event.

“We already have 85 per cent of the venues at the moment,” Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said. “It’s a new norm, which means it’s a game changer.

“We don’t have to build huge stadiums that are not going to be used in the future. And this gives us hope and opportunity as we go through our economic recovery and plan for the future.”

The Games budget has been set at $4.45 billion with projected revenues from broadcast rights, sponsorship and ticket sales expected to make it a coast neutral event, no doubt helped by the fact the majority of venues already exist.

“We don’t have to build huge stadiums that are not going to be used in the future.”

Annastacia Palaszczuk

An agreement is expected in the first half of this year about whether a new aquatics centre will be built in the river city, boasting a capacity of 15,000 and housing the swimming and water polo competitions. But the IOC has also stressed the bid will consider switching those events to the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre at Southport.

Basketball and gymnastics would be the only sports guaranteed to be played in purpose-built venues not already in existence.

The Brisbane master plan even allows for canoe slalom and sprint as well as rowing to be held at the same facilities that were used during Sydney 2000, the last time Oceania hosted an Olympic Games, if a whitewater and flat water canoe/kayak centre is not built in the sunshine state.

Rugby’s traditional home in Queensland, Ballymore, would be transferred into a 15,000-capacity host for hockey.

The IOC’s technical assessment has allowed for three clusters, Brisbane, Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast with a 14,000-bed Olympic village to be constructed in Brisbane and 2000 existing beds to be set aside in hotels at Surfers Paradise.

Golf would be played at Royal Pines on the Gold Coast, which would also host beach volleyball at Broadbeach, indoor volleyball preliminaries, weightlifting, triathlon and open-water swimming.

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The marathon, road cycling, mountain biking and sailing would all be held on the streets and in the waters of the Sunshine Coast, while football preliminary matches would be dotted down the eastern seaboard from Cairns and Townsville in north Queensland to Sydney and Melbourne.

An IOC poll found 66 per cent of Australians were in favour of making Brisbane the third Australian city to host an Olympic Games after Sydney and Melbourne (1956).

It is forecast a Brisbane Games would provide $7.4 billion in economic benefits and create 130,000 direct jobs.

The IOC is expected to escalate discussions with Brisbane bid officials in coming months after the recommendation of the Future Hosts Commission.

“After many years of hard work from the SEQ [south-east Queensland] mayors, it’s amazing to hear the International Olympic Committee acknowledges south east Queensland has what it takes to host an Olympic and Paralympic Games,” Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said.

“When we started this journey almost six years ago to the day, many people were sceptical. Now we’re one step away from being named as the host of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“Today is not the time however to get overexcited, there is still plenty of work to be done.”