GAMES PLANNING BODY STILL HAS GLARING GC GAP
Premier Palaszczuk’s deflection that the Gold Coast Mayor is getting ‘strong input’ into Olympics planning without being on the planning committee does not wash
THE Palaszczuk government had a golden opportunity to right a terrible wrong by installing Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate to the 2032 Olympics board.
It follows the resignation earlier in the week of Karen Williams, the Redland Mayor under fire after crashing her car while over the alcohol limit.
Mr Tate should have replaced Ms Williams. Instead, Noosa Mayor Clare Stewart has been added.
If it means the Gold Coast City Council has to re-join the Council of South-east Mayoral group, so be it.
The 2032 Olympics is too big a deal for the Gold Coast not to have its top civic leader at the decision-making table.
Asked if he would accept the appointment this week, Mr Tate said: “Our city stands ready to accept an SEQ Olympics Board position, should it be offered.
“Until then, I have no further comment.’’
It seems odd that he was not there in the first place.
That’s what happens when you start bringing gender quotas into administration.
To demonstrate why the Gold Coast needs a seat at the board table, rewind to April this year when International
Olympic Committee (IOC) heavyweights were in South East Queensland to inspect established venues.
The Gold Coast will provide venues for nine of the IOC’S 30 sports, and it will be the training base for at least 40 per cent of the world’s top athletes in the weeks and months leading into the 2032 event.
As the IOC executives toured the city’s venues, greeted by a picture perfect day (a rarity this year), they couldn’t help but be impressed by what the Gold Coast was offering.
Christophe Dubi, a dynamo who helps cities stage the Olympics, was gushing in his praise of the Gold Coast.
“I am blown away by what is already here and what this city provides,’’ Mr Dubi said.
“The shame is we have to wait 10 years for it to happen.’’
When questioned on why Cr Tate was not on the Brisbane Organising Committee board, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk deflected, saying Cr Tate was having a strong input, despite not being on the board.
Of course, that is nonsense. Cr Tate needs to be across every detail of the Olympics, otherwise the Gold Coast will once again be shafted, like it has been on the golf being transferred from Royal Pines to Royal Queensland in Brisbane. There is no greater Key Performance Indicator for this city than getting the Olympics right.
Better still, it’s about preparing the city for the massive tourism influx to come before and after the event.
There are those who were disappointed with the
economic impact of the Commonwealth Games, but rest assured the Olympics is a much bigger deal. Winning the Olympics was a long and at times arduous process and Ms Palaszczuk should get a big tick for her involvement in the bidding process.
Of course, this is not just about two weeks of sport in July, 2032. This is about redefining Queensland, both physically and emotionally. It
is about building the South East Queensland of tomorrow, making us the envy of the world.
It is about giving young Australians a goal, of striving to represent their country at a home Olympics.
It is about turning Brisbane and the Gold Coast into true world-class cities, and building the roads and train lines to accommodate our growing population. It adds up to an
extraordinary transformation of Queensland’s spirit and commitment to excellence.
This is the game changer we could only have dreamed about. For the Mayor of the Gold Coast not to be on the committee that guides and delivers such an event is simply untenable, and to be frank, an insult to Australia’s sixth-largest city.
Mr Tate must be appointed, sooner rather than later.