GOING FOR GOLD ALONE
Coast to host nine 2032 Olympics sports as Tate takes shock stand
THE Gold Coast is on track to host nine sports at the 2032 Queensland Olympics but Mayor Tom Tate (below) is ditching the Council of Mayors, to go solo and get “city deals”.
THE Gold Coast is on track to host up to nine sports and an athletes village during the 2032 south-east Queensland Olympic Games.
But in a shock move, the Gold Coast City Council is pulling out of the lead lobbying group the Council of Mayors, deciding to go it alone so it can secure “city deals” such as light rail extensions to the Gold Coast airport.
The decision will save ratepayers $900,000 across the next three years, but more importantly, it signals that Mayor Tom Tate is confident the Coast can secure its Olympic sports program and an athletes village – along with much-needed transport infrastructure.
The official branding is about to be confirmed with the Games to be called “Brisbane 2032” and “B32”, despite starting as a southeast Queensland bid.
An announcement by the International Olympics Committee on the host city could be made as early as this week.
A feasibility study funded by the Council of Mayors found Brisbane would get 53 per cent of the sports, with the Coast likely to secure race walks and the marathon, basketball and football preliminary finals, handball and golf.
Council sources believe the city could also host hockey and surfing.
They say the Coast will be home to a satellite athletes village at Robina on state government land near the shopping centre, a legacy project adding apartment accommodation.
“We got shafted,” a source said. “We never got a seat through the Council of Mayors on the Brisbane 2032 Organising Committee.”
The Gold Coast City
Council rejoined the Council of Mayors in April 2019 after Cr Tate was contacted by other mayors and ministers and asked to show support for the Olympic bid.
Speaking to the Bulletin on Tuesday, Cr Tate flagged the city would not continue with the lobby group.
“Why did we go back in? To help the bid for southeast Queensland Olympics, so we have three tiers of government in place,” he said.
“That was done in good conscience, and we did that. As it morphed into a Brisbane bid, which is good, we still support it.”
But the Olympics organising committee representation fails to acknowledge the Coast’s experience with the 2018 Commonwealth Games by affording it a representative.
“I’m going ‘it’s a bit much’. The one city who knows more about multi-sport and has delivered the Commonwealth Games is the Gold Coast,” Cr Tate said.
“We wouldn’t be in a position for south-east Queensland to launch an Olympic bid if it was not for the success of the 2018 Commonwealth Games (on the Coast).
“To say we are going to put the Gold Coast Mayor aside and pick some other mayor as recommended by the Council of Mayors – excuse me, what role have you got to play? Don’t bind us into those decisions. It’s illegal to represent the Gold Coast when you are not elected on the Gold Coast.”
Cr Tate admitted he found the snub “distasteful” and would continue with city deals that had secured the three stages of light rail and joint-funding ventures, such as The Spit Master Plan.
Cr Tate has questioned what major deals have been secured by the Council of Mayors in the past nine years. “We will do our own advocacy. I can’t say on the record, it’s multiple sports on the Gold Coast (which we will get) and the number of participants and athletes and audience, it will rival the Commonwealth Games for us. As well as a second athletes village on the Gold Coast.
“You add all that up – and we are not worthy to be on the table. Looking at our record, we are doing all right.
“Looking at their record, if you keep batting ducks, I don’t want to be in that team, with all due respect.”