The Early Drama Surrounding the 2032 Brisbane Olympics
By
Will Brown
Contributor Updated: 11 December 2024
Will Brown Contributor
William Brown is a Content Writer with strong expertise in US and global gambling industry trends. Having covered the local sports betting market since the repeal of PASPA in 2018, William approaches his gambling guides with passion and diligence. He is a keen player of online slots, blackjack, and a regular sports bettor.
Brisbane Olympics Dramas
Since the Brisbane Olympics was announced in 2021, the Games have been marred in controversy. With concerns surrounding the city’s capacity to host such a large-scale event and resistance from members of the local community, Brisbane has several major challenges to overcome. There is also a question of whether the city can adapt to the Games’ needs within budget. In this guide, we’ve discussed these challenges in-depth, from its controversial bidding process to the social, political, and environmental concerns.
Intro to the Brisbane Olympics 2032 Drama
To kick off this article, we’ve looked at the origins of the Brisbane Olympics 2032 plan, which already rankled critics with its different bidding approach. We’ve then discussed one of the biggest problems that have plagued organizers, which is the lack of appropriate stadiums to host the games.
From there, we’ve discussed the transport and logistics issues, and how all of these elements combine to create concerns around budgetary blowouts. To round out the article, we’ve explored the issues surrounding the political, social, and environmental impact of the Summer Games in Brisbane.
- Insufficient Stadiums and Venues
- Transport and Logistics Issues
- Budgetary Blowout Concerns
- The Environmental Impact
- Political and Social Divisions
History of the 2032 Brisbane Olympics Plan
Brisbane’s bid for the 2032 Olympics marked the first time that a city applied under the new IOC bidding process. Unlike previous Games, host cities would be announced 11 years before the Games rather than seven. A new “preferred candidate” system also saw Brisbane secure the Games with little competition from other host cities.
This saw the Future Host Commission directly identify and recommend new host cities rather than the traditional bidding system for the Games. Although the win was celebrated locally, other cities that had expressed interest criticized the lack of fairness. However, these countries could be awarded the Games if Brisbane fails to meet the IOC’s requirements.
This will be the first time Brisbane hosts the Games and the third Summer Olympic Games in Australia, after Melbourne 1956 and Sydney 2000. With a population of around 2.5 million people, Brisbane has undergone rapid economic growth in the past decade, which it will be eager to show the world at the Brisbane Olympics 2032.
Controversies Around the Stadiums
The biggest area of contention for the Brisbane Olympics is its minimal infrastructure to host such a major sporting event. An inner-city suburb, nicknamed “The Gabba”, was earmarked to be demolished and rebuilt as a part of a $2.7 billion project. However, this would involve demolishing a nearby heritage-listed school to cater to its floor plan.
Eventually, this project was mooted, with eyes turned to updating the QSAC Sports Complex in Brisbane’s southern suburbs for track and field events. However, this would still be costly, and it would have little benefit for the city after the Games. There are also major transport issues with this location.
In August, a $6 billion riverside stadium in the Northern suburbs was proposed, which would be built using private funds. However, the government has already dismissed the idea and is instead looking to build a new stadium in a large parkland near the city’s center. The federal government has pledged $7.1 billion to build and remodel current infrastructure to ensure the Games’ viability.
Some events will be held in the nearby Sunshine Coast region, while the new Brisbane Arena is under proposition. As the biggest hurdle to overcome in the Brisbane Olympics 2032 plan, organizers will need to act quickly. Otherwise, you’ll be placing your wagers at betting apps with Summer Olympics for an event in an entirely different city.
Local Outrage Over the Athlete Village
To home the 10,000 athletes over the Summer Olympics period, four villages have been earmarked in the Brisbane, Gold Coast, and Sunshine Coast regions. In Brisbane, a new development will be built in the northern suburb of Hamilton. Initially, the government pledged that these 2,000 dwellings would house the homeless before the Games.
However, the government has since reneged on this pledge, which has caused controversy among local activist groups. Instead, the government has suggested that it may turn the district into social housing after the Games, but many remain skeptical considering Hamilton’s affluent status.
Brisbane’s Transport and Logistics Woes
With Brisbane’s population estimated to increase to 6.5 million people by 2036, the city is already facing challenges with a large volume of drivers on its road network. When adding 100,000 visitors, Brisbane must quickly upgrade its roads and public transport infrastructure to accommodate demand.
Currently, there are two major airports servicing the region in Brisbane and the Gold Coast. Brisbane’s international airport is set for a $5 billion upgrade, while an additional $260 million is being poured into Gold Coast’s for a terminal expansion. Gold Coast, however, lacks public transport infrastructure to link it to Brisbane efficiently.
Brisbane is undertaking its largest-ever public transport upgrades in preparation for the games. This has included building the $6.3 billion Cross River Rail network, which will connect the Gabba to the city and potential Brisbane Arena site. An underground electric bus network, called the Metro, is also set to open in 2025, with future expansions planned.
Because of the size of its large metropolitan area, the local population is also relatively averse to relying on the public transport network. To combat this, the government has lowered fare prices to 50 cents, which it hopes to continue to ease road congestion and prepare locals for travel to the Brisbane 2032 Olympics locations.
Budgetary Blowout Concerns
With the federal government pledging $7.1 billion for Brisbane infrastructure projects for the Olympics, the state government expects the budget for the Games to be around $11.5 billion. However, many remain skeptical that this will be possible due to the scale of the upgrades needed to the city.
The original estimates for operational costs in 2021 were $5 billion which have already doubled due to inflation and the rise of construction costs. Previous studies have also found that every Olympics has exceeded its budget by about 250 percent, with Rio’s Games exceeding it by a huge 350 percent.
Interestingly, it was this inescapable trend that caused the Australian state of Victoria to cancel its planned Melbourne Commonwealth Games in 2026. It’s also resulted in more caution from potential host cities, with both Athens and Rio still facing economic repercussions from their hosting duties.
Economic experts are confident that the Brisbane Olympics will overrun its budget and is unlikely to profit from the Games. However, others have argued that the Games will provide a boost for Brisbane’s international standing with tourists and will pay off in the long run. The city is also set to benefit from huge infrastructure upgrades and investment in its cultural venues.
Skepticism Over Environmental Impact
In recent years, the IOC has created new regulations surrounding environmental sustainability for future Games. The Paris 2024 Games saw athletes provided with a vegan menu, with the whole event run on 100% renewable energy. The Los Angeles 28 Games will go one step further, with no new infrastructure being built and a zero-waste ambition adopted.
The organizers of the Brisbane Olympics 2032 Games have claimed that it will be the most sustainable Games in history. It aims to achieve this by providing transport on its electric bus fleet and building “climate-positive” infrastructure. It also aims to offset more carbon than it emits.
However, some have criticized the event for greenwashing. Australia has been sluggish at adopting renewable energy compared to other major economies, and its gas, mining, and land clearing for cattle positions it among the world’s biggest polluters. There is also concern about habitat destruction to accommodate the Games.
Despite this, the Brisbane Olympics organizers have argued that its approach will help the city to meet its future sustainability goals. Upgrades to its public transport network will take cars off the road, and any new stadiums are set to have a “6-Star Energy Rating” that will include its own renewable energy sources.
Divisions in Local Politics and the Community
With all of these challenges to contend with, it’s no wonder why tensions in local politics have been so high. Politicians from both sides have been attacking each other for failures in planning, especially around the Gabba rebuild debacle. Government action has been seen to be slow, with concerns raised by the IOC about its ability to pull off the event.
Local attitudes to the Brisbane Olympics have also shifted, with the issue largely in the minds of voters in the recent local election. Many are concerned with how their taxpayer dollars are being spent and whether the Summer Games will have a positive impact on the city. However, amidst all this, there is still an air of excitement among locals, who hope that the Games will put the city on the map.
