Plans for the Brisbane Olympics have been dismissed as “half-baked”, and Queensland’s premier was also criticized for blindsided by a review of the 2032 Games infrastructure.
LNP senator Bridget McKenzie did not hold back from an investigation into Australia’s Olympic preparations, saying the Brisbane Games were going in the wrong direction with “a lot of money going but not building”.
McKenzie was among senators on the inquiry panel in Brisbane on Wednesday and told Olympic supremo John Coates that unnamed members of the department had described the 2032 Games infrastructure plans as “half-baked and half-baked”.
The vice president of the International Olympic Committee declined to comment on the “coarse” language at the public hearing.
But McKenzie later agreed with the harsh assessment, saying “nothing has been done” almost three years after Brisbane was named the 2032 host.
Bridget McKenzie did not stop the Queensland government’s plans for the Olympic Games
Plans for the 2032 Games have been described as “half-baked”
“Based on the evidence I’ve heard so far, it’s mediocre and lackluster. I think the department officials were right,” he told reporters outside the investigation.
“According to the paperwork we have seen, there are no feasibility studies, there are no business cases, there are no financing agreements, there is no solution… nothing has been done.”
The senator also took aim at Queensland Premier Steven Miles for conducting his own infrastructure review while an independent assessment was underway.
Former mayor Graham Quirk led the independent review and delivered his report last month.
However, Quirk told the inquiry he had been caught off guard when he discovered the Queensland government had been working on its own plan.
Miles has received widespread criticism for ignoring key findings of the independent review, ignoring advice to build a new $3.4 billion stadium as a centerpiece by 2032 and instead upgrading old venues.
Quirk said he had a suspicion the state government was not interested in a new stadium before its review was completed.
“A week or so later… the panel was informed that the government probably didn’t have a big appetite for a stadium,” he said.
But he told the inquiry he was unaware the state government had been working behind the scenes on its own headquarters plan.
Queensland Premier Steven Miles is under pressure to come up with a strategy.
A major dispute has arisen over plans for stadiums to host the Olympic Games in eight years.
“The prime minister announced… that he had been, for a couple of weeks beforehand, working with some public servants around his proposal,” he said.
“The panel didn’t know, it was a complete surprise.”
McKenzie said it was worrying that Miles was carrying out a “parallel process”.
“This is actually an accusation,” he said.
“We want to see a successful Games and I think today we have heard some worrying evidence that they are going in the wrong direction.”
The independent review also recommended the Queensland Sports and Athletics Center not be used for the 2032 Games.
Miles ignored that too, saying he had opted for a QSAC upgrade on Coates’ advice.
Coates told the inquest on Wednesday it was his favorite place.
He confirmed that he was made aware of the government’s QSAC position days before the independent review was handed down.
Coates is not worried about the plans for 2032, comparing them to the successful preparations for the Sydney Games.
“I’m pretty calm about where we are,” he said.
The state government on Wednesday introduced laws to establish an independent authority for organizing the Games.
It will provide infrastructure for the Games and will be established by mid-year.
Quirk said “the clock is ticking” to hold the 2032 Games.
“I said every day during this review to any public servant who would listen… you can’t do business as usual for these Games; they won’t arrive on time,” he said.