Brisbane's mayor is quitting the 2032 Olympic organizing committee

Brisbane’s mayor is quitting the 2032 Olympic organizing committee

Posted On: December 4, 2023

Brisbane Mayor Adrian Schrinner has slammed the door on the intergovernmental committee responsible for organizing the 2032 Olympics, calling it a “fest of useless talk” and a “dysfunctional farce”.

This is the first blow to shake the organizing committee, whose trust was won by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) 2021.

The Leaders’ Forum, made up of representatives from all three levels of government and other agencies, was intended to deliver the Olympics and leave a legacy for the state of Queensland in southeast Australia. His remit is to work with the Queensland Government, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. to advance large-scale facilities, villages and transport infrastructure for the Olympic Games.

However, Schrinner said the group was just serving Appeasement of key stakeholders while all real decisions were taken by the state government behind closed doors.

“The truth is, we always wanted to play as a team,” Schrinner added on Sunday. But the state government preferred to play the political card.

He called for an independent committee, similar to the one that oversaw preparations for the Sydney 2000 and London 2012 Olympics, to restart the plan On the right way.

“We don’t need white elephants, we need transportation infrastructure,” Schrinner said. This week it has become clear that the Intergovernmental Leaders Forum is a dysfunctional farce.

A $2.7 billion revitalization plan, including the Gabba Stadium to be demolished and rebuilt on the outskirts of Brisbane, is set to be the anchor for the 2032 Olympics. Several more stadiums are also planned to be built in the four corners of Brisbane in Queensland. However, Schrinner believes other options should also be considered.

He is particularly angry about the state government’s plan to help Brisbane City Council cover the $91 million bill for renovating another stadium in the area, the RNA Showgrounds, during the rebuilding of the Gabba. Stadium to host cricket and Australian Rules football games.

Queensland Sports Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said he was surprised by the mayor’s departure. However, he added that a seat was still reserved for him if he decided to return.

The committee election is scheduled for March in Queensland. Schrinner’s party and the municipal opposition have already supported the project to revitalize the Gabba stadium site.