Latest news with #Brisbane2032
Sydney Morning Herald
5 minutes ago
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
New Olympics board will consider rowing alternatives
Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games organisers will explore contingencies should the governing bodies for rowing and canoe events decide the planned Fitzroy River course in Rockhampton is unsuitable for competition. The revelation from Brisbane 2032 president Andrew Liveris came as he prepared to host the first meeting of the new, paired-back organising committee board in the city's CBD on Thursday. 'It's amazing how, a year ago, we were arguing about stadiums and what would happen with the stadium, and now we seem to be arguing and having this conversation on rowing – we're always going to have something,' he told this masthead. 'I'd like to remind everyone that LA was still debating venues until about six months ago. Paris was debating them until a year before, so it's the nature of the beast that the OCOG [Organising Committee for the Olympic Games] will have to very much be nimble on creating alternatives in case some of these venues don't work out.' Liveris said the delivery plan handed down by the state government in March solved '80-to-90 per cent' of venue issues and while the committee was 'working to make Rocky work' it would have to also consider contingencies should World Rowing and the International Canoe Federation deem the Fitzroy River course unsuitable. 'The idea that it may not turn out is a very big debated subject, because GIICA came out with Penrith,' he said, referring to the Games Independent Infrastructure and Co-ordination Authority's recommendation in its 100-day review to host rowing in western Sydney. 'But this government in particular – and I understand why – says, 'no, I want it in Queensland'. 'And you've got [Gold Coast] Mayor [Tom] Tate talking about Hinze Dam, and you've got all sorts of possibilities.
The Age
5 minutes ago
- Sport
- The Age
New Olympics board will consider rowing alternatives
Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games organisers will explore contingencies should the governing bodies for rowing and canoe events decide the planned Fitzroy River course in Rockhampton is unsuitable for competition. The revelation from Brisbane 2032 president Andrew Liveris came as he prepared to host the first meeting of the new, paired-back organising committee board in the city's CBD on Thursday. 'It's amazing how, a year ago, we were arguing about stadiums and what would happen with the stadium, and now we seem to be arguing and having this conversation on rowing – we're always going to have something,' he told this masthead. 'I'd like to remind everyone that LA was still debating venues until about six months ago. Paris was debating them until a year before, so it's the nature of the beast that the OCOG [Organising Committee for the Olympic Games] will have to very much be nimble on creating alternatives in case some of these venues don't work out.' Liveris said the delivery plan handed down by the state government in March solved '80-to-90 per cent' of venue issues and while the committee was 'working to make Rocky work' it would have to also consider contingencies should World Rowing and the International Canoe Federation deem the Fitzroy River course unsuitable. 'The idea that it may not turn out is a very big debated subject, because GIICA came out with Penrith,' he said, referring to the Games Independent Infrastructure and Co-ordination Authority's recommendation in its 100-day review to host rowing in western Sydney. 'But this government in particular – and I understand why – says, 'no, I want it in Queensland'. 'And you've got [Gold Coast] Mayor [Tom] Tate talking about Hinze Dam, and you've got all sorts of possibilities.
Reuters
21 hours ago
- Sport
- Reuters
Brisbane 2032 on track but with little wiggle room seven years out
BRISBANE, July 23 (Reuters) - Andrew Liveris is happy with the progress organisers of the 2032 Brisbane Olympics have made so far but concedes they will have little wiggle room if they experience delays while implementing the plans they have been working on for the last three years. The opening ceremony of Australia's third Summer Games will take place exactly seven years from Wednesday, the same period of time that most host cities in the modern era have had from winning the bid to staging the Olympics. Under the International Olympic Committee's New Norm policy, however, Brisbane won hosting rights in 2021 only for political wrangling over the venues to delay the decision on the final plans until March this year. "The venues got a lot of noise," Liveris, president of the Brisbane Organising Committee for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, told Reuters this week. "The political body was disagreeing on a couple of very big ones and that didn't help, but they got that out of the way and frankly, seven years to go, we have our plans, and I'm happy with where we are ... "Seven years is enough time, but we don't have a lot of wiggle room." Liveris is cautious about what impact global economic changes and trends over the next few years might have on the budgets and timelines for the main venue construction projects. "With 84% of our venues being existing or temporary, we're mostly in good shape," he added. "But the 16% includes the stadium, includes the aquatic centre, it includes a few very important venues. That would be the biggest challenge we have." There was little evidence around the city this week that the world's biggest sporting event was coming to southeast Queensland in seven years' time. At the Centenary Pool, which will be redeveloped to host aquatic events in 2032, mainly elderly club amateurs swam laps, read newspapers and sipped coffee in the winter sunshine. Across a footbridge where the main 63,000-seater stadium for the Games will be built, the larger part of Victoria Park remained a green preserve of dog walkers, picnickers and school sports lessons. The decision to construct the two biggest new venues in a heritage-listed city centre park with special significance for the local indigenous Turrbal and Yugara peoples has triggered fierce local opposition. The Save Victoria Park campaign, which has been raising money for a legal challenge, maintains that the stadium plan goes directly against bid commitments on sustainability and First Nations rights. "It's not that we're anti-Olympics or anti-stadium, it's just that we don't believe this is a suitable site," spokesperson Andrea Lunt told Reuters. "It's going to concrete over this gorgeous, pristine parkland for an Olympics that is supposed to be sustainable." The Queensland state government last month enacted legislation to exempt the Olympic building projects from normal planning rules but Liveris said the concerns of the campaigners would still be addressed. "I'm not saying that they won't be heard," he said. "Everyone's going to get some accommodation, and the government's going to have to be seen to be saying, 'okay, we understand the concerns, here's how we're going to mitigate them'." Liveris went to school and university in Brisbane before building a highly successful career around the world with multinational corporation Dow Chemicals, which he served as chairman and chief executive for 14 years. While the 71-year-old has overseen multi-billion dollar projects before, his current role also involves work that can be less easily managed with spreadsheets and a firm hand. Near the top of his in-tray is how to engender the enthusiasm of the people in Australia's fastest growing region for the Olympics. Liveris said Brisbane had learned a lot from how Paris went about engaging its people for the 2024 Olympics and thought the excitement would grow as the benefits of the Games became more evident. "What Queensland is going through, southeast Queensland in particular, is growing pains," he said. "I think a lot of people want to see better infrastructure, want to see their lives getting better. And I think this is where the Olympics can enable that by accelerating that infrastructure." Liveris was recently re-appointed for another four-year term as president of the organising committee and said, health permitting, he was keen to keep going all the way to July 23, 2032. "People around me know I'm pretty high energy, I'm pretty high enthusiasm and caffeine is a really good fuel," he laughed. "I'm treating this like it's the whole way, and we'll see where it takes me. But right now, I'm going to get this job done that's my mission."
Japan Times
a day ago
- Sport
- Japan Times
Brisbane 2032 Olympics on track seven years out but with little wiggle room
Andrew Liveris is happy with the progress organizers of the 2032 Brisbane Olympics have made so far but concedes they will have little wiggle room if they experience delays while implementing the plans they have been working on for the last three years. The opening ceremony of Australia's third Summer Games will take place exactly seven years from Wednesday, the same period of time that most host cities in the modern era have had from winning the bid to staging the Olympics. Under the International Olympic Committee's New Norm policy, however, Brisbane won hosting rights in 2021 only for political wrangling over the venues to delay the decision on the final plans until March this year. "The venues got a lot of noise," Liveris, president of the Brisbane Organising Committee for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, said this week. "The political body was disagreeing on a couple of very big ones and that didn't help, but they got that out of the way and frankly, seven years to go, we have our plans, and I'm happy with where we are. "Seven years is enough time, but we don't have a lot of wiggle room." Liveris is cautious about what impact global economic changes and trends over the next few years might have on the budgets and timelines for the main venue construction projects. "With 84% of our venues being existing or temporary, we're mostly in good shape," he added. "But the 16% includes the stadium, includes the aquatic center, it includes a few very important venues. That would be the biggest challenge we have." A man walks at Victoria Park-Barrambin, where the main stadium will be built for the 2032 Olympics, in Brisbane on Monday. | Reuters There was little evidence around the city this week that the world's biggest sporting event was coming to southeast Queensland in seven years' time. At the Centenary Pool, which will be redeveloped to host aquatic events in 2032, mainly elderly club amateurs swam laps, read newspapers and sipped coffee in the winter sunshine. Across a footbridge where the main 63,000-seater stadium for the Games will be built, the larger part of Victoria Park remained a green preserve of dog walkers, picnickers and school sports lessons. The decision to construct the two biggest new venues in a heritage-listed city center park with special significance for the local indigenous Turrbal and Yugara peoples has triggered fierce local opposition. The Save Victoria Park campaign, which has been raising money for a legal challenge, maintains that the stadium plan goes directly against bid commitments on sustainability and First Nations rights. "It's not that we're anti-Olympics or anti-stadium, it's just that we don't believe this is a suitable site," spokesperson Andrea Lunt said. "It's going to concrete over this gorgeous, pristine parkland for an Olympics that is supposed to be sustainable." The Queensland state government last month enacted legislation to exempt the Olympic building projects from normal planning rules but Liveris said the concerns of the campaigners would still be addressed. "I'm not saying that they won't be heard," he said. "Everyone's going to get some accommodation, and the government's going to have to be seen to be saying, 'okay, we understand the concerns, here's how we're going to mitigate them.'" A poster, advertising a gathering in support of a campaign against the building of a stadium in Victoria Park-Barrambin, is displayed on a pole in the Brisbane park on Monday. | Reuters Liveris went to school and university in Brisbane before building a highly successful career around the world with multinational corporation Dow Chemicals, at which he served as chairman and chief executive for 14 years. While the 71-year-old has overseen multibillion dollar projects before, his current role also involves work that can be less easily managed with spreadsheets and a firm hand. Near the top of his in-tray is how to engender the enthusiasm of the people in Australia's fastest growing region for the Olympics. Liveris said Brisbane had learned a lot from how Paris went about engaging its people for the 2024 Olympics and thought the excitement would grow as the benefits of the Games became more evident. "What Queensland is going through, southeast Queensland in particular, is growing pains," he said. "I think a lot of people want to see better infrastructure, want to see their lives getting better. And I think this is where the Olympics can enable that by accelerating that infrastructure." Liveris was recently reappointed for another four-year term as president of the organizing committee and said, health permitting, he was keen to keep going all the way to July 23, 2032. "People around me know I'm pretty high energy, I'm pretty high enthusiasm and caffeine is a really good fuel," he laughed. "I'm treating this like it's the whole way, and we'll see where it takes me. But right now, I'm going to get this job done, that's my mission."
SBS Australia
a day ago
- Politics
- SBS Australia
NITV Radio Full - 23/07/2025
In the News, A group of One Nation senators has drawn sharp criticism after turning their backs during an Acknowledgement of Country in the Senate chamber during the ceremonial opening of parliament. A man has been charged with violence and weapons offences after a woman was speared in the head at a remote island community and flown to a Darwin hospital. A new report has estimated the Brisbane 2032 Olympics and Paralympic Games to generate more than $70 billion dollars into the country's national economy. And, NITV Radio speak with GO Foundation alumni Dana Patterson about data sovereignty and current scholar Patricia Bennetts about her upcoming studies. That and more on NITV Radio.
