Sunshine Coast Council Mayor Mark Jamieson was delighted with the announcement last week by the International Olympic Committee of the preferred host for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Mayor Jamieson – who on 30 April 2015 along with then Lord Mayor Graham Quirk were the first government representatives to meet with IOC President Thomas Bach to discuss the potential to host the games in south east Queensland – said it had been a rollercoaster journey to get to this point, but we are not over the line yet.
“When IOC President Bach and Australian Olympic Committee President John Coates met with Graham Quirk and myself as the delegates of the Council of Mayors (SEQ) in Sydney on 30 April 2015, he was incredibly impressed with the SEQ story and the power of Mayors and councils working together for the advancement of their communities,” Mayor Jamieson said.
“Bringing the federal and state governments to the table in 2019 has only served to add to our momentum and the inherent value of what can be realised when the three tiers of government work together productively is what has helped achieve the milestone we have reached today.
“As we now push our way through the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, the potential to host the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games can become a powerful tool in south east Queensland’s economic resurgence and deliver an incredible boost to our tourism industry when it needs it the most – along with many other industries that will be important contributors to the Games supply chain.
“Likewise, in order to get our candidature over the line, all tiers of government will need to be able to demonstrate we are infrastructure-ready to host an Olympic and Paralympic Games event.
“Which is why as the Council of Mayors (SEQ), we have always remained steadfast on the principle that securing the Games should accelerate investment in critical infrastructure for the south-east, leaving a lasting legacy for Queensland.
“In this next phase of the process, we will work hard with State and Federal governments and the IOC to demonstrate our ability to host an outstanding Olympic and Paralympic Games experience as well as showcase the significant legacy opportunities for our communities in doing so.
“The IOC’s “New Norm” approach makes it much cheaper and easier for host candidates to demonstrate their credentials as a potential host and our intention is to do this responsibly – but at the same time, put our best put forward so we can land this once in a lifetime opportunity for our region.
“For me personally, our Council’s commitment to supporting the candidature for hosting the Games has always been about the infrastructure, investment and tourism opportunities this will deliver for our Sunshine Coast, which will be an important location as part of the overall Games plan.
“We are being handed this incredible opportunity with this morning’s decision by the IOC and I know that our Council will do its utmost to ensure our Sunshine Coast is well positioned in the final proposals that go to the IOC to make their decision.
“It is too early to speculate on what Games events might be allocated to the Sunshine Coast and I am not going to fuel that speculation, because we have a lot of work to do in the coming months to demonstrate to the IOC what we can deliver as part of an overall final proposal.
“It is my intention however that, just as the Sunshine Coast played a leading role on Day 1 on 30 April 2015, so we will be doing so if we succeed in securing the Games for 2032.”
