By Ian Jobling
Fairfax MP Ted O’Brien hosted a gathering last week of more than 100 to discuss the formation of a Sunshine Coast 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Taskforce.
On 21 July the IOC awarded Brisbane and surrounding regions the 2032 Games and Ted O’Brien, as the Prime Minister’s representative for the Games, was a member of the bidding group.
Mr O’Brien, who was in ‘lockdown’ in Canberra due to Covid-19, spoke by video link to the audience gathered at the Maroochydore Surf Club on 17 August about a local taskforce on the Sunshine Coast to promote and coordinate local opportunities associated with the 2032 Games.
Kevan Gosper, a Noosa resident, 1956 Olympian, and former President of the Australian in Olympic Committee and Vice-President of the IOC, was one of several speakers who endorsed the ideas and enthusiasm Mr O’Brien had addressed via the big screen. It was encouraging that several Olympians (Alana Boyd, Barry Cheales, Benny Pike, and Larry Sengstock) joined many other persons associated with sport from the regions along the coast from Caloundra to Noosa Heads and the hinterland. Noosa Mayor Clare Stewart, and the Noosa MP Sandy Bolton, were also present.
A key aim of the meeting was for a group of like-minded people from across the region to come together to meet and discuss the ‘why’ (the mission), the ‘what’ (terms of reference), the ‘who’ (the people and organisations) and the ‘how’ and ‘when’ (the next steps) for the establishment of a taskforce. This was facilitated for much of the time when the nine persons seated at the 12 round tables addressed each of the above matters and responded to the entire audience the principal ideas and recommendations.
