Three of the five planned Olympic venues on the Sunshine Coast are under a cloud amid a review of the 2032 Games infrastructure, but a local sports identity believes the facilities would deliver enormous benefits to the region.
Premier Stephen Miles last month announced the start of a 60-day analysis of facilities proposed for the Olympics and Paralympics, which will be staged mainly in Brisbane with events on the Gold and Sunshine coasts and other regional cities.
The review includes scrutiny of major sports venues the Gabba and Brisbane Arena, and new and upgraded minor sports venues, to ensure they will deliver value for money and community benefit.
Findings of the review, which is being led by former Brisbane mayor Graham Quirk, will be delivered to the state government on March 18.
A spokesperson for the Department of Infrastructure said the study was essentially focused on determining whether the venues would be worth it.
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Games infrastructure is estimated to be worth about $7 billion.
“The review will assist the government in assessing infrastructure investments to be made against key criteria, including value for money, fit-for-purpose, deliverability and community legacy,” they said.
Premier Miles said last month that he was concerned about expenses.
“I’m hopeful this independent review process, this fresh set of eyes … can come back to us with options … that is better value for money,” he said.
The assessment includes three planned Sunshine Coast venues: a new Sunshine Coast Indoor Sports Centre and an upgraded Sunshine Coast Stadium, within the same complex at Kawana, and a new Sunshine Coast Mountain Bike Centre at Parklands. They are undergoing a Project Validation Report.
The review casts some doubt about whether the Sunshine Coast will be able to host basketball preliminaries, football preliminaries and mountain biking events.
But at least some events appear to be locked in to the region because the review will not consider temporary sports venues, which are planned for Alexandra Headland to accommodate the marathon, race walk, road cycling and kiteboarding.
And some of the globe’s best athletes will almost certainly call the region home during the event, because the review does not consider athlete villages. The current master plan includes a satellite village within the Maroochydore city centre.
When asked how likely it was that the Coast’s indoor centre, stadium and mountain bike precinct would become reality and how much it could cost, the spokesperson said: “The government will not be pre-empting the outcomes of the independent review.”
Former Paralympian and Sunshine Coast Games Legacy Plan Community Reference Group chair Bridie Kean said she could understand why a review was implemented, but she said was hopeful the local venues would be given the all-clear.
She said there were strong plans in place for the local facilities and she said they would be important for the growing region for years to come.
“I welcome a review because it’s a huge investment and it makes sense to continually ensure that it is meeting the purpose,” she said.
“I wouldn’t want to speculate on what the outcome would be (but) the Coast venues have gone through a rigorous process.
“I’m really impressed at how they have been planned around a legacy and what the community needs.”
“I think they will deliver so much, particularly in terms of accessibility for people with disabilities, who will be able to access more venues to participate in more sport.
“I’m hopeful of a great outcome.”
Dr Kean, a lecturer in public health at the University of the Sunshine Coast, said the fast-growing region needed more suitable sports facilities.
“We’re a community that loves to be active and, as we grow, we want to see our kids have as many opportunities to be active as possible, and for that we need venues,” she said.
Dr Kean, who won medals in wheelchair basketball at two Paralympics, was particularly excited by the prospect of the new Sunshine Coast Indoor Sports Centre.
“It’s really exciting to see the potential for more team sports (in the region),” she said.
She also believed the venues would provide a much-needed boost for people with special needs.
“We need opportunities for people with disabilities to be able to be active,” she said.
“To create these venues that will have accessibility at the forefront, and be barrier-free and enable programs to operate for people with disabilities, is something we need if we want to a community where as many people as possible are able to be involved in physical activity.
“It’s important we grow as a community, and Australia has a high number of people with disabilities, so we really need to have accessible venues.”
Dr Kean, who was involved in the bid process for the 2032 Games, last year helped establish a legacy plan with key community members and Sunshine Coast Council, for the region and South-East Queensland. Inclusivity was highlighted in the plan.
She hopes the group can continue to play a key role and contribute to the legacy plan becoming a reality
Planned Sunshine Coast Olympic and Paralympic venues
Sunshine Coast Indoor Sports Centre: Proposed for Olympic basketball preliminaries, the 6000-seat facility would be located within the Kawana Sports Precinct and would be suitable for a range of indoor sports and community uses before and after 2032. The centre would have 11 courts and multifunctional areas.
Sunshine Coast Stadium: Proposed for Olympic football preliminaries, the stadium is a multi-sport venue within the Kawana Sports Precinct that would be upgraded with more seating and improved facilities. It can accommodate about 10,000 spectators now but could be expanded to cater for 20,000 people.
Sunshine Coast Mountain Bike Centre: Proposed for Olympic mountain biking, a new facility near the existing trails at Parklands would be expected to cater for rapidly growing demand for nature trails and nature-based recreational activities.
Alexandra Headland: Proposed for the Olympic marathon, race walk, road cycling and kiteboarding, the coastal area is a popular recreational spot for people who want to enjoy a range of recreational and lifestyle activities.
Sunshine Coast Satellite Athlete Village: The new facility will be delivered as part of the already-planned Maroochydore city centre. About 1400 athletes and officials will likely be the first to use the new facilities in 2032 and after the event, the village will provide about 350 permanent dwellings.
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