source : the age
The Queensland premier and his deputy have made a public show of force in Rockhampton to insist the Fitzroy River will host rowing events in 2032, after the sport’s world governing body cast doubt on its suitability to host Olympic competition.
International rowing federations expressed scepticism of the plan during the World Rowing congress last week, which led to president Jean-Christophe Rolland to concede the governing body held concerns about the proposed venue.
Standing near the banks of the Fitzroy River, Premier David Crisafulli said course testing was ongoing and he was confident it would get the “right result” for Olympic competition in 2032.
“Every so-called impediment that’s been put up has been dismissed by the people who live it and breathe and can understand it best,” he said.
“This is the last hurrah of people trying to find ways to, quite frankly, discredit something that makes a hell of a lot of sense, and we’re not for turning on this.”
Crisafulli said Olympic rowing would be held in Rockhampton, “no ifs, no buts” – but there was a “but”.
As QRowunion chairman Gary Merritt pointed out, the determination of whether the Fitzroy River was suitable for Olympic competition remained in the hands of World Rowing and the International Olympic Committee.
“It is a case of who’s going to blink first,” Merritt said.
Referring to the City of Moreton Bay’s proposal for a purpose-built venue at an old quarry in Lawnton, Merritt said there was a “cheaper, better option” that would give more rowers a real legacy from the Olympic Games.
“We’re going to spend all this money on a course in Rocky and, when the Olympics are over, there’s 150 people there who will use it – it’s not like we can take all of our big regattas up to Rocky. It’s just not going to happen,” he said.
“It’s just going to be a huge white elephant and, in years to come, people are going to go, ‘What a waste of money that was.’”
But Merritt conceded rowing had missed the boat in not being able to present a fully formed proposal for the Moreton Bay facility in time for the Games Independent Infrastructure and Coordination Authority’s 100-day review.
“We have to take some responsibility,” he said.
“But having owned up to the fact that we didn’t have everything prepared as we should have, we’re now at a stage where we’re saying we can rescue the situation, but there’s just been no openness or any attempt to scrutinise what’s possible.”
If GIICA considered the Moreton Bay site, it did not rate a mention in its review.
Rockhampton was considered, but GIICA rejected it as an option due to its “insufficient space for field of play and warm-up, inadequate onshore space and access road upgrade requirements, as well as limited accommodation options for athletes and officials”.
On the accommodation question, Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie said Olympic rowing would be the catalyst for more supply in the central Queensland city.
“With the accommodation, that’s a temporary overlay for the athletes’ village to house 1200 athletes – we’re in the process of working that out with [the Brisbane 2032 Organising Committee] and also GIICA,” he said.
“We’re looking also at land activation programs, which is state-owned land, and how we can get houses on it, [and] hotel opportunities.
“There’s a need for hotels right across regional Queensland – so many people are wanting to move and visit regional Queensland, so we need all that.”
Arguments against Rockhampton have ranged from its distance from the main Olympic hub in Brisbane, to an unfair field of play, and even the potential for crocodiles.
In Rowing Queensland’s safety management plan for this month’s Queensland Schools’ Championship Regatta on the river, there are contingencies for crocodile sightings.
“Upon receiving a ‘Crocodile Crocodile Crocodile’ call the following steps are to be carried out as quickly as possible,” the plans says.
“Establish the nature of the emergency; Inform regatta control of sighting and location; Racing to be suspended; Competitors instructed to return to the bank; Officials ensure all boats are removed from the water.”
The sighting would also be reported to the Queensland government and racing would be suspended until organisers were satisfied there was no risk.
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