- Brisbane 2032 Olympics boss Andrew Liveris was not happy
- Responded to claims that Queensland’s capital is a ‘hillbilly town’
- First photo of Brisbane’s planned Olympic stadium draws widespread criticism
Brisbane 2032 Olympics chairman Andrew Liveris has hit back at claims that the Queensland capital is a backward ‘hillbilly town’, saying he is confident the city can host a spectacular Games in eight years’ time.
This follows the first photo of Brisbane’s planned Olympic stadium, which was unveiled on Tuesday, which was quickly criticised for looking too small and unimpressive.
Speaking in Paris after his presentation to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Liveris admitted that not everyone in Brisbane is enthusiastic about hosting the Games.
He said most of the negativity stemmed from the government’s decision not to rebuild the Gabba, an iconic sporting venue in Brisbane.
Liveris then urged Queensland politicians to keep their promises and not change their plans in the run-up to the Games.
‘Please stop making the Olympics a political football… this [hosting] “This is a gift, this is a great gift,” he said.
‘Brisbane is not a hillbilly town… it’s not that strange place up north. It’s very cosmopolitan.’
Liveris praised Premier Steven Miles and Opposition Leader David Crisafulli for their “focus on delivering a Games for regional Queensland” and confirmed the IOC was pleased with the organising committee’s progress.
Brisbane 2032 Olympics chairman Andrew Liveris has responded to claims that the Queensland capital is a ‘hillbilly town’ (pictured is an aerial view of the CBD)
This comes after the first image of Brisbane’s planned Olympic stadium was revealed on Tuesday – and quickly drew widespread criticism (pictured)
Meanwhile, sports fans were left stunned after the opening of the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre (QSAC).
If the result is not good, the Olympic stadium will only have a capacity of 40,000 spectators. After the Games, the capacity will be reduced to 14,000.
The first reactions came in March when the QSAC was chosen as the main venue for the Olympic Games, formally cancelling the planned $2.7 billion renovation of the Gabba.
In choosing the QSAC, Premier Steven Miles rejected the key recommendation of the Olympic venues study he commissioned to determine the best location for the main stadium, the Brisbane Times reported.
Graham Quirk led the study and recommended building a new stadium in Victoria Park, just 2km from the CBD, at an estimated cost of $3.4 billion.
Instead, Miles brazenly announced that QSAC would be the site of the Olympic stadium.
In response to a federal inquiry into Brisbane’s suitability for hosting the Games, the Queensland Government confirmed that the $2.7 billion set to be spent on rebuilding the Gabba will now also be spent on QSAC and two other sporting venues.
The Brisbane Olympic Games will be held from 23 July to 8 August 2032.