Enabling the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games

The Council of Mayors (SEQ) has led the investigation into a potential 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games in South East Queensland since 2015. The region’s mayors initiated the investigation because they saw an opportunity to use the Games as a catalyst for the delivery of critical transport infrastructure to support the anticipated growth of the region.
A feasibility study commissioned by the Council of Mayors (SEQ) to assess South East Queensland’s (SEQ) ability to successfully host the 2032 Olympic Games has indicated the region has the potential to mount a competitive bid based on the use of existing and planned facilities to keep costs at a minimum.

The Council of Mayors (SEQ) has led the investigation into a potential 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games in South East Queensland since 2015. The region’s mayors initiated the investigation because they saw an opportunity to use the Games as a catalyst for the delivery of critical transport infrastructure to support the anticipated growth of the region. 

A similar effect was seen in the lead up to the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. While Gold Coast Light Rail had been a project in planning since the mid-1990s, its inclusion in the Gold Coast’s bid for the Commonwealth Games and the motivation of an immoveable deadline ensured the project was delivered well ahead of the global event. 

As part of the investigations into the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Council of Mayors (SEQ) delivered a pre-feasibility study in 2016 and in 2019 released a feasibility study into the region’s capability to host the world’s biggest sporting event. 

These studies demonstrated the region was well placed to deliver a cost-effective Games through its stock of existing and planned venues. However, more planning was needed to ensure South East Queensland’s transport system could manage the additional load the 2032 Games would add to the network. 

The findings of the Olympic Feasibility Study made it clear that an integrated and enhanced regional transport network would be foundational in order to successfully secure and host the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. 

Specifically, the Study cited a suite of projects that would be critical for the delivery of a potential Olympic Games. These projects included the Brisbane Metro, Cross River Rail, the Sunshine Coast Mass Transit System, the extension of Gold Coast Light Rail, and a South East Queensland Fast Rail Network. 

The Council of Mayors’ (SEQ) proposal to host the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games has since secured the support of the Commonwealth Government. On 9th December 2019, the Queensland Government committed to bid for the 2032 Olympics.

The assessment concluded that the Games could:

  • Create 130,000 jobs,
  • Accelerate the development of infrastructure in SEQ,
  • Boost tourism spending,
  • Deliver up to $8.6 billion in new trade opportunities,
  • Deliver procurement supply chain opportunities for businesses throughout Queensland.

 The transport task of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games 

As the world’s biggest sporting event, the Olympic and Paralympic Games can attract in excess of 500,000 international visitors. When added to the large workforce needed to support the Games, it presents an immense transport challenge for any potential host. 

In South East Queensland, this transport challenge is amplified as the region’s transport infrastructure struggles to manage population growth. This lack of regional connectivity to facilitate the movement of spectators and workforce poses a threat to a successful 2032 Games proposal. 

Currently, residents in South East Queensland depend heavily on private vehicles for all types of trips. In Brisbane, only 10 percent of daily trips are completed using public transport. The modal share of public transport is even less on the Gold Coast (less than 7 percent) and the Sunshine Coast (less than 2 percent). 

The SEQ People Mass Movement Study shows that these figures will not change considerably by 2032, unless bold decisions are made about South East Queensland’s transport planning. 

Based on current transport planning, the task of serving the workforce and spectator transport demand for a 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games is a challenging one. This is due to the low use of public transport and supporting infrastructure across the region versus the relatively high surge in daily Games demand. 

For host cities with efficient and well utilised public transport systems, such as London and Rio, the daily Games surge compared to the regular daily transport demand is low. For London during the 2012 Games it was 16 percent, and for Rio in 2016 it was just 12 percent. 

Peak surge in public transport trips

Given South East Queensland’s low public transport base, the daily 2032 Games surge is forecast to be 75 percent greater than regular daily usage (based on current transport planning). This represents a total of 3,040,000 trips per day (1,300,000 Games trips plus the daily loads of 1,740,000 trips). 

This is a significant surge on the region’s public transport network and represents a weakness in South East Queensland’s bid to host the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Investment in the public transport network is required to increase usage for both a successful Games and, more importantly, to support the future growth of the region. 

The solution to this challenge is the delivery of fast regional connectivity that gets people out of their cars and onto public transport. By boosting capacity in the region’s transport network, this will ease the surge of transport demand during Games times and mitigate the risk to a successful 2032 proposal. 

While primarily proposed as a solution for population growth and congestion, a South East Queensland Fast Rail Network would provide an ideal solution for the 2032 Games – connecting Brisbane to the Sunshine and Gold Coasts and the western corridor, and efficiently moving spectators and workforce throughout the region.

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