Logan City Council will join the Gold Coast and not put any money into the 2028 Olympic Games South-East Queensland feasibility study.
It will likely leave remaining councils with larger bills for the $2.5 million work.
Redland City has been keen about this project, with Mayor Karen Williams saying the district will share in the benefits should south east Queensland bid for the games. She has pushed the angle that such a project will bring upgraded infrastructure.
Logan Mayor Luke Smith has been far more cautious in regard to stumping up about $200,000 in ratepayers’ money. He says it comes without any guarantees that a successful bid would deliver infrastructure.
It’s a warning that should be ringing loudly in Redlands councillors’ ears.
Smith went further, putting it on the line about the perceived benefits of putting on these expensive sporting events, saying that presenting an Olympics costs governments far more than they get back.
He would not have had to look too far to come to this conclusion. The games just held in Rio de Janeiro were estimated to cost $3 billion to set up. The final bill came in at $4.6 billion, roughly 50 per cent over budget.
This over-run is minor compared with some of the spectacular, Olympic-proportion economic snafus that have seen nations paying down debt for years afterwards.
In fact, many major cities have bowed out of games bids, citing rapidly escalating costs as not worth it. There is almost a sense that at last ego is being taken out of Olympics decision making in these countries.
Back to lowly Logan City. City treasurer Trevina Schwarz says there has been no indication from the state or federal governments that they back the idea. Cr Jon Raven also notes that the bid is more about Brisbane than south-east Queensland.
Cr Williams says that even if bid studies are not progressed to the next stage, they will deliver things like a people mass movement review and a look at sporting and performing arts venues, all of which will be of value.
Major events like World Expos, Olympics and Commonwealth Games no doubt have some PR, marketing and infrastructure benefits.
They particularly seem to lead to better transport options being provided mainly in close proximity to stadiums and so on.
Nevertheless, it is time that all civic leaders take a hard-nosed look at these things. Maybe the better option is to spend this money directly on infrastructure.
