The Redland City Council has undertaken a surprising marketing manoeuvre by renaming its initial proposal for a whitewater facility intended for the 2032 Olympics as the Redlands Resilience Training Centre (RRTC). However, the question arises as to why a relatively small council with an unremarkable track record in property development and swimming pool management would believe it can effectively handle a financially demanding and precarious new venture within a specialised market typically overseen by state or national governments.
Reclassifying the Whitewater facility as a rescue organisation training centre instead of an Olympic Games venue enhances its status and positions it as a crucial, capital-intensive infrastructure for emergency services. Such responsibilities should ideally fall under the purview of State governments, leveraging their substantial tax revenue base to finance the overall cost of ownership, including capital investment, operational expenses, and maintenance funding for public assets of this nature.
Considering that the purpose of the Rescue Organisation Training Center (RRTC) is to address a critical gap in emergency services rescue training infrastructure at a national and Asia-Pacific level, it raises the question as to why this need has not been acknowledged within the Australian government’s Disaster Management or Foreign Aid programs.
The RRTC appears to have been an afterthought compared to the initial funding arrangements made by the State and Federal governments for constructing an artificial whitewater facility intended for hosting Olympic canoe-slalom events.
