Renewed Efforts to Replace Birkdale with Penrith Whitewater Stadium for 2032 Brisbane Olympics Canoe Slalom
Public submissions to a senate inquiry evaluating Australia’s readiness to host the Olympic, Paralympic, and Commonwealth Games have included pleas for a venue change. Advocates are pushing for Penrith Whitewater Stadium to be selected over Birkdale as the host venue for canoe slalom events. In response to critics, Cr Rowanne McKenzie has defended the facility, emphasising that those predicting its failure lack the necessary “entrepreneurial vision.”
Lavinia Wood, the Community Alliance for Responsible Planning Redlands spokesperson, urges the government to allocate the hosting rights to Penrith Whitewater Stadium instead. Wood’s parliamentary petition has garnered over 1200 signatures within two weeks, highlighting concerns about the financial burden Olympic venues impose on host nations. In four senate submissions, references to the proposed whitewater facility at the 62-hectare Birkdale Community Precinct were met with rejection, citing environmental impact, substantial costs to ratepayers, inadequate public transport options, conflicts with the International Olympic Committee’s policies, and a lack of transparency regarding long-term expenses.
While the state and federal governments have allocated funding for the Birkdale facility, the ongoing maintenance responsibility falls on Redland City Council. Wood’s petition emphasises the importance of utilising existing sports infrastructure, referring to the IOC’s New Norm policy. Despite the venue agreement between the state government, Redland City Council, and the IOC, Wood continues to advocate for Penrith Whitewater Stadium, constructed for the Sydney 2000 Games.
Councilor Rowanne McKenzie directed Wood’s attention to a public engagement report indicating that nearly 70 per cent of respondents supported the inclusion of a Recreation and Sports Hub in the Birkdale Community Precinct. McKenzie asserts that the Redland Whitewater Centre will prioritise community participation before converting into a Games competition venue, aligning with the IOC’s sustainability policies. She criticises those who dismiss the potential of the Redland Resilience Training and Whitewater Centre, suggesting a lack of theoretical perspective for the Birkdale Community Precinct.
In submitting the inquiry, Peter Wear questions the need to invest public funds in a whitewater venue in Redlands when the ready-to-use Penrith facility already exists. Capalaba MP Don Brown anticipates that the whitewater facility will become a prominent issue in the upcoming council election. Brown acknowledges the differing opinions within the community but emphasises that the ultimate decision rests with the council.
Click here to read the petition.
Source: Redland City News
