Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is pushing for a 50/50 funding split with the federal government to host the potential 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games.
The operating costs for an Olympic Games is about AUS$4.5 billion (US$3.45 billion), with the IOC contributing AUS$2.5 billion (US$1.94billion), approximately AUS$1 billion (US$777.5 million) from national sponsorship, and AUS$1 billion in ticketing, according to John Coates, the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) Chief who notes that the Brisbane Games are expected to be much cheaper thanks to the IOC’s new requirements for host cities to use existing infrastructure where possible.
“That’s enough to pay for both the Olympic and the Paralympic Games without any call on the state or federal or local governments,” Coates said.
“We’re asking for a 50/50 split [in funding] when it comes to what’s required for the Olympics,” Palaszczuk said, confirming that the state is negotiating with the federal government about the upgrade.
“We are actually going to lift this stadium,” she said. “There will not be a bad seat in the house.”
Rod McGeoch, the head of Sydney’s Olympics bid, told The Australian that the NSW government took on most of the infrastructure burden for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.
“That didn’t happen in Sydney,” McGeoch said, referring to Palaszczuk’s request of a half and half funding split.
While Prime Minister Morrison has yet to respond to the Queensland premier, McGeoch said that Morrison’s background in tourism would make him recognize these activities benefit the whole nation.
“(The federal government has) given money to bids and conventions,” he told The Australian. “Whether she (Palaszczuk) can twist him (Morrison) into half, God only knows.”