Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Venue

Rowing Queensland acknowledge the announcements made at today’s public launch of the Brisbane 2032 Delivery Plan as well as the public release of the 100 day Review Report.

Rowing Queensland identify the following observations from the 100-day review report:

• The review board assessed the following locations:
• Lake Wyaralong, Scenic Rim
• Hinze Dam, Gold Coast
• Coomera/Oxenford, Gold Coast
• Lake Kurwongbah, Moreton Bay
• Lake Wivenhoe, Somerset
• Fitzroy River, Rockhampton
• Sydney International Regatta Centre, SIRC
• While the delivery of flatwater events at Wyaralong Dam is considered feasible, the construction and associated costs of the venue do not present value for money or a strong legacy argument, particularly considering the costs to develop a satellite athlete village in close proximity to the venue.
• Other locations for Games flatwater events in Queensland are not considered feasible and present considerable delivery and operational challenges.
• Sydney International Regatta Centre presents a feasible, fit-for-purpose alternative with a viable temporary accommodation solution, without the requirement for significant capital

The 100-Day Review Board recommended that:

1. The Wyaralong Flatwater Centre upgrade and the associated temporary Athletes Village project at Kooralbyn do not proceed.
2. The Games flatwater competition be hosted at the Sydney International Regatta Centre (SIRC).
3. An allocation of funding be made to enable upgrades to the Wyaralong and Rockhampton rowing facilities to deliver a positive legacy outcome for the two primary rowing training and competition venues in the state.

While we agree with the Queensland Government’s decision to reject the move to Sydney, Rowing Queensland remains concerned about their decision to select the Fitzroy River in Rockhampton as the host location without proper consultation with the peak sporting bodies and a detailed assessment for this specific venue selection. 

Our concerns are:

• To date, no information has been provided to the sport from the State Government or the 100-day review panel relating to a proposed course on the Fitzroy River.
• To Rowing Queensland’s knowledge, there have been no feasibility studies conducted for the proposed course, no budgets established, nor any designs created.
• The 100 Day Review report indicated that the proposal from the Rockhampton Regional Council was not progressed on the bases of insufficient space for field of play and warm-up, inadequate onshore space and access road upgrade requirements, as well as limited accommodation options for athletes and officials.

The decision to select Rockhampton has come as a shock for Rowing Queensland amid the detailed planning and assessment that has already taken place for 11 other venues in South-East Queensland over the past two years, carried out by State Government and many Brisbane 2032 stakeholders. 

While Rowing Queensland understands the need to balance Games infrastructure with broader regional development, we believe this decision presents significant challenges for rowing.

Equally concerning is the venue’s long-term legacy potential. One of the key commitments of Brisbane 2032 is to create lasting infrastructure that will serve athletes and communities well beyond the Games.

Unfortunately, Rockhampton’s geographic distance from the main metro areas of Queensland raises serious questions about the venue’s ability to provide meaningful post-Games benefits, as Rockhampton only serves 4% of the total State Rowing population holding only 4 events per year.

Rowing Queensland advocates for a competition venue that meets international standards while promoting fairness, participation, accessibility, and long-term opportunities for rowing across the state. We are committed to working with World Rowing, Rowing Australia, the Brisbane 2032 Organising Committee, and key stakeholders to ensure the success of rowing at the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games and to protect the sport’s lasting legacy.

While we strongly support a legacy rowing course in Queensland, this must be based on informed discussion. We look forward to engaging with the State Government to understand the reasoning behind selecting Rockhampton and the Fitzroy River as the competition venue and to explore the broader infrastructure benefits the Brisbane Games will deliver for rowing statewide.

No further comment will be provided at this stage.

ENDS