Brisbane 2032 Board meeting announces February forum to shape Olympic and Paralympic Games Legacy Plan

Sports stars and administrators will be joined by around 500 of Australia's community, school and business leaders in February at the Brisbane 2032 Legacy Forum tasked with contributing to the shaping of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games legacy plan.

The Brisbane 2032 Legacy Forum was announced by Queensland Premier and Minister for the Olympics Annastacia Palaszczuk at last week’s Brisbane 2032 Board meeting held on the Sunshine Coast, where she explained how all Australians will have the opportunity to get involved in the legacy planning process.

Work has been underway since Brisbane was confirmed as the 2032 host last July to deliver a strategy for legacy planning.

The Brisbane 2032 Legacy Forum will mark the commencement of a broader community consultation phase to hear from a wide cross-section of the Australian community.

Not only Queenslanders, but all Australians are being invited to have their say by sending a message about their hopes and dreams for 2032 and beyond to the delegates attending the forum with each delegate asked to engage their own communities prior to the event.

The draft vision, draft themes and series of priorities developed at the Legacy Forum will then be released for public consultation for two months.

From March to May 2023, children, adults, First Nations peoples, and sporting and community groups will be asked to provide their ideas on how the legacy plan can deliver lasting benefits to Brisbane, Queensland and Australia leading up to, during and after the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

A key focus of last week’s Brisbane 2032 Board meeting was a legacy planning workshop for Board members and senior leaders across all levels of Government, led by Queensland Minister for Tourism, Innovation and Sport, and Minister Assisting the Premier on Olympics and Paralympics Sport and Engagement Stirling Hinchliffe.

Sunshine Coast Mayor Mark Jamieson and Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate were also invited to participate in the Board legacy workshop, acknowledging the critical roles the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast will play in the delivery of Brisbane 2032, and the subsequent potential for generating legacy opportunities in the regions.

The Board meeting followed a day in which members toured Olympic and Paralympic Games venues and local businesses on the Sunshine Coast to hear from local community members, First Nations peoples, local Olympian and Paralympians and industry representatives about their aspirations for Brisbane 2032.

Premier Palaszczuk noted "I’ve said from the beginning that all of Queensland should share the pride of hosting these Games.

"This is another way we are ensuring everyone can play their part.

“The Legacy framework ensures those ideas are harnessed and we set Queensland up, not just for the next 10 years, but the 10 years after that.

"There are so many great ideas for this once-in-a-lifetime event.

“These Games belong to all of us. I encourage everyone to get involved.”

Australian Minister for Sport and Aged Care Anika Wells added "we are now entering a decade of major international sporting events to be hosted in Australia, culminating in the best of the best, the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

"I encourage all Australians to take the opportunity to get your ideas on the table by participating in consultation for the Legacy Plan early next year and use the opportunity as a catalyst for driving our ambitions."

Sunshine Coast Council Mayor Mark Jamieson thanked the Games Board for visiting the region and experiencing all the future host region had to offer.

Mayor Jamieson advised “we have the expertise and the know-how to produce world standard products and some of the Sunshine Coast’s best in their fields have now had the chance to showcase their goods and services to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games leaders.

“We’ve enjoyed hosting the Board, showing them the best of the Sunshine Coast.

“We’ve taken them to our premium sporting venues, shown them iconic beaches and green spaces, and also given them a literal taste of the local industry, including produce from Mooloolaba, which is home to Australia’s largest and most sustainable fishery.

“The Olympic and Paralympic Games give us an opportunity to put our region’s industries on show in a way that’s never been done before, demonstrating that we have the expertise and capacity to produce goods and services at a global standard.

“We have an opportunity to develop a legacy-driven focus anchored in sustainability, connectivity and liveability for the Sunshine Coast and our neighbouring regions.

“I look forward to continuing our work with the Board and Games Delivery Partners along with our whole community as we come together to develop the Legacy Plan.”

The next Brisbane 2032 Board meeting is expected to be held in March next year on the Gold Coast.

Information on how to participate in Brisbane 2032’s legacy planning will be available via www.qld.gov.au/about/brisbane2032

Image top: Brisbane 2032 Board meeting held on Sunshine Coast. Credit: Sunshine Coast Council