The Gabba

[Australian Kiwi]

1 hour ago, FYI said:

"I get a sense from afar that Brisbane is only now realizing exactly what it's got into, and that's why there's some controversy now". 

I think most cities, if not all, of Brisbane's medium size don't realize what they might get themselves into when they dream about hosting the Olympics. Some of them host things like a World Championship of some kind, or something like the CWG's, PanAms, etc & then think, "if we can do this, we can surely do the Olympics".

But not every city in the world can. It's really only the Megaloposis' of the world that can more easily absorb the cost, the logistics & the disruption that the Olympics descend upon a city. And even then, it's a big challenge for those big league cities, & that's why now I think it's starting to become more of a question these days if the Olympics are worth hosting at all anymore. It seems that the success of the Olympics of the past, have now become it's greatest weakness, because they've become so huge & mega expensive now. 

Yes this. 

Brisbane will be fine - but because he has the backing of a federal government that will bail it out. 

The IOC on the other hand, which has trumpeted it was an "example" to smaller cities around the world as an example that the Games can be hosted by them overlooks the fact that: 

- It has a wealthy backer in the Australian Government

- Its auspiced by a wealthy and well resourced state government (Queensland). Unlike most other hosts which are by city governments. 

- Its spread over a vast state of medium to small sized cities (its far more decentralised than Sydney 2000, much of 2032 won't be in Brisbane itself). 

While this works for Brisbane, I cannot think of many comparable cities (especially in Europe and North America) where this model will work.

Fencing 1976 was lying to justify his bold move to please his shadow leader (Bid Leader, Brisbane 1992).

[Australian Kiwi]

1 hour ago, TorchbearerSydney said:

There is no risk of Brisbane 32 being glitzy...quite the opposite. I am more afraid of these Games, after Paris and LA, being too cheap and down-market and ultimately forgettable.

A bit of architectural ambition will not kill the Gabba.

I love Brisbane, and it some ways I think its a nicer city than Melbourne or Sydney. 

I think the trouble for them will be the shadow of 2000 and accusations of it being Sydney-lite. Even the Storey Bridge is the SHB's poor cousin. I can see a lot of haughty commentary from southern media in 2032 that will draw these comparisons. Its a city without much of an identity. I also don't think it will be the next Barcelona - more of a successful Atlanta/Sydney hybrid. 

[Australian Kiwi]

Interesting to see a submission arguing that the AOC should be pushing Brisbane 2032 to use the 2000 whitewater facilities in Penrith. 

 

[Sir Rols]

8 minutes ago, Australian Kiwi said:

Interesting to see a submission arguing that the AOC should be pushing Brisbane 2032 to use the 2000 whitewater facilities in Penrith. 

 

Indeed 

[ulu]

46 minutes ago, Australian Kiwi said:

Interesting to see a submission arguing that the AOC should be pushing Brisbane 2032 to use the 2000 whitewater facilities in Penrith. 

 

This is something I think basically everyone besides the QLD Government can agree with.

[Australian Kiwi]

42 minutes ago, Sir Rols said:

Indeed 

HA! 

[TorchbearerSydney]

Q:  a successful Atlanta/Sydney hybrid. 

Nailed it there, and they were 2 of the cheapest (per event/ constant dollars) in history...and that is a good thing going forward.

 

Cant agree about Brisbane though as a better city than Sydney, or particularly Melbourne. I find it too car oriented, too spread out, lacking any real CBD... and pretty shabby. Too small to have a vibrant critical mass.

[Australian Kiwi]

6 minutes ago, TorchbearerSydney said:

Q:  a successful Atlanta/Sydney hybrid. 

Nailed it there, and they were 2 of the cheapest (per event/ constant dollars) in history...and that is a good thing going forward.

 

Cant agree about Brisbane though as a better city than Sydney, or particularly Melbourne. I find it too car oriented, too spread out, lacking any real CBD... and pretty shabby. Too small to have a vibrant critical mass.

It is what it is I guess. In some ways its probably more like 1980s Atlanta than Sydney was in the 1990s. Its very suburban, I agree (I mean, look at streetview only blocks from the Gabba and it looks like a small country town). 

It will change the city. 

But yeah, lucky for Brisbane its too cold in Sydney or Melbourne in the IOC's new timeframes. If October was still on the table for hosting I firmly believe a third Australian Olympics would have been either a second Melbourne or Sydney Games without doubt.

[AustralianFan]

13 hours ago, TorchbearerSydney said:

Q:  a successful Atlanta/Sydney hybrid. 

Nailed it there, and they were 2 of the cheapest (per event/ constant dollars) in history...and that is a good thing going forward.

 

Cant agree about Brisbane though as a better city than Sydney, or particularly Melbourne. I find it too car oriented, too spread out, lacking any real CBD... and pretty shabby. Too small to have a vibrant critical mass.

Agree with a chunk of what you said except for the Brisbane CBD which most certainly has a clearly defined and well developed CBD with a substantial critical mass and which is really booming these days - and is not shabby at all.    The 2016 Census showed 9,460 people actually  living in the Brisbane CBD so that number will have undoubtedly grown further over the last 7 years since then.

Brisbane CBD is 1.367 square kilometres in area and is made up of densely concentrated skyscrapers and other buildings, interspersed by several parks such as Roma Street Parklands, City Botanic Gardens and Wickham Park.

Amazing connected riverside eateries and bars which are buzzing every day and  night from under the Storey Bridge and continuing right around the river toward the Botanic Gardens.

The massive Queens Wharf development on the Brisbane CBD side of the river is also well underway also and will connect with vibrant Southbank via the Neville Bonner Bridge.  South East Queensland is the fastest growing population region in the country, it’s astonishing.

Further, the size of an Olympic city’s CBD has nothing to do with the capability or projected success of that city staging the Games. It really doesn’t and is quite pessimistic to be quite frank.

Australia knows how to successfully plan, organise and deliver highly successful and memorable world sporting events.

We Aussies, know how to do this stuff, we do, let’s not beat about the bush.

The Brisbane 2032 Olympics and Paralympics are set to also be outstanding, unique, highly successful, warm and friendly Games following in the steps of Melbourne 1956 and Sydney 2000.   We love sport, we love a party and we will love welcoming the world at a pulsating, heaving new Gabba Stadium and at the other venues.

e

[TorchbearerSydney]

Those pictures are just depressing- the freeways in the river, and the saddest looking 'mall' on earth....how about some pics pf 'bustling Fortitude Valley, or the sewer of one-way streets through the CBD.

A couple of property developments dont make a great city.

[Sir Rols]

That travelogue does sound like it was written by a real estate agent… and could be said about any mid range city from Topeka to Lublin. Brissie deserves better than that.

Amazed it suddenly got three upvotes within five minutes of it being posted 

[FYI]

"There is no risk of Brisbane 32 being glitzy...quite the opposite. I am more afraid of these Games, after Paris and LA, being too cheap and down-market and ultimately forgettable."

I make the parallel of Atlanta 1996. Many described the atmosphere back then as a "cheap, county fair vibe instead of feeling like the Olympics with all the over-commercialism everywhere". Of course some argued that's what made those Games not go into debt. But they certainly didn't put Atlanta "on the (global) map", either, like many there were hoping it would. No one in general ever makes the connection anymore these days.

[FYI]

26 minutes ago, Sir Rols said:

That travelogue does sound like it was written by a real estate agent… and could be said about any mid range city from Topeka to Lublin. Brissie deserves better than that.

Amazed it suddenly got three upvotes within five minutes of it being posted 

Exactly! Fishy, fishy, FISHY!! Along with those other posts of theirs within the last 24-hours, too. 

[TorchbearerSydney]

The appeal of the Sunshine Coast to Gold Coast region is its summery, tropical, resort vibe feel. Unfortunately the Games are mid-winter, when it is too cold for water activities, and positively chilly in the morning.

This is going to be the coldest Summer Games in memory. Not sure why they didn't at least start it in mid-August rather than July. It is just too early.

[Sir Rols]

5 minutes ago, TorchbearerSydney said:

The appeal of the Sunshine Coast to Gold Coast region is its summery, tropical, resort vibe feel. Unfortunately the Games are mid-winter, when it is too cold for water activities, and positively chilly in the morning.

This is going to be the coldest Summer Games in memory. Not sure why they didn't at least start it in mid-August rather than July. It is just too early.

That’s the thing about Brissie, it’s more a gateway to the natural and man-made attractions of the Sunshine and Gold Coasts than a destination anyone wants to go to in itself.

Ironic that tropical Brisbane will be one of the coldest summer games - but then again, with the way global warming is going… Sydney just had its warmest winter August ever - positively Spring-like for a lot of it. Maybe we;’re not out of the running for the future after all. 

[Australian Kiwi]

1 hour ago, TorchbearerSydney said:

Those pictures are just depressing- the freeways in the river, and the saddest looking 'mall' on earth....how about some pics pf 'bustling Fortitude Valley, or the sewer of one-way streets through the CBD.

A couple of property developments dont make a great city.

Yeha I was going to say that they weren't even a great representation of Brisbane. The pedestrian mall picture could be Hornsby, 
 

[Australian Kiwi]

42 minutes ago, Sir Rols said:

That’s the thing about Brissie, it’s more a gateway to the natural and man-made attractions of the Sunshine and Gold Coasts than a destination anyone wants to go to in itself.

Ironic that tropical Brisbane will be one of the coldest summer games - but then again, with the way global warming is going… Sydney just had its warmest winter August ever - positively Spring-like for a lot of it. Maybe we;’re not out of the running for the future after all. 

Just had a look at some BOM data...

Melbourne 1956 - mean temp 20.8c (highest daily high 31c)

Sydney 2000 - mean temp 22.8c (highest daily high 35.6c)

Brisbane - July 2023 mean temp 22.6 (highest daily 28.0c July, 29c August)

 

[FYI]

Those are some pretty cool average temps for a Summer Games (but then again, Brisbane '32 will technically be in Australia's winter. And even Sydney was in your spring). That's good, though, for outdoor endurance athletes. Cause once you start to get above 85f degrees, that becomes more challenging. And then once you reach 95 degrees (with triple-digit heat indexes) it becomes almost impossible to compete in outdoor events with such extreme heat conditions. 

[FYI]

4 hours ago, Sir Rols said:

That’s the thing about Brissie, it’s more a gateway to the natural and man-made attractions of the Sunshine and Gold Coasts than a destination anyone wants to go to in itself.

Sounds like Orlando or Vegas here. If it wasn't for Disney, Universal & the Strip, those cities wouldn't have very many visitors otherwise. And we know here how those cities' Olympic ambitions ended, too. 

4 hours ago, Sir Rols said:

Ironic that tropical Brisbane will be one of the coldest summer games - but then again, with the way global warming is going… Sydney just had its warmest winter August ever - positively Spring-like for a lot of it. Maybe we;'re not out of the running for the future after all.

Not if any of the climate change deniers around here have anything to say about it, though! 

[ulu]

24 minutes ago, FYI said:

Those are some pretty cool average temps for a Summer Games (but then again, Brisbane '32 will technically be in Australia's winter. And even Sydney was in your spring). That's good, though, for outdoor endurance athletes. Cause once you start to get above 85f degrees, that becomes more challenging. And then once you reach 95 degrees (with triple-digit heat indexes) it becomes almost impossible to compete in outdoor events with such extreme heat conditions. 

While it might be great for the endurance athletes it'll be too cold at night for the sprints, jumps and throws.

[TorchbearerSydney]

RE: TEMPS
 

And very cold for rowers, kayakers, open water swimmers, surfers etc...

I was on the Gold Coast last July (Olympic time), and the water was cold and it was windy and miserable on the Beach Volleyball site.

[Australian Kiwi]

2 hours ago, FYI said:

Those are some pretty cool average temps for a Summer Games (but then again, Brisbane '32 will technically be in Australia's winter. And even Sydney was in your spring). That's good, though, for outdoor endurance athletes. Cause once you start to get above 85f degrees, that becomes more challenging. And then once you reach 95 degrees (with triple-digit heat indexes) it becomes almost impossible to compete in outdoor events with such extreme heat conditions. 

You wouldn't want it in the peak of our summer. Having an Australian SOG in January / Feb would give Atlanta 1996 a run for its money in terms of overheating. 

There are even questions as to whether having a January Australian Open in Melbourne is viable and whether it should be moved to March / April or November. 

[Australian Kiwi]

1 hour ago, TorchbearerSydney said:

RE: TEMPS
 

And very cold for rowers, kayakers, open water swimmers, surfers etc...

I was on the Gold Coast last July (Olympic time), and the water was cold and it was windy and miserable on the Beach Volleyball site.

IOC's fault, though! And if they had opened the door to a September Olympics again you would have heard more from Sydney and Melbourne (instead of the AOC mysteriously anointing Brisbane the next candidate without any kind of domestic selection). It would have cost BILLIONS less to stage 2032 in Sydney or Melbourne. 

 

[Australian Kiwi]

2 hours ago, FYI said:

Sounds like Orlando or Vegas here. If it wasn't for Disney, Universal & the Strip, those cities wouldn't have very many visitors otherwise. And we know here how those cities' Olympic ambitions ended, too. 

Not if any of the climate change deniers around here have anything to say about it, though! 

I think Brisbane has a lot more character than either of those cities though.

I think its more comparable in scale to Austin, TX or San Diego. It does feel like Florida though.

[AustralianFan]

 

On 8/31/2023 at 4:57 AM, TorchbearerSydney said:

I find it too car oriented, too spread out, lacking any real CBD... and pretty shabby. Too small to have a vibrant critical mass.

5 hours ago, TorchbearerSydney said:

how about some pics of 'bustling Fortitude Valley, or the sewer of one-way streets through the CBD.

@TorchbearerSydney there are no pics of Fortitude Valley because it’s not part of the Brisbane CBD.  An inner Brisbane suburb yes, but not the CBD.

Fortitude Valley forms the north-eastern boundary of Brisbane’s CBD, which is that triangular land below bounded by the Brisbane River.

Yes, I get you’re from Sydney but we’re not comparing sizes of CBDs here, only to say that contrary that Brissie most certainly does have a sizeable, well populated and well defined CBD.  When were you last there ?

You mentioned a “a sewer of one-way streets”.   One-way streets in CBDs are a feature of several Australian capital cities, particularly Sydney, Brisbane and Perth.  If strategically used, they help with traffic flow. 

Speaking of bridges that someone mentioned earlier, yes Sydney has the Harbour Bridge and Brisbane has the Storey Bridge. One much bigger than the other.  Yes great television pictures, but it was not Sydney Harbour Bridge or a large CBD which organised and delivered the most amazing, best games ever, it was people.  Despite bejng the most congested city in Australia, the Sydney 2000 organisers and agencies found a way to make it work spectacularly.  I would have loved in Melbourne 1956 from the sounds of it.  I certainly loved it in Sydney 200.  Brisbane will turn it on too - the people, the atmosphere, the Olympics. There’s nothing like it.

First photo below - During a brief respite from COVID lockdowns jn Melbourne, my  partner and I managed to get to Brisbabe just before Christmas 2020. We were delighted and surprised at bustling Brissie and absolutely loved the riverboard with all it’s restaurants, cafes, bars, boardwalks, all seemingly supercharged by the biggest booming population in the entire country. The social distancing restrictions hadbeen relaxed to certain extent, thank goodness.

Third Games Down Under

Brisbane is unique and has it’s own identity and people. It the host city of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games and, as with Melbourne 1956 and Sydney 2000, all available people, skill, knowledge, creativity and expertise will again be recruited from all over the country and the world to organise and deliver a mighty and amazing third Olympic Games Down Under.