06 Apr Brisbane abandons North in Olympics Bid

Major infrastructure projects in North Queensland will be tossed aside for the next 10 years if Brisbane’s 2032 Olympics bid succeeds, says Katter’s Australian Party leader Robbie Katter.

Mr Katter said North Queenslanders were fed up with the State Labor Government’s continual pandering to the south-east corner.

“We’re sick of producing the wealth for Queensland so Brisbane can have a party. This is what the Olympics will amount to for them,” he said.

“We can’t even get adequate health services in the regions, like proper dialysis facilities. It seems there’s an insatiable appetite by modern governments of any persuasion to distract the public with large social infrastructure.

“The problem with the Olympics is it’s expensive, it costs us our taxes, and if they’re spending money on these large social infrastructure projects, it means there’s no money for our hospitals and schools. Labor needs to end its self-indulgence with the south-east and divert bid funding for game-changing infrastructure projects that will accelerate the North.

“It infuriates me when I’ve got hospitals being downgraded in Julia Creek and upgrades needed in hospitals throughout the region and dams to be built that can’t be funded because the government is committing money to large social infrastructure projects.”

Mr Katter said the bid would lead to fewer resources in regional and remote regions.

“You might see a slight increase in outback tourism, but that is just nonsense to think the benefit outside south-east Queensland would be commensurate with the financial burden it will put on us in the future,” he said.

“Just look at the cost blow outs shouldered by other countries who’ve hosted the games. It was $US15 billion for London 2012 and $US21.9 billion figure for Sochi in 2014. There’s every chance that could happen if the Olympics come to Brisbane – and the majority of Queensland will be poorer for it.”

Kennedy MP Bob Katter said Brisbane had form when it come to “white elephant events”.

“Take at a look at what happened with Expo 88. They said they would sell the government site purchased and if we had sold it, it wouldn’t have cost the people anything. But they never sold it and we wasted millions,” Mr Katter said.

“There is about as much chance of Brisbane selling these sites after the Olympics as I am of being a beetle at the back of Burketown. Every single person knows what an outrageous lie it is that the Olympics will generate $10 billion for regional communities. We’ll be left carrying the can.

“People outside of the south east corner will cop another kick in the guts and as for the tourism spinoff – you’ll make more in a week in coal mines than you’ll see from that.”