The Lord Mayor of Brisbane, Adrian Schrinner, announced on Sunday that he would be stepping down from the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games Intergovernmental Leaders’ Forum. He expressed his disapproval of the plans to reconstruct the city’s Gabba cricket ground for the upcoming games. Schrinner stated that he will no longer support the State Government’s current Gabba plan.
Schrinner referred to the forum as a “dysfunctional farce” and accused it of being a platform to appease key stakeholders while the real decisions are made by the state government. The forum consists of the Queensland and federal governments, local mayors, and the head of the games’ organizing committee. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s office has not yet responded for comment.
Brisbane is set to become the third Australian city to host the Summer Olympics, following Melbourne in 1956 and Sydney in 2000. The Queensland government has committed to a A$2.7 billion redevelopment of the Gabba ahead of the games. It is emphasized that the infrastructure will continue to be beneficial long after the event, as Queensland already has 80% of the venues needed for the games.
Schrinner’s resignation follows a statement from International Olympic Committee Vice President John Coates, who proposed a reduction in athlete numbers at the games to ensure cost-effectiveness. Coates asserted that participation numbers must be reduced, especially with the addition of new sports like cricket, flag football, squash, baseball, and softball in the 2028 Los Angeles games, which will increase the total number of participants beyond 11,000.
Reporting by Sam McKeith in Sydney; Editing by Nick Zieminski
