Brisbane is on the right track for the 2032 Paralympics but the new venues must consider accessibility first, the international boss says.

During a short two-day trip to Brisbane, International Paralympics Committee President Andrew Parsons was favourable of the progress the city is making towards the 2032 deadline.

“We are very happy where we are in the preparations for the Brisbane 2032 Games,” Mr Parsons told reporters.

The Games have been shrouded in controversy as the city had an unprecedented runway to decide on a venue plan after being elected the host almost four years ago.

But with several false starts and changed venue plans, the final 2032 infrastructure plan was finally unveiled more than 1300 days later in March.

Mr Parsons was positive despite the debate around the Games, calling it the “opportunity of a lifetime” to change Australia and Queensland.

“‘I’m absolutely convinced that this is the place to be in 2032,” he said.

He praised the Queensland Liberal National government’s 100-day review that delivered on the “long-term needs for infrastructure to benefit the people of Queensland”

The state government’s plan includes inner-city Victoria Park becoming the Brisbane Games hub, with a 63,000-seat main stadium and a nearby national aquatic centre set to be built.

Brisbane and Australia are already ahead of the curve in terms of accessibility but there’s always more that can be done until venues are 100 per cent disability friendly, Mr Parsons said.

“Now that venues are announced (we need) to make sure that we have the right planning in front of us,” Mr Parsons told reporters.

“… we just passed a very important milestone, and now it’s how we work with the organising committee and the levels of government.”

But Mr Parsons was firm the blueprint for the new stadium and any other infrastructure must have accessibility in mind, first and foremost.

He said any existing infrastructure must be checked over to ensure it is also accessible.

Progress is expected to begin after the state government earlier in May introduced a bill to ensure 2032 Olympic sites would be exempt from planning laws as officials race to get the venues built in time.

Not all plans are finalised as the state government seeks the $2.5 billion the federal government set aside for a now-scrapped 2032 project, Brisbane Arena, be reallocated to fund other Olympic venues.

The private sector is instead expected to help foot the bill for the indoor stadium project now called Brisbane Live Arena, set to host Olympic swimming.

But Brisbane 2032 Organising Committee President Andrew Liveris isn’t worried as it is unlikely it would be finished by the Games, nor would it be needed.

“If it’s ready before 2032, we’re going to be looking very strongly at it as a venue. But we don’t count on that,” he told reporters.

“So we don’t need it. But if it’s there, we’ll use it.”

On the issue of funding, Mr Liveris said to give the federal government a chance to land on the right agreement, given the election was only several weeks ago.

Savannah Meacham
(Australian Associated Press)