REDLAND City Council appears to be positioning itself to help bring the inaugural 2030 World Paddle Games to the Redlands Coast with councillors set to receive a confidential update on the proposal at tomorrow’s General Meeting.
Agenda item 19.7, titled 2030 World Paddle Games, has been listed in the confidential section of the meeting under provisions relating to “negotiations relating to a commercial matter involving the local government”.
The agenda states discussion in open session could prejudice council interests because negotiations are ongoing.
The item appears to indicate that Paddle Australia and Redland City Council are leading an Australian bid to host the first-ever World Paddle Games on the Redlands Coast.
The proposed centrepiece of the bid is the planned Redland Whitewater Centre at the Birkdale Community Precinct, which is also being promoted as part of the broader Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic legacy strategy.
The International Canoe Federation (ICF) describes the World Paddle Games as a new global “lifestyle movement” bringing together all 10 ICF disciplines into a single multi-week festival.
Events would include Canoe Sprint, Slalom, Stand Up Paddling, Dragon Boat and Ocean Racing, alongside community participation activities and city-wide festival programming.
According to the ICF, the event is designed to combine elite competition with mass participation, allowing amateur paddlers to compete and interact alongside world-class athletes.
The concept also places a strong emphasis on sustainability, tourism activation and showcasing host waterways and coastal environments.
The bid material states the event would be staged across three arenas — flatwater, whitewater and ocean venues — all within roughly an hour of each other to maximise accessibility and spectator impact.
The Redlands Coast proposal would position the Birkdale whitewater venue as the central hub for the event, while also acting as a lead-in to Brisbane 2032.
The ICF only recently opened expressions of interest for international events through to 2030, including the inaugural World Paddle Games.
Potential hosts are required to demonstrate organisational capacity, suitable facilities and experience delivering major events before progressing to a formal bidding phase.
Council has not yet publicly confirmed whether it will formally proceed with a bid, how much any proposal could cost ratepayers, or what level of State or Federal support may be required.
The confidential briefing is expected to provide councillors with an update on negotiations and the status of the proposed bid process.
The World Paddle Games proposal comes amid continued discussion around the future Redland Whitewater Centre and broader plans for the Birkdale Community Precinct as part of the region’s Olympics legacy ambitions.
