A senate committee has mooted the Penrith Whitewater Stadium as an alternative to the Redlands site for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.
The committee, which handed down an interim report last week, warned there was a “high likelihood” the proposed Birkdale stadium could become a “drain on the community and public funds”.
It suggested the state government work with NSW to fully explore the possibility of hosting canoe slalom events at Penrith.
Concerns raised in the report included that Australia would not be able to sustain a second whitewater venue.
“If it is feasible to host the events at the Penrith Whitewater Centre in New South Wales, including with refurbishments, this option should be prioritised over building a new facility,” the committee recommended.
It said the International Olympic Committee’s New Norm Policy, which places heavy emphasis on using existing venues, should be front and centre of any government decisions on infrastructure for the 2032 Games.
Redland City Council said it respected the intent of the inquiry but believed the committee had made a recommendation on the Birkdale plan without all the required information, adding to criticisms from the state government this week that the report contained inaccuracies.
Council said 20 independent studies had been carried out to support evidence-based decision making in relation to the venue, its design and legacy mode, including environmental and ecological studies, social value assessments and heritage impact assessments.
“This evidence demonstrates that the venue and broader precinct will not have a detrimental environmental impact,” council said in a statement.
“Council has conducted its own financial investigations and there is confidence the venue will deliver positive financial returns for council.”
Several other findings about the whitewater venue were published in the report after the committee heard from residents and other interested parties during a series of hearings in August.
At the Brisbane hearing, representatives from four Redland community groups renewed their calls for Birkdale to be dumped as an Olympic venue and canoe slalom events moved to Penrith – which was purpose-built for the Sydney 2000 Games.
A parliamentary petition on the matter, launched by Community Alliance for Responsible Planning Redlands president Lavinia Wood in May, has received more than 2200 signatures to date.
Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate also weighed in on the whitewater plan at the Brisbane hearing, saying he felt sorry for the next generation in Redlands who would have to “foot the bill” for the venue.
The committee agreed with the residents on several points, writing in the report that major decisions such as building a whitewater venue should be subject to a “robust” and publicly available business case.
“The history of whitewater facilities built for previous Games suggests there is a high likelihood that the facility could become a drain on the community and public funds in the future,” the report read.
“This evidence would suggest that Australia does not need, and cannot sustain, two whitewater facilities.
“Proponents of the project should be willing and able to provide detailed evidence of the benefits to the community and residents of the state.”
Council said it was pre-emptive to form an opinion on the Redland whitewater centre given the process was ongoing, with the state government currently undertaking work on a project validation report.
“Council is committed to the venue delivering a lasting legacy for our community, which is why council has been building strategic partnerships to ensure the venue can also be used for emergency services training,” council said in a statement.
Deputy premier Steven Miles wrote in a letter that the Birkdale facility would complement the Penrith stadium and provided the best opportunity for “great elite sport and community legacy in Queensland”.
“The Redland Whitewater Centre is only a fraction of the Redland City Council’s broader Birkdale Community Precinct development, and it is being built on an already cleared area of the precinct,” he said.
“Through the whole precinct development, protecting and conserving local ecology and cultural heritage will be considered during the planning process, including compliance with environmental legalisation.”
However, the committee said it was concerned council may be “misrepresenting the views of the community” and exaggerating resident demand for the facility.
“The Queensland Government should be working with the NSW Government to fully explore the possibility of holding the events at the Penrith Whitewater Centre,” the report read.
The former Sydney 2000 venue will receive a $3.1 million upgrade ahead of hosting the Canoe Slalom World Championships in 2025.
Committee chair and Nationals senator Matt Canavan told ABC Radio on Friday he felt both the Redlands and East Brisbane communities deserved more consultation on plans for their respective areas.
“Look, we’re going to put on a good Games, I’m really confident of that,” he said. “But I do think we’ve fallen down in how we’ve involved the local community.”
The committee is expected to hand down its final report in December.
