Council confirms its Olympic commitment and welcomes benefits it will bring

Redland City Council has reconfirmed its commitment and support for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games as a Junior Games Partner.

Mayor Karen Williams said today’s General Meeting decision meant Council was committed to realising the successful delivery of the Redland Whitewater Centre, which would be a host venue for the Canoe Slalom events at the Brisbane 2032 Games.

“This is an exciting milestone on the green and gold runway to 2032,” she said.

“Not only will we be welcoming the world to Redlands Coast in 2032 but there is a wealth of benefits this event and this venue will bring to our city in the lead-up to the Games and beyond as a legacy facility.

“The whitewater venue is about so much more than the Olympics. It is being specifically designed as a swift-water and resilience training facility that will train emergency service agencies from across the world, meaning the skills perfected at Birkdale could quite literally save lives.”

The Redland Whitewater Centre will form part of the Redland Resilience Training Centre and will one of many highlights of the 62-hectare Birkdale Community Precinct, Cr Williams said.

“Birkdale Community Precinct is a city-shaping, intergenerational community project set to be delivered to the Redlands Coast over the next 20 years,” she said.

“It is expected the project will bring forward vital transport infrastructure such as the extension of the Eastern Busway to Capalaba – a neighbouring suburb to Birkdale – and the much-needed duplication of the rail line to Cleveland.

“Council, along with the State Government and Brisbane City Council, are jointly funding an Eastern Metro study, which will provide a significant opportunity to position Capalaba as a major transit hub serving the eastern and southern sections of the city.

“The precinct will also play a part in the State Planning Policy’s Active Transport Corridor, offering a pedestrian and cycleway connection between Capalaba and Thorneside. Furthermore, to extend the proposed active transport link, a pedestrian and cycle bridge over Tingalpa Creek could be investigated.

“In April 2021, Council agreed to enter into delivery partner arrangements for the Games and in March this year endorsed the Birkdale Community Precinct Master Plan.

“Under this Master Plan, a portion of the 26.6 hectares of the precinct defined as the development footprint, is allocated for the Olympic-standard whitewater centre.

“The balance of the development footprint will be premier parkland space for our city and includes the historic Willards Homestead and dairy outbuildings for which restoration work is now underway.

“Willards Farm restoration is about more than just preservation, it is about celebrating the district’s original farming heritage, which all goes towards Birkdale Community Precinct’s role as a celebration of all that is great about Redlands Coast.

“Approximately another 36 hectares of the site is protected conservation area.”

Cr Williams said the whitewater centre would be capable of hosting international, national and state events before, during and long after the Brisbane 2032 Games.

At today’s general meeting Council also resolved to allocate sufficient funding and resources, and do so to match the venue delivery timeframes and requirements.

The Redland Whitewater Centre is a State Government project for which the State and Federal Governments have committed funding for its construction.