Stephen Bates (Brisbane, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Earlier this year I conducted a survey of the residents of Brisbane for their opinions on the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. My electorate is due to play host to several new venues for the games, including the proposed athletes village in Hamilton. Residents were overwhelming clear about their expectation that any infrastructure build for the games with public money must stay in public hands. In the case of the athletes village in Hamilton, it is imperative that these new apartments be converted into long-term social and affordable housing to deal with the games' anticipated negative impacts on housing affordability.

Already, Brisbane City Council, the Queensland government and federal government have shown a total reluctance to be transparent about the billions of dollars they intend to spend on the games. So I'm pleased to announce that my Greens colleagues have secured a Senate inquiry to scrutinise the adequacy of oversight and accountability related to the games, its claims of economic benefits and the impacts of the games on housing affordability, communities and small businesses.

Brisbane residents should be excited about the 2032 Games and deserve to see a positive legacy created from them, but this will only be possible if we continue to put major pressure on all three levels of government to be accountable to the people.