Queensland ministers did not confirm reading rowing report — ABC News Australia
Ministers in the Australian state of Queensland were unable to confirm whether they had reviewed the full technical assessment of the suitability of the Fitzroy River in Rockhampton for rowing and rowing sprint events at the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The document, prepared by the Games Independent Infrastructure and Coordination Authority (GIICA) together with engineering company WaterProof, has not been publicly released, ABC News Australia reports.
The technical assessment was not released
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli told parliament that international governing bodies had approved the Fitzroy River for rowing and rowing sprint competitions. However, on Monday he did not directly answer whether he had read the full technical assessment, stating that the government had not been involved in the process.
Tourism and Environment Minister Andrew Powell said he had not read the document in full, but described the assessment as a routine part of preparations for the Games. Deputy Premier and Infrastructure Minister Jarrod Bleijie also did not clarify whether he had reviewed the report. Rockhampton MP Donna Kirkland did not confirm that she had read the independent technical assessment.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Further planning stages
The assessment included on-water studies and modelling of the course’s operation under different weather conditions, water levels and flood risks. Concerns had previously been raised about the river’s natural bends, current, susceptibility to flooding and the presence of crocodiles.
World Rowing, Paddle Worldwide, Rowing Australia and Paddle Australia confirmed in a joint statement that, subject to the analysis conducted, the course could provide safe, fair and consistent competition conditions. At the same time, the organisations said several elements still needed to be confirmed at the next planning stage.
The International Olympic Committee still has to approve the sustainability report and the environmental report. GIICA has also not completed its project validation report, which concerns the venue’s design, value for money and its future use.
