Olympic Countdown Clock Raises Questions About Brisbane 2032 Venues

On Thursday, organizers of the 2032 Brisbane Olympics unveiled a big digital countdown clock in the city's downtown Queen Street mall. The clock marks exactly six years until the Summer Games begin. But the event raised some big questions about whether the venues for the Games will be ready in time.

Just before the clock started ticking, a white ibis — a common bird in Brisbane — wandered onto the stage. Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner got a laugh from the crowd by joking about the bird, which locals call a 'bin chicken.' Some people in Brisbane have jokingly pushed for the ibis to become the official mascot of the 2032 Games, instead of a kangaroo or a koala. Schrinner took it all in stride, and the bird moved on before the clock officially began counting down.

The countdown clock drew extra attention to a big concern: construction on the main Olympic stadium hasn't started yet. The stadium is expected to cost about 3.6 billion Australian dollars, or roughly $2.6 billion U.S. dollars. Brisbane was chosen to host the Summer Games almost five years ago, so many people are wondering why building hasn't begun. The stadium will seat 63,000 fans and is planned for a site called Victoria Park.

Andrew Liveris, the president of the Brisbane 2032 organizing committee, told reporters there is no reason to panic. 'Six years is perfectly fine in construction, even under stress conditions,' he said. He added that he is very confident the plans include enough backup options to get things done. Liveris said he recently spoke with the International Olympic Committee's president, Kirsty Coventry, in New York about the timeline and venues.

There are still some groups who are against building big sports venues in Brisbane's downtown parklands. People are also worried about the rising costs of putting on the Games. Just last month, police had to remove protesters from the Victoria Park site before the city could take possession of it. Organizers won't even get control of the nearby site for the aquatic center until September.

The aquatic center is another venue under the spotlight. A revised design for the National Aquatic Center was published the same day as the clock unveiling. Organizers have not confirmed whether the planned temporary seating capacity — first estimated at 25,000 — has been reduced to save money. Mayor Schrinner said the permanent result, an 8,000-seat aquatic venue, would still be 'fantastic' for the city long after the Olympics are over.

The state government of Queensland is the main financial backer of the 2032 Olympics and Paralympics. It sent the original aquatic center design back for more planning because of budget concerns. Schrinner defended that decision, saying the government was 'doing the responsible thing' by making adjustments as costs change. He said it is important for organizers to be flexible and careful with money.

More than a dozen new sports venues are being planned across the region. One of the most debated is a rowing center in Rockhampton, a coastal city in Central Queensland. Critics say the site is not safe or suitable because of strong tidal currents and the presence of crocodiles in the nearby Fitzroy River. Liveris said all venues are still going through a review process, and a new budget for the entire Games is expected early next year.