A campaign to build an iconic Entertainment Centre in the Maroochydore CBD as a legacy of the 2032 Games is gaining momentum, with Sunshine Coast residents pledging millions of dollars in financial support.
Local residents including well known business leaders Roy Thompson and Rod Forrester have already pledged $2.5 million in support of the vision, and an anonymous donor has turned this into $5 million as part of a deal to match this pledge and future local contributions on a dollar-for-dollar basis.
The campaign is being driven by Member for Fairfax, Ted O’Brien, who recently unveiled a vision for a multi-purpose Entertainment Centre as a lasting legacy from the 2032 Games.
“If there’s ever a time for us to think big and be bold, it’s now,” said Mr O’Brien.
“This is about uniting the local community around a positive vision and creating opportunities for people to express their support in a very tangible way.
“The fact that local residents are generously pledging their own hard-earned money in support of the Entertainment Centre vision speaks volumes about our capacity to unite around a compelling idea for the future,” said Mr O’Brien
Mr O’Brien’s proposal lays the groundwork to advocate for significant public funding for the venue through the State and Federal Government’s 50-50 agreement on critical infrastructure for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
If the Maroochydore CBD is confirmed as the location for the Olympic basketball preliminaries, public funds may become available to help build a facility.
“This is just the beginning,” Mr O’Brien said.
“There is a long way to go before this vision becomes a reality, and we need to take one step at a time,” said Mr O’Brien. “This deal represents the next step in our campaign to see the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games deliver a lasting legacy for our community.”
Ted O’Brien has also publicly asserted that his vision for the Entertainment Centre is a part of a broader plan to bolster the case for a new heavy rail line between Beerwah and the Maroochydore CBD, along the CAMCOS corridor.
“If we can make the Maroochydore CBD the epicentre of the 2032 Games for the Sunshine Coast, it provides a new argument for building heavy rail to the site,” said Mr O’Brien.
This new phase of Mr O’Brien’s campaign for an Entertainment Centre in the CBD seeks financial pledges of support for the proposed venue which are subject to a number of conditions.
While the opportunity to support the campaign is now available to the public, pledges of no less than $150,000 are currently being accepted.
“This is just the beginning,” Mr O’Brien said.
“There is a long way to go before this vision becomes a reality, and we need to take one step at a time,” said Mr O’Brien. “This deal represents the next step in our campaign to see the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games deliver a lasting legacy for our community.”
While the process to ascertain the official Olympic venue will remain unclear until governance arrangements for the Games are finalised, the Sunshine Coast community continues to unite in support for the Maroochydore CBD to host basketball preliminaries.
