Earlier this week, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that Brisbane in Australia will host the 2032 Olympic Games. Already, local yachting businesses are gearing up to promote their services to visiting superyachts. They see the Brisbane Olympics as a way to show off Australia as an even more desirable destination, especially with berths right in the host city.
Brisbane is home to the Brisbane River, a deep waterway and the longest river in the southeastern portion of the state of Queensland. In fact, Brisbane’s nickname is the River City. Further Australia’s third largest city, Brisbane already welcomes megayachts on a regular basis. Rivergate Marina and Shipyard is there, right on the river, for instance. Notably, it’s undergoing a multi-million-dollar expansion to install a 3,000-ton Syncrolift, plus other amenities. When completed, the expansion will make Rivergate Marina and Shipyard the largest repair and service facility in the South Pacific.
David Good, CEO of the industry association Superyacht Australia, says the IOC’s announcement was met with excitement. “This is excellent news for Queensland but also for all of Australia and the region with the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane attracting superyachts to the South Pacific,” he notes. “We would expect many of Australia’s top destinations to benefit economically.”
Previously, Australia did benefit from yachts visiting for the Olympics. Specifically, Sydney hosted the games in 2000, with yachts from a variety of countries docking right in the city. Other global cities have taken advantage, too. Megayachts such as Octopus, Deniki, Leander, Harle, Seanna, and Ilona all made waves in London for the 2012 Olympics.
For the 2032 Brisbane Olympics, events will take place primarily in Brisbane. However, they will also be within the Gold Coast to the south and the Sunshine Coast to the north. A Brisbane River and Gold Coast Spit Masterplan development is in the works for berthing and other needs. Michael Healy, the assistant minister for Tourism Industry Development and a Queensland Government superyacht representative, says megayacht refit, construction, berthing, and charter all pump more than AUS$1 billion into the Queensland economy. Therefore, the government sees the Olympics “as being vitally important to the industry’s growth, and this announcement will be another huge shot in the arm.”
Superyacht Australia superyacht-australia.com
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