Insights from Australian Swimming Legend Susie O’Neill AM on Olympic Infrastructure, Experience and Community Benefit
When the world turns its eyes to Brisbane for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Queensland will have the opportunity to showcase not just sporting excellence, but also a vision for long-term community legacy and world-class infrastructure.
With only seven years left before we welcome athletes and visitors from around the world, the focus has shifted to the realities of delivering on the promise.
At a recent Q&A, hosted by RP Infrastructure, Australian Olympic swimming great, Susie O’Neill AM, offered her perspective on what it will take for Brisbane to host a Games that rivals the best in living memory.
“We’ll Just Do It Better”
For Susie, the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games set a high bar, particularly in how the city catered to athletes’ needs and created a welcoming, vibrant environment.
Asked how Brisbane could top that, the Queenslander’s answer was as confident as it was succinct.
“Well, we’re from Brisbane – we’ll just do it better! Sydney was an amazing Games… As far as an athlete went, the organisation was excellent, for the transport, the food, the village. So, I suppose for Brisbane to do better it’s about getting everything correct on that level.”
Her comments highlight the logistical nuts and bolts that can make or break the experience for athletes and visitors alike.
Supporting our Athletes
While the Olympics are often framed in terms of the spectacle and legacy, Susie reminded the audience that the athletes’ experience remains paramount.
“I think if athletes are supported well and perform well, that will be a good Olympics. From Australia’s point of view, I think we’ll be judged on how well the Olympics was by how actually Australians perform.”
It’s a perspective shaped by her own career, spanning eight Olympic Games, three as an athlete, eight Olympic medals, a member of the International and Australian Olympic Committees and now her new role as Chair of the Athletes and Sports Advisory Group advising the Brisbane 2032 Organising Committee Board.
For Susie, getting the infrastructure right for athletes – transport, accommodation, venues – flows on to the visitor experience and the long-term community benefit.
Beyond the Closing Ceremony
Recognising the importance of thinking well past August 2032, the Games, Susie suggested, must deliver lasting benefits for Brisbane and Queensland communities.
“We do need to think about post-Games and the infrastructure does need to cater for everyone and communities.”
And that means the facilities need to be accessible and useful to the wider population.
“Infrastructure…for swimming, for example, has to be for everyone…for people to get fit and active.”
For her, the real win would be a healthier and more active nation.
“If the Olympics and the infrastructure and the things that are being built can encourage young people to be active and fit and healthy – then I think that would be the best legacy.”
A City on the Clock
Like many who’ve watched Olympic projects unfold elsewhere, Susie recognises that the challenge is not just the vision, but the execution.
Queensland needs to get moving quickly, she said, on delivering completed venues that are fit-for-purpose, allowing enough time, for them to be tested and trial events held.
And as a local Brisbane resident, Susie is also looking forward to the expected improvements in transport across the city and South-East Queensland.
“I think it’s going to be great for Brisbane … we need a lot of the upgrades anyway and all the infrastructure they promised when they put the bid in … hopefully that all comes to fruition and… we all get the benefits of it after 2032.”
Once the infrastructure is in place, the Queensland people, she added, will then play a decisive role in adding the “icing on top” that made the spirit in Sydney so memorable back in 2000.
The Bigger Picture
Susie’s insights cut through the politics and promises that often surround Olympic Games. Her focus is clear: get the details right for athletes, deliver infrastructure that serves communities, and use the Olympics as a springboard for healthier, more active lives.
In her words, Brisbane has the opportunity not just to host the Games, but to “do it better” than any city in the modern Games’ 130-year history.
Delivering on Time and for the Future
For some the seven years until the Olympics may feel like a marathon, but for those involved in infrastructure delivery, it feels more like a sprint.
Timely delivery is one of Brisbane’s greatest challenges and success will depend on strong collaboration, planning, and a commitment to quickly finding agreement amongst a wide stakeholder group to ensure the best outcomes for, and beyond, the Games.
The Opportunity Ahead
Susie’s reflections point to a simple formula for success: keep athletes at the heart of planning, and design infrastructure that delivers community value long after the flame is extinguished.
For RP Infrastructure, Brisbane 2032 provides not only a challenge, but a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our industry to create lasting benefits that will define Queensland for generations.
Our proud Queensland team are excited to support our clients all the way to the finish line.
For more photos of the event please click here