Henry Pike (Bowman, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On a very similar theme to the member for Hunter, I want to acknowledge some athletes from my electorate who stood on the world stage and competed in the recent Paris Olympic Games. Melissa Wu made the final of the 10-metre diving in her fifth Olympic Games. Cassiel Rousseau finished fourth in the men's competition. Shayna Jack was part of Australia's gold-medal-winning 4x100-metre freestyle team. Straddie local Ethan Ewing did us proud by making the quarterfinals of the surfing competition in Tahiti. Reece Holder ran his fastest ever time to qualify for the semifinals of the 400-metre sprint. Birkdale's Shannan Davey made his debut in the boxing.

One of the greatest stories of the games was Jess Fox and Noemie Fox winning three gold medals between them in the canoe slalom. In eight years time, my community of the Redlands will play host to the canoe slalom events at the 2032 Olympic Games. The Olympic whitewater arena in Birkdale is sure to continue to be a rich source of gold for us at the Brisbane Games.

Twenty thirty-two presents us with a unique opportunity: beyond the two weeks of competition, we must ensure a lasting legacy of infrastructure for our community. Sadly, the state Labor government has demonstrated nothing but chaos and confusion when it comes to games planning. Venues aren't yet sorted, let alone any legacy projects. As we try to fix this mess, I will be pushing to ensure that the Redlands get our fair share. I'll be fighting to secure funding to extend Brisbane's Metro system from Carindale, past the Sleeman sports centre and through to the Redlands. Not only will this infrastructure be essential for the fortnight of competition; it will also contribute to better connecting Redlanders with the amenities and employment opportunities of Brisbane city. As the Redlands grow, this project will be essential to maintaining the quality of life for our residents.

With cricket appearing in the 2032 games, government investment in the Redlands can make the tournament one to remember. Peter Burge Oval in Wellington Point, where I'll be this Saturday for the start of the local Twenty20 competition, could easily play host to some of the Twenty20 matches in the tournament if we can secure the necessary investment at that venue. There has also been some discussion of having surf ironman as part of the 2032 program. What better place to host it than North Stradbroke Island? I'll be working to ensure our island is well positioned to stake a claim to that iconic Olympic debut.

With so many local athletes excelling in Paris, exciting times are ahead as we look forward to the games in Queensland in 2032. I trust that, unlike Paris, our opening ceremony will showcase the best of our local culture in a way that unites us rather than divides us. I look forward to the generational opportunity to showcase the best of South-East Queensland, to secure new investment for our communities and to win more gold medals for Australia.