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Rockhampton’s mayor privately urged the Queensland government to repurpose the city’s Olympic Athletes’ Village into dormitory‑style accommodation for Australian and foreign military forces after the 2032 Games.
The city’s railyards, including its historic roundhouse, has been slated as the city’s athletes’ village, with the Crisafulli government determined to host Olympic rowing in the central Queensland city – although that would ultimately be World Rowing’s and the International Canoe Federation’s call.
This masthead revealed on Tuesday Commonwealth funding, as part of the $7.1 billion joint funding envelope agreed with the state, was contingent on the Fitzroy River achieving that approval.
The railyard roundhouse, a circular shed with an internal courtyard, had a turntable that moved trains around and on to the rail line and was one of only two remaining fully intact roundhouses in Australia, the other being in Junee.
In response to a question as to whether the heritage-listed roundhouse would be incorporated in the athletes’ village design, Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie was non-committal.
“Planning and preliminary works are underway to deliver athlete villages in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast, and a regional rowing village in Rockhampton for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games,” he said in a statement.
“The Crisafulli government is committed to ensuring the legacy of athlete accommodation benefits Queenslanders beyond 2032, by delivering more than 2000 permanent dwellings after the Games.”
Controversial Olympic legislation passed last year allowed the government to steamroll planning laws, such as the heritage legislation that protected the roundhouse.
Rockhampton Mayor Tony Williams’ village proposal, outlined in a formal letter to Premier David Crisafulli in December, suggests the infrastructure built to house athletes during the Brisbane 2032 Games could later be repurposed to house the Australian Defence Force and the Singaporean Armed Forces during major military exercises in Queensland.
“I don’t want to wake up in 2033 and look back and think we could have done more,” Williams says in the letter.
“That’s why I’m putting these forward – to help guide and drive this discussion and ensure that we truly grab this opportunity with both hands.”
The Rockhampton region has a decades-long relationship with the SAF, which regularly rotates service members through the central Queensland city as part of their training.
In the letter, obtained through Right to Information legislation, Williams argues that repurposing the Athletes’ Village into dormitory accommodation would provide a “significant number of new beds” and help address the region’s longstanding accommodation shortfall.
Williams identifies the Australian and Singaporean militaries as potential beneficiaries, citing ongoing pressure on accommodation during exercises including Talisman Sabre, Southern Queensland Warfighter, and Wallaby.
“It would also have the potential to significantly support the Australian Defence Force and Singaporean Armed Forces with their accommodation needs during [these exercises],” the mayor wrote.
Williams said the accommodation could also ensure the long‑term viability of major events in the region, such as Beef Week, the Rockynats and large sporting tournaments.
Williams also wanted Brisbane 2032 Olympic gold medals to be sourced from the Mount Morgan gold mine, about 30 kilometres south of Rockhampton.
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