ADJOURNMENT

Mr PIKE (Bowman) (13:07): For too long, my community of the Redlands has watched major infrastructure investment flow elsewhere. The 2032 Olympic Games is our chance to change that. That is why I strongly support the Redland Whitewater Centre in the broader Birkdale Community Precinct.

This is about much more than hosting Olympic events for two weeks. It is about turning land that has been closed to the public for generations into a lasting community asset that families can enjoy for decades to come. In 2019, the former coalition government worked with Redland City Council to secure the 62 hectare former Commonwealth site at Birkdale for community use.

The site has been in federal hands since the Second World War, when it was used as a radio receiving station. There was a real risk it could have been subdivided into as many as 400 residential lots. Instead, we preserved it for the community.

Now we have the opportunity to make it something truly extraordinary. The Redland Whitewater Centre will be one of the major venues for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, but its importance goes well beyond the games. This is infrastructure designed to have a life after 2032, providing opportunities for recreation, sporting competitions, community activities and specialist emergency services training.

This is what a genuine Olympic legacy should be—not infrastructure that sits idle once the athletes go home but facilities that continue serving local families for decades. The Redland Whitewater Centre is part of a much broader precinct. Redland City Council is progressing plans for a major public swimming lagoon with kids' water play areas, beach-style access and community facilities.

The site will also see the restoration of important heritage assets, including the former radio receiving station and the historic Willards Farm buildings. That combination of sport, recreation, heritage and community facilities makes the Birkdale Community Precinct genuinely unique. It gives us the chance to create a destination that is not only important during the Olympics but somewhere that Redlands families will continue to use and visit long after 2032.

But, just as this project is progressing, there are attempts to throw cold water on it. In May, after an extensive assessment, the federal environment department determined that the Birkdale project was not a controlled action under federal environmental law. That decision is now being reconsidered following appeals.

I've written to the federal government urging it to stand by the original determination and allow the project to proceed. We must protect our environment, but environmental assessment cannot become an endless excuse to delay community infrastructure after years of scientific investigation. Seven years of environmental work has already gone into this project.

No breeding female koalas were found in the development area over those years of observation and independent studies found there would be no significant impacts on local koalas, on groundwater or on Moreton Bay. In fact, two-thirds of the site will be protected for conservation under the plans that are being pursued. The financial case has also been tested.

An independent expert review recommended that the Birkdale project proceed, finding a compelling case, supported by a strong financial model and strong legacy benefits. This is not just an Olympic venue; it is a long-term investment in my community of the Redlands, and we'll also need the transport infrastructure that's going to support it. That's why I've spent four years fighting for the Brisbane Metro extension all the way out to Capalaba, with a long-term vision for it extending deeper into the Redlands.

Last year I helped secure a bipartisan $50 million federal government commitment for the detailed business case and scoping work. I welcome Brisbane City Council's announcement last week that this will be completed by this time next year. The 2032 games provide a rare opportunity to finally secure the infrastructure that my community deserves.

For too long, investment has avoided the Redlands. We now have the opportunity to turn a former Commonwealth government site into a world-class sporting venue, a major recreation precinct and an important heritage destination. The environmental work has been done, the financial case has been tested and the community benefits are absolutely clear.

Now we need to deliver it. When the Olympic flame is extinguished in 2032, I want the legacy to remain in the Redlands. I want our children and grandchildren to be able to look back and say that the games delivered something lasting for our community.

The tide is finally turning in the way of the Redlands. I'm determined to ensure that the Redlands grabs this opportunity with both hands and we don't allow federal environment law to get in the way of a wonderful community precinct.