Daily News Roundup

 

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25

Queensland is unlikely to see any big-ticket infrastructure projects if it wins the 2032 Olympic bid, with Brisbane’s Lord Mayor saying up to 90 per cent of the venues would be temporary or existing.

Cr Adrian Schrinner said “a few more need to be built” but the council would instead be focussing on transport.

Events would also be staged on the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast.

Cr Schrinner was speaking after the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Future Host Summer Commission designated Brisbane as the “preferred candidate city” to host the 2032 Summer Olympic Games.

“Under the IOC’s new norm, there’s a greater ability to use existing venues”, said Cr Shrinner. It keeps the cost down.

“There’s also the opportunity to use temporary venues as well, we’ll be taking advantage of that.

“So, we have 85 to 90 per cent of the venues that are either existing venues, or the ability to have temporary venues.”

Cr Schrinner said road and transport infrastructure would need to be improved in south-east Queensland ahead of the Games.

“We’ve got 11 years to make sure everything is geared up,” he said.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the infrastructure required is already part of Queensland’s five-to-10-year plan.

“The Olympic Committee are looking for existing structures,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“They don’t want countries or states to go and invest in monumental stadiums that are not going to be used in the future.

“This is transformational infrastructure for our city and our region and it would bring huge economic benefit and jobs as part of our economic recovery as we come out of COVID.”

Australian Olympic Committee President John Coates said the successful Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in 2018 helped secure Queensland’s case.

The news about Queensland being designated the preferred candidate to host the Games was delivered by IOC president Thomas Bach during a press conference in Switzerland.

“The commission based on this decision will start more detailed discussions with the Brisbane 2032 committee and the Australian Olympic Committee about their potential to host the Olympic Games 2032,” said Mr Bach. 

The IOC will now move discussions to a targeted dialogue followed by final negotiations with the city then elected at a future IOC session, likely within the next year.

If those discussions are successful from both sides and Brisbane meets the requirements then it will be named the host city and Brisbane would become the third Australian city to host the Summer Games after Melbourne (1956) and Sydney (2000).

Chair of the Future Host Summer Commission, Kristin Kloster Aasen, said Brisbane and Australia had been selected over other cities that had shown interest — such as Doha, Budapest, Istanbul, Jakarta, New Delhi and St Petersburg — due to its past experience in hosting high-level sporting events.

IOC boss Thomas Bach made the announcement at a press conference in Switzerland.(Supplied)

“The reason for us recommending the Brisbane project is they are a very advanced project and there are a number of criteria that sit really well with us,” Ms Aasen said.

“The high level of expertise in hosting major international sports events, the favourable climate conditions in July and August.

“The existing and planned transport infrastructure and experience in traffic management which can adequately meet the demands of the Olympic Games and were successfully implemented for the Commonwealth Games in 2018.

“The existing hotel inventory, which also meets the Games requirements.”

Asked why Australians simply should not just celebrate immediately, Ms Aasen said Brisbane still had a few more hoops to jump through.

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Tiger Woods may never play top-level golf again after suffering life changing injuries to his right leg when he crashed his car in Los Angeles. 

Dr Michael Gardner, Orthopedic Trauma chief at Stanford Medical, said even with successful surgery, injuries like those Woods had suffered were often “life altering”.

“My patients who have these injuries, who are not elite athletes, I tell them we’re going to do everything we can to get the bone to heal, to avoid complications and to get you back to function as best we can,” Dr Gardner said.

“But unfortunately, the nature of this injury is such that it is truly a life altering injury.”

He added that with Woods’s age and extensive injury history, it would be “very, very unlikely that he returns to be a professional golfer”.

“It really would be difficult for any golfer. But … his age, his multiple back issues, this is going to be a very long road ahead if he chooses to attempt to return to his previous level of golfing.”

Orthopaedic surgeon Dr Joseph Patterson, of Keck Medicine at USC, said Woods’ recovery could take “months to years” and “may not complete”.

“We know that the injury to Tiger’s legs involves upper and lower portions of the tibia, his shinbone, the ankle and his foot. That means his ankle joints, the essential joints in his foot and possibly his knee may be affected,” Dr Patterson said.

Woods, 45, was driving a 2021 Genesis GV80 SUV at the time of the crash on Tuesday morning local time.

The accident has been ruled an accident and no charges are expected to be laid, Los Angeles police says.

“We don’t contemplate any charges whatsoever in this crash,” LA County Sheriff Alex Vllanueva said.

Mr Villanueva added that there was no evidence Woods was impaired.

“This remains an accident,” he said.

“Accident is not a crime. They do happen, unfortunately.”

The sheriff said Woods was driving at a speed that was “greater” than normal before the vehicle crossed the centre divider and rolled over before coming to a stop.

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The contractor at the centre of a coronavirus vaccine overdose scandal has been put on notice following shocking revelations the doctor involved wasn’t trained.

An 88-year-old man and 94-year-old woman were this week given a higher than prescribed dose of the Pfizer vaccine at Holy Spirit aged care home at Carseldine, Queensland.

Aged Care Services Minister Richard Colbeck confirmed that Healthcare Australia had been put on notice after an investigation found the doctor had not completed the required immunisation training.

The federal Health Department, in a statement on Wednesday night, said it was concerned at the serious breach of protocol and the misleading information – after the company wrongly claimed the doctor had been trained.

“We have at all times made it clear that safety cannot be compromised,” the statement read.

“The company could face contract termination or other sanction if further breaches occur.

“The department will refer the doctor in question to the appropriate authority.”

An independent audit will now be conducted to ensure all other Healthcare Australia immunisers have completed the training.

“They are on notice,” Senator Colbeck told Today.

“For a mistake of this nature to occur is quite simply not acceptable.”

The pair involved are well and being monitored for any adverse effects.

Senator Colbeck said he was “very sorry” to them and their families for the bungle.

“I’d be really upset if my mum or dad were in a situation where they hadn’t received the correct dose,” he said.

“We need to be very, very vigilant.”