Revisiting Brisbane 2032's sustainability vision

Andrew McCormack:

Hello and welcome to Ashurst’s Business Agenda podcast. My name is Andrew McCormack and I am a partner in Ashurst's Project & Energy Transition Team.

As the lead of our Brisbane 2032 working group, it is with great pleasure that I bring you this series of bite-sized episodes revisiting key talking points from our 2032 and Beyond Podcast Series.

In these special episodes, we will take a detailed look at a range of important issues that are relevant to the Queensland Government's recently unveiled plans for the venues, infrastructure, and transport solutions for the Brisbane 2032 Games.

In this first episode, we will take a look at how the Brisbane 2032 Games are set to be a benchmark for sustainable development, by creating a lasting positive impact on the environment and the community.

In our episode on the Sustainable Infrastructure and Legacy of the Games, Ashurst Risk Advisory Director, Mike Duggan, highlighted the importance of setting strict and best practice sustainability standards for all infrastructure projects, including the use of environmentally friendly materials, energy-efficient lighting, renewable energy sources, and innovative water management systems. All measures designed to ensure that the infrastructure not only meets the needs of the Games but also contributes to a sustainable future for Southeast Queensland.

Let’s hear from Mike Duggan.

Mike Duggan:

I think the one thing the organizing committee's really done well from the beginning is really set strict and best practice sustainability standards for all the infrastructure projects that'll be part of the Games, which is certainly putting them in a position to be able to make sure that the objectives that they've set for the infrastructure and for it to be sustainability and hopefully it should be climate positive at the end will be well in hand, which I think is excellent. And this includes things like environmentally friendly materials being used in stadium construction, in the fabrication of roadways, optimizing energy efficiency measures across stadiums such as lighting, renewable energy sets, which I'm sure will be all over the top of stadiums in the form of micro wind turbines and solar panels.

And also those things that use energy and embodied energy, things like water management systems and coming with really innovative ways to be able to ensure that the various different infrastructure that's put into place, which includes stadiums but also includes all of those supporting services out to the community, really have in place systems that will put downward pressure on the climate budget that we're going to have and reduce the amount of embodied carbon and emissions that we'll see.

As an example, right now we're really seeing this in places like the tourism sector preparing itself really in advance for things like the Games and they do this every time. You saw this in London, you see this, it happened throughout South America, Brazil. They really got themselves ahead of the game to make sure that the infrastructure that they put in place that really supports a lot of the things like stadiums such as where the guests stay, where they dine, where they recreate, really getting in front of what we'll see as being a significant push for sustainable infrastructure across Southeast Queensland and I'm sure across Queensland and Australia. That includes things like circular economy processes, embedding waste management processes to really reduce the amount of energy and embodied water that's part of the things that they do in their kitchens and the services that they provide to their guests.

And also things like microgrids and battery electric storage, which are going into new hotels and resorts all around Australia right now as we speak, to make sure that these places can really generate their own electricity, store it and use it when they need it, which really shores up their security as a piece of Games infrastructure. Things like these green building practices that they're putting into place aren't new. A lot of these have been around for a long time. They're established across the world. They've been established by things like the Green Building Council here in Australia for 10, 15 years. They're really just being now delivered at scale and I think that's an exciting, really exciting aspect of something like the Games is that it allows these types of innovations and these standards and systems that have been used for a long time to be really delivered at scale. Which look, I'll tell you just this past week I attended the Queensland Opportunities Breakfast here in Brisbane where the Premier and a number of other people spoke about the opportunities for procurement across the Games, and one of the big themes of that was sustainable procurement obviously, but specifically procurement that will put downward pressure on our emissions budget as a state, which is really exciting when the procurement processes are getting really in front of the sustainable infrastructure challenge and ensuring that we're kept honest in terms of our objectives.

It's obviously a journey that a number of parties are going on together, and I think that's one really interesting thing that the organizing committee seems to be doing to look at legacy as a core pillar of the Games and that's really considering the community is that kind of party that they're going to go on this long-term journey with, which I think is an exciting approach to the way that they're framing their projects and the strategy in which they're going to deliver the Games. Some of those, the investing in community projects and initiatives that really promote some of those key things that are important to the community such as environmental stewardship, social responsibility, but also just those core things to a household such as economic growth and the ability to have a job that's secure. All of those things are kind of built into the long-term idea of legacy, which is really becoming a core part of the Games strategy and will flow on into the operations and will flow much further into the future as the community takes great benefit from those things that are put in place coming into the Games and leading out of it. Look, some of the key things that they're looking at right now include supporting local environmental organizations to create green spaces and putting in place public education processes and campaigns to help everyone really understand the importance of sustainability to our community. From an infrastructure perspective, you look at things like stadiums, roads and rail, tourism, industries and housing, all of those things are really going to be designed through the Games to leave world class region that is really the envy of the world.

That'll be born out in our sporting facilities, and the way that the infrastructure is designed with sustainability in mind, and I think that's almost term that's gone out of vogue in the last few years is design with the end in mind. Same concept comes from a sustainability perspective and is used in architecture and design across the world and that is really designed for what the outcome is that you want to get out from the design exercise, and that's where this legacy is really becoming a cornerstone of the way that the Games facilities and infrastructure are being designed.

The venues that will continue to host sporting events and serve the community for many years to come and promote the physical activity and the lifestyles of the people that are part of our region are all going to be born out of this legacy mindset and designing with the outcome of legacy in mind. The exciting thing will really incorporate almost a new set of Olympic ideals that go beyond just kind of the sporting proudness of a country, but also the ability of a country to create lasting and long-term legacy for the people that will remain after the athletes have gone home with the metal slung around their necks.

Andrew McCormack:

That was Ashurst Risk Advisory Director, Mike Duggan, I think you’d agree that it is clear that legacy and sustainability goes beyond just the physical infrastructure that's required to host the Games. The broader application of the philosophy of achieving sustainable outcomes also aligns with the national and international targets to tackle climate change and reduce global emissions. The Brisbane 2032 Games will, as Mike alluded to, also promote social and economic sustainability.

Stay tuned for our next bite sized edition where we will revisit our previous thoughts on why and how Brisbane 2032 will promote inclusion and accessibility. In the meantime, to hear other Business Agenda episodes, including full episodes of Beyond 2032, you'll find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast. While you're there, feel free to subscribe to Ashurst Business Agenda and leave us a rating or review.

Until next time, thank you for listening, and goodbye for now.