‘Competing hard': Brisbane Olympics house price battle looms
Speculation is rife about just how much the Games will push up prices in Brisbane in particular. As soon as the long-awaited venues were confirmed in March, realtors began promoting their properties as within the 'Olympic precinct'.
Finder research suggests 1.5 million people would be looking to buy in Brisbane between now and the 2032 Games.
'The ripple effect on the local property market, especially in Brisbane's inner and middle-ring suburbs, cannot be underestimated,' Australian Property Investor magazine said in April.
Propertytology managing director Simon Pressley tempered the huge expectations this week though, downplaying estimates Brisbane house prices would double in the next seven years.
'No guarantee,' he told Channel 7 on Tuesday morning.
'Property markets are obviously very, very complicated.
'There's no precedent with past Olympic Games around the world that property booms always happen.'
The Sydney 2000 Games did spark a property boom though, but the NSW economy and the monetary policy of the time were larger factors for the boom, Mr Pressley said.
'Broadly, for the whole state of Queensland, the outlook for its property market for the foreseeable future looks to be strong,' he said.
'Buyers are already competing very hard for a small volume of properties for sale.'
The latest national figures show Brisbane's median dwelling value has increased 7.1 per cent in the past year to $918,000.
Of the capital cities, only Perth prices have gone up more in the past 12 months. Regional South Australian prices have shot up the most.
In March, the Queensland government unveiled plans for a new Olympics precinct in Brisbane.
'There's going to be a lot of construction obviously with various stadiums and arenas built all over the state,' Mr Pressley said.
'Skilled labour is going to be a big challenge for the Queensland government as well.'
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Sydney Morning Herald
4 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Trump's latest Olympic edict effectively closes US border to transgender athletes
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The Age
4 hours ago
- The Age
Trump's latest Olympic edict effectively closes US border to transgender athletes
That order, made in February 2025, is prefaced by saying that ' In recent years, many educational institutions and athletic associations have allowed men to compete in women's sports. This is demeaning, unfair, and dangerous to women and girls, and denies women and girls the equal opportunity to participate and excel in competitive sports '. The effects have been swift and stark. Almost immediately afterwards, the US's National Collegiate Athletic Association amended its policies to limit competition in women's sports to athletes assigned female at birth only. Last month, the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee amended its policies to ensure consistency with that February 2025 order. What was missed back in February was the order's intent to prevent from entering the United States any person whose intended entry enlivens section 212(a)(6)(C)(i) of the United States' Immigration and Nationality Act. That provision says, ' Any alien who, by fraud or wilfully misrepresenting a material fact, seeks to procure (or has sought to procure or has procured) a visa, other documentation, or admission into the United States or other benefit provided under this Act is inadmissible.' In context, what Trump's order is directed atis preventing entry to the United States by any person who asserts that they are anything other than the gender they were assigned at birth. Given the legal position in the United States is that '… It is the policy of the United States to recognise two sexes, male and female. These sexes are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality …' a transgender woman applying for a US visa would be committing a fraud if using a passport denoting their selected gender as opposed to birth gender. Trump has already declared Department of Homeland Security officers will forbid entry to any transgender athletes attempting to pass through LAX to compete at the 2028 Games. Because the Trump Administration won't countenance 'men' beating female athletes. There's no precedent I can conjure here. Even the Third Reich didn't impose a blanket ban on black or Jewish athletes competing at the Berlin Olympics in 1936. The question as to the participation of transgender athletes in Olympic and international-level elite athletic competition is increasingly answered by the exclusion of such athletes. Loading Major international federations such as World Aquatics have adopted policies deeming transgender women ineligible in female competition. The exception is where they never experienced male puberty, or unless they had their male puberty pharmacologically stopped before their 12th birthday. World Athletics has recently enshrined in its rules a one-off gender test, which must be passed for an athlete to compete in female competition. The International Olympic Committee itself must set clear and unequivocal policy to protect the integrity of female athletic competition. But while it's the responsibility of the IOC and the international federations to traverse this minefield, it's wicked that the US president considers it within his domain to dictate who can and can't compete at the Olympics. Unless the US Congress can override Trump's orders – or unless the Supreme Court rules them unlawful – the grim future for US transgender athletes and indeed any transgender person seeking entry to compete in sporting competition in the United States is plain. But what is truly frightening is the prospect Homeland Security might round up international transgender athletes coming into America; asserting criminality. When the 2028 Games to were awarded to Los Angeles in 2017, the US Olympic Committee noted that the IOC had relied on the US Government to respect the Olympic Charter. Trump was US President in 2017. The provisions of the Charter are entirely inconsistent with the bold concept of arresting any athlete for attempting to enter the host nation to compete.
News.com.au
10 hours ago
- News.com.au
Michael Phelps tees off on ‘broken USA Swimming' in wild Insta post
American Olympic swimming legend Michael Phelps has launched a blistering attack on USA Swimming that could – and should – shake up the sport globally. Unrivalled as the greatest Olympian of all time, the 23-time gold medallist released a lengthy statement on his social media account criticising the leadership of USA Swimming after the American team's declining performances on the global stage. Although the US still topped the medals table at last year's Paris Olympics and the recent world championships in Singapore, Phelps said the team's sinking returns over the past decade were proof of how disorganised the sport had become in America. 'There have always been cracks in the system but in the last nine years, I've seen those cracks grow,' Phelps posted. 'In 2016, I had the honor to be a part of a U.S. swim team in Rio that was arguably the most successful in the sport's history and we won 57% of the medals we had the opportunity to win. Fast forward eight years to Paris, where Team USA won only 44% of the medals they had the opportunity to win in the pool, the lowest percentage the sport had seen since the 1988 Olympics.' Australia and China have been among the biggest beneficiaries of the US team's below-par performances in the pool at the last two Olympics, but not the only ones. Phelps said the issues run deeper than just the number of medals won and lost. 'I've asked myself what's changed in our sport and the answer is clear,' he said. 'This isn't on the athletes as they continue to do the best they can with what they've been given. This is on the leadership of USA Swimming. Poor leadership trickles down and can impact an organization at every level.' A childhood prodigy who competed at five Olympics after debuting as a 15-year-old at Sydney in 2000, Phelps' latest posting is not some spur of the moment takedown of his sport. The GOAT has long been using his voice to campaign on behalf of swimmers to be treated better. Despite its wholesome image, swimming is a brutal sport with a long list of problems. To make it to the top, competitors are required to undergo exhausting training and eat sparingly to keep their weight down, often for little financial reward, at least compared to other sports. The mental and physical toll on elite competitors is enormous and can take its toll. It's not uncommon to see swimmers break down in tears after their races, regardless of whether they win or lose. Phelps has been open about his own personal battles with depression and thoughts of self harm and never been unafraid to call on the sport's administrators to do more for the welfare of competitors. But it's not just an American problem. Many other swimming powers, including Australia, have acknowledged failings in the system, including the horrific abuse of female participants and ongoing mental health issues. 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Rather, he explained he was concerned about the wider issues the sport faces, including the pressure put on swimmers to keep quiet and not rock the boat. 'I spent most of my life inside of a system that is supposed to support athletes. I gave it my everything, but I often felt that my voice went unheard,' he said. 'I was told to be grateful for the chance to compete and that it was more important to stay quiet and to keep the peace.' Phelps' comments echo similar concerns that other foreign swimmers have made over the years but this time, more people are listening. With Phelps among the favourites to light the cauldron at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, this is an issue that's only going to get more attention in the years ahead. READ THE STATEMENT IN FULL While I've faced some pushback, from the post I shared last week, most of the feedback I've heard echoes my feelings about the challenges facing USA Swimming today. And although some of you may not agree with my perception, I'm glad that this discourse is forcing a bigger conversation. Now is the time to have it. First, I must be clear that I have the utmost respect for the U.S. swimmers that competed at the World Championships. My criticism is in no way directed at them – I know how hard they work and how honored they are to represent the U.S. National Team. My criticism is about the system, its leadership, and how it's failing. There have always been cracks in the system but in the last nine years, I've seen those cracks grow. In 2016, I had the honor to be a part of a U.S. swim team in Rio that was arguably the most successful in the sport's history and we won 57% of the medals we had the opportunity to win. Fast forward eight years to Paris, where Team USA won only 44% of the medals they had the opportunity to win in the pool, the lowest percentage the sport had seen since the 1988 Olympics. I've asked myself what's changed in our sport and the answer is clear … this isn't on the athletes as they continue to do the best they can with what they've been given. This is on the leadership of USA Swimming. Poor leadership trickles down and can impact an organization at every level. I spent most of my life inside of a system that is supposed to support athletes. I gave it my everything, but I often felt that my voice went unheard. I was told to be grateful for the chance to compete and that it was more important to stay quiet and to keep the peace. I spoke up earlier this year when I sent a letter to USA Swimming. It was also shared with the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. It addressed many of my frustrations with the current state of the sport and was signed and supported by former Olympic medallists, world record holders, members of the coaching community, and current and previous staff members of USA Swimming. That letter seemed to fall on deaf ears. No one really wants to talk about how broken USA Swimming has become. But, if we don't talk about it, it won't get fixed. Money is a factor. But poor operational controls and weak leadership are a cornerstone of the sport's problems. I've watched too many teammates struggle to compete in a sport they love without the support they need. I've also seen the sport struggle to return its membership numbers to pre-pandemic levels, and I'm done pretending this system works just because it produces medals. Swimming to me was always about more than just medals – it's supposed to be an environment that builds champions in and out of the pool. As a Dad to four young boys, it pains me to say that I'm not sure I'd want my sons to be a part of this sport at a competitive level. Yes, swimming changed my life, but it also causes a lot of heartache, and its current state makes me both sad and angry. I want to see this sport flourish and I want to be a part of the solution. I've always said that I wanted to change the sport of swimming in the U.S. and that sentiment still holds true. I still care and I'm not ready to give up. I don't have all the answers, but I know this: we need accountability. We need transparency. We need athlete voices at the center, not in the margins. We need systemic change. I would like to encourage those of you who are in our sport and all of those who care about our sport's future to share your thoughts too. What do you think about the state of swimming in our country today? Has the sport continued to evolve and, if not, what can be done to move this sport into the future? I'd love to see open and honest feedback from others. As an initial step forward, I would propose the following next steps to the USA Swimming Board of Directions and USA Swimming staff: Commission a 360* independent review of USA Swimming's Board of Directors and its organization as a whole. Provide complete transparency in this process. Streamline athlete services and develop a proactive, athlete-first way to support athletes competing in the sport. While USA Swimming and the USOPC provide some athlete resources, there needs to be a better way to work directly with athletes to implement what's available to them. Focus on strengthening the grassroots level of the sport, reversing its pandemic membership decline while developing new ways to foster additional growth. I offer up my service to be a resource in these proposed initial steps and I am hopeful that the USA Swimming community will accept my offer. My door is open and there is work to be done.
