The Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games will be governed by the Olympic Host Contract.
The contract is between the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Brisbane City Council, the Queensland Government, and the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC). Notably, the Australian Government is not a party to the contract. The contract has been signed.
The contract covers:
- general responsibilities of the Parties (including assignments of rights and liabilities, financial responsibilities of the host and establishment of an Organising Committee);
- the IOC’s contribution to the success of the Games;
- core requirements (including taxation, advertising, broadcast rights and a legacy program);
- coordination with the IOC (such as a Games Delivery Plan);
- key deliverables and operational areas;
- the organisation of the Paralympic Games; and
- miscellaneous provisions.
The Brisbane 2032 Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (OCOG), which met for the first time last month, has responsibility for day-to-day management, logistics and the assignment of contracts to third parties.
The obligations the Queensland Government have accepted through the Olympic Host Contract (which also covers the Paralympic Games) are governed under Swiss law. The Contract contains four central principles – contract principles, operational requirements, Games Delivery Plan, and pre-election commitments.
Pre-election commitment obligations are considered very important and are strictly enforced. This extends to the OCOG enforcing those obligations on third parties it engages in subsequent contracts, and for all cities participating in hosting events (i.e. local governments). Any organisation doing business with the OCOG should be aware of the legal obligations the OCOG itself is placed under by the Olympic Host Contract because they are likely to also be bound by these provisions as a partner.
Additionally, section 15 of the Olympic Host Contact creates an Olympics legacy program as part of Brisbane 2032. The legacy program is intended to focus on ‘creating a lasting social, economic and environmental legacy’. The Queensland Government is currently recruiting a diverse group of Queenslanders to serve as a Legacy Committee.
The IOC has had a formalised ‘Legacy Strategic Approach’ in place since 2017 and incorporated its importance in Rule 2.14 of the Olympic Charter. Section 15.4 of the Olympic Host Contract requires the development of a legacy plan that aims to utilise sport as a means of “improving the health and well-being of citizens of the Host Country”.
Under the rule, the host (Queensland Government / Brisbane Organising Committee for the Olympic Games as the legal entities) is to define, implement and communicate a legacy plan based on the pre-election commitments (bid document) that were made to secure the Games which also need to be defined in accordance with the IOC’s ‘OHC – Operational Requirements – Sustainability and Legacy’ formula. A formal agreement is to be entered into by the Host Country Authorities and other parties to ensure the funding, management and delivery of the legacy plan after the closing date of the Games.
The legacy committee of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games is not enshrined in the legislation that established the Brisbane OCOG but is nonetheless expected to abide by the provisions of the Olympic Charter and the International Olympic Committee Code of Ethics. Members will be initially appointed for twelve months, with the possibility of extension for another year. The Queensland Government intends to conduct a review into the continuation of the committee and membership composition in the first half of 2023.
