Arabic version: راينهارت ضغطت من أجل خطة التجديف الأولمبية في نهر فيتزروي

According to The Guardian, Australia’s richest person, Gina Rinehart, lobbied Queensland deputy premier Jarrod Bleijie to relocate rowing events at the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games to the Fitzroy River at Rockhampton. An undated letter obtained by Brisbane Times, understood to have been sent before the government chose Rockhampton, advocated moving the events to central Queensland.

The Queensland government announced plans in March last year to send rowers 600km north of Brisbane, the host city. The Fitzroy River is a natural habitat for saltwater crocodiles, which are occasionally found in the water at Rockhampton. The decision prompted significant backlash among rowing and broader Olympic communities.

The government’s venues review, finalised in early 2025, recommended relocating rowing to Sydney and using the existing facility near Penrith. However, the decision to stage rowing in Rockhampton went against that recommendation. International and Australian rowing officials and competitors have also raised concerns over whether a Rockhampton course could meet strict international technical requirements covering weeds, water quality and currents.

Critics have warned that a facility built in Rockhampton could become a “white elephant”. Bleijie has said publicly that rowing would be held in Rockhampton or cancelled altogether. In her letter, Rinehart said hosting an Olympic event in the “beef capital” would help Queensland tell the story of its pastoralists and farmers.

Rinehart wrote that Australian rowers often train on the Fitzroy River and that Rockhampton hosts the Queensland state school championships annually. She described the facility as “world class” and close to major infrastructure, saying it could save taxpayer money. She also cited Rockhampton’s mining history and said metals from the nearby Mt Morgan mine would produce the Olympic gold, silver and bronze medals.