The 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games are coming to Brisbane and more broadly South East Queensland (SEQ). There are many opportunities afforded by this once in a lifetime global sporting event being located in our region. One is to accelerate and scale up momentum and work to restore the diverse landscapes of SEQ and protect the environmental, social, cultural and economic values that attract and keep people here. Can we turn our catchments and cities green, and make our waterways blue by 2032?

This event brings together the energy and networks of the Australian Rivers Institute, Queensland Water Modelling Network, the River Basin Management Society, Stormwater Queensland and the Moreton Bay Foundation and is supported by the broader Green and Blue by '32 partners.

The day has been designed to create an opportunity for a diverse set of practitioners and professionals to discuss, share, learn and shape ideas, aspirations and aims for what a Green and Blue SEQ might look like by 2032. Discussions will be informed by Indigenous, environmental science, social science, environmental planning and economics perspectives to consider how we can bring about effective restoration more rapidly and at scale across SEQ to create a lasting Olympic and Paralympic legacy.

The event will help shape thinking, catalyse learning, and foster new connections and collaborations that build momentum towards a green and blue legacy for SEQ after the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Key questions to be addressed during the event:

What could a Green and Blue by '32 future look like for SEQ?
Why does it matter?
What do we need to do to get there?
How do we do it at the scale and speed necessary?

What to expect

A fully catered and highly interactive whole day event overlooking the Brisbane River in the heart of Southbank, within easy reach of public transport options.
Talks from leading research, Indigenous and practice speakers drawn from Universities, Indigenous groups, consulting firms, and implementation agencies.
Workshop sessions that provide an opportunity to engage with practitioners and professionals from across SEQ to share ideas, aspirations and aims for what a Green and Blue SEQ could look like in 2032, to discuss and and identify priority actions that will help us get there.
Panel discussion on creating a lasting GBx32 Olympic and Paralympic legacy for SEQ.
Networking and drinks to complete the day.

Key speakers

We are bringing together a range of speakers able to provide insights from different cultural, science and practice perspectives.

Landscapes past and future - Indigenous perspectives on restoration
- Madonna Thomson, Jagera Daran and Beverley Hand, Mimburi Upper Mary Aboriginal Association Inc.
Reflections on the history of SEQ catchment restoration science and action and our pathway ahead
- Professor Stuart Bunn, Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University
- Dr Paul Maxwell, EcoFutures Consulting and Alluvium Group

What GBx32 means from a geomorphology and hydrology perspective
- Dr Michael Cheetham, Geomorphologist, Water Technology
- Associate Professor Andrew Brooks, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University

What GBx32 means from a terrestrial ecology perspective
- Professor Sam Capon, Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University and Moreton Bay Foundation

What GBx32 means from a wetlands and aquatic ecology perspective
- Dr Alice Twomey, School of the Environment, University of Queensland
What GBx32 means from a shellfish and coastal ecology perspective
- Robbie Porter, Senior Special Projects Officer, Shellfish Revolution, OzFish
What GBx32 means from a community engagement perspective
- Dr Angela Dean, School of Agriculture and Food Science, University of Queensland
What GBx32 means from an environmental planning perspective
- Georgina Pratten Landscape Architect and Planner, and Stephen Orr Landscape Architect both from LatStudios
What GBx32 means from an economic perspective
- Associate Professor Jim Smart, Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University
Panel discussion: How we can create a lasting GBx32 legacy for SEQ from the Olympics and Paralympics
- Cameron Jackson, Urban Utilities; Kim Markwell, E2Designlab; Madonna Thomson, Jagera Daran; Cath Thrupp, CarbonPlanet

Event Partners

Event networking is sponsored by our friends at

Green and Blue by '32 is an initiative of Griffith University, Australian Rivers Institute, International WaterCentre, Queensland Water Modelling Network, River Basin Management Society, the Moreton Bay Foundation, Stormwater Queensland, Australian Institute of Landscape Architects, Stormwater Australia, the Green Infrastructure Research Labs/Cities Research Institute, Flood Community of Practice and Engineers Australia.