QLD Government considers Olympics bid

The Queensland government is considering a bid for Brisbane to host the Olympics as early as 2024.

Australian Olympic Committee chief John Coates has told The Australian newspaper Brisbane would be the most likely choice for a candidate city when Australia again applies to host the Games.

Premier Anna Bligh said on Tuesday she believed Brisbane would be a serious contender to host the Games and she would speak with Mr Coates when he returned from Beijing .

"If John Coates believes it's possible then I think we can make a very serious play for this," Ms Bligh told reporters in Brisbane.

"I think people understand that these bids are very competitive - we'd be up against very big players internationally.

"But frankly, in 15 to 20 years time I think we'll be more than up for it."

Australia previously hosted the Olympics in Melbourne in 1956 and Sydney in 2000.

Ms Bligh said Brisbane already had "world class" transport and facilities such as Suncorp Stadium and the Gabba.

"These are things that we can build on to make an Olympic bid successful," she said.

Brisbane Lord Mayor Campbell Newman welcomed Mr Coates' endorsement.

"I'd certainly be happy to work with other southeast Queensland mayors, state and federal governments on a bid if the people wanted it for the region," he said.

"I think any bid should be for the southeast corner, with events on the Sunshine and Gold Coasts and it being a regional collaboration, with Brisbane as the focus."

He said it would be possible to put in place infrastructure to handle the Games within 15 to 20 years.

Griffith University Olympics expert, Professor Kristine Toohey, who is in Beijing , said that the state was capable of hosting the Games, but cost would be a major factor.

She said the price of security and technology had increased since the Sydney Olympics which came before the terror attacks of September 11, 2001.

"Certainly the AOC (Australian Olympic Committee) has an interest in getting another Olympic Games , the 2024 games perhaps," Prof Toohey said.

"What is in Australia's favour is that the Sydney games were very successful.

"What's not in our favour is that it's now going to cost so much more to organise."

Michael Brierley, executive director of the Queensland Olympic Council, said while it would be "absolutely fantastic" if the Olympics were held in Brisbane, it would not realistically occur for decades.

"History tells us it would be at least another 20 or 30 years before the IOC would consider bringing it back down to Australia after a very successful bid for the Sydney games in 2000," Mr Brierley said.

LNP deputy leader Mark McArdle said he believed a bid could be successful, given Brisbane's success hosting Expo 88 and the 1982 Commonwealth Games.

Meanwhile, Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) vice president Peter Montgomery has said that Brisbane would face a tough but not impossible task if it was to make a bid to host the Olympic Games .

Montgomery said the AOC had passed a resolution two years ago that if Australia was going to bid to host a third Summer Games, Brisbane would be the most likely candidate city.

"With such prestigious large cities bidding for the Games constantly, it would be a difficult task," Montgomery told reporters in Beijing on Tuesday.

"It's not an impossible task."

Australian shooter Russell Mark, appearing at his fifth Olympics in Beijing , supported a Brisbane bid.

"I'd like it to be in Hoppers Crossing," the jovial veteran who calls the outer Melbourne suburb home joked before adding that Brisbane would make a "fantastic" host.

"Anything in Australia would be tremendous. I think any athlete in Australia would be 100 per cent behind it, I couldn't see any reason why they wouldn't want to do it.

"Sydney did a great Games and there's no reason why Brisbane couldn't do just as good or even better."