Overview
- An independent technical assessment by the Games Independent Infrastructure and Coordination Authority and WaterProof found the Fitzroy could host rowing, para‑rowing, canoe sprint and para‑canoe, and the IOC has signed off on the site.
- World Rowing and Paddle Worldwide provisionally endorsed the assessment but asked that GIICA confirm further technical details and service levels through the Project Validation Report process.
- Crocodile numbers are contested: official 2019 DETSI modelling shows a low density of about 0.2 crocodiles per kilometre while multiple media reports cite roughly 500, and authorities are developing monitoring, patrol, capture/relocation and exclusion protocols for the race corridor.
- Significant operational and infrastructure questions remain, including natural‑river variability (flows and flood risk), bank works and flood resilience, Rockhampton’s roughly 600 km distance from Brisbane, and a regional shortfall of about 1,200 short‑term rooms before Olympic demand is counted.
- Local clubs and school regattas already use the freshwater stretch above the barrage, which supporters say promises regional legacy and athlete pathways while critics warn the natural site may struggle to deliver frequent post‑Games use and consistent conditions.