Overview
- In mid-September 2026 an independent assessment led Queensland to formally select the Fitzroy River in Rockhampton to host rowing, para-rowing, canoe sprint and para-canoe for the 2032 Games.
- World Rowing and Paddle Worldwide publicly endorsed the assessment’s finding that the course can provide fair competition, but they and national federations say several technical details must be confirmed in the GIICA-led Project Validation Report.
- Media and officials note the river is a protected saltwater crocodile habitat with roughly 500 animals reported in the system and that the technical assessment did not evaluate crocodile risk.
- Local capacity and natural hazards worry critics: Rockhampton is about 600 km from Brisbane, regional short-term accommodation is reported to need several hundred to about 1,200 extra rooms, and the river’s changing flows and flood potential raise operational questions.
- GIICA will proceed to detailed design and construction planning, while discussions of wildlife-management measures and long-term legacy remain unresolved and will form part of operational and validation planning.