In a report released this week entitled ‘The Race to Gold - Brisbane’s Games Transport Legacy’, the City of Brisbane revealed a wide-ranging transport development plan to prepare for the needs of the city for the Olympic Games and beyond. This comprehensive plan includes numerous modes of transport, including the facilitation of electric air taxis.

“When we secured the Games, we knew it meant more than hosting for a few weeks: it was a chance to leave a lasting transport legacy for our city. The Games present a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to accelerate investment in our transport network and deliver long-term benefits for our community that are inclusive and accessible to all,” says Adrian Schrinner, Brisbane Lord Mayor.

Clem Newton-Brown, CEO of Australia-based vertiport developer Skyportz, welcomed the release of the paper, saying: “Brisbane is well suited for waterfront vertistops co-located with ferry terminals as the river wraps around the CBD. But they are also going to need suburban vertistops stretching from the Sunshine Coast to the Gold Coast and into the hinterland. In Australia we have strong support from our air regulator, CASA, federal and state governments, but what we need is strong buy-in from local governments, and South East Queensland is currently leading the way.”

The report states that the Olympic Games present a strong opportunity to showcase the potential of urban air mobility. Council of Mayors (South East Queensland) is playing a key role in facilitating collaboration between government agencies involved in the planning for urban air mobility.