Source: The Sunshine Coast Daily [Damian Bathersby]

The $16 million price tag on each of our Olympic gold medals could build 90 units for Sunshine Coast people with disabilities or go a long way towards providing a stadium at Stockland Park.

It could fund construction of eight new ambulance stations; build almost three new 24-hour police stations and even knock a big hole in the $45 million bill for the community health precinct planned for Maroochydore.

But it seems many of us don’t mind our taxes being funnelled into elite sports.

Recent media reports claim Australian taxpayers forked out about $16 million through direct federal grants for each of the 14 gold medals won by our Olympians in Beijing.

And at least some people feel it isn’t too high a price to pay for gold.

“In terms of inspiring and creating community spirit, it is probably money that is okay spent that way,” said Integrated Family and Youth Services manager, Mark Clissold

That’s despite the cost of one gold medal equating to about 90 accommodation units for people with disabilities or the cost of 95 young people being cared for at home instead of living in nursing homes.

“So there is a lot we could do (with that amount of money) but I love sport – it inspires a whole generation of people to achieve and celebrate Australia and our community,” he said.

Australian sports administrators have begun haggling for more money and Prime Minister Kevin Rudd admitted the challenge was to cater for both elite sports and the wider community.

“It’s not a question of one or the other, we need to do both because that’s part of who we are as Australia,” he said, vowing to provide more funding for elite sport in the future but saying details were yet to be worked out.

Despite being on the other side of the political fence, Caloundra MP Mark McArdle agreed the cost of gold was “money well spent”.

“We have young people here who are obese and do little exercise and we are saying to them ‘if you want to live a long and healthy life then start early with good routines and one of those routines is sport,” said the deputy leader of the Liberal National Party.

“We pay millions of dollars to save many more millions in health costs down the track, so I fully support giving young people their heroes they can look up to.

“I couldn’t think of a better way of spending the money to encourage people to live long and healthy lives.”

But regional councillor, Labor Pary stalwart and health campaigner Debbie Blumel was less sure.

While she admitted $16 million would be a “drop in the bucket” of the billion-dollar budget for the Coast’s new regional hospital, she said there were plenty of other health-related areas which would benefit.

“I recognise the need for elite sport but there is a significant cost and if I had to balance it out I would definitely prefer to see it spent on health and community support services,” she said.

“That to me is more important – ensuring people who live amongst us and are disadvantaged by virtue of their health, are looked after.”

Caloundra Regional Gallery director John Waldron held a similar view when it came to the arts.

“The Olympics are a celebration of human endeavour which should be recognised and supported – I’m all for that,” he said.

“However, I’m also all for the support of other cultural endeavours such as the arts.

“It would be great to see the arts achieve that same sort of recognition and accolade through the development of cultural facilities and progams.”

Despite being frustrated by a lack of money for a $23 million stadium at Stockland Park, the CEO of the Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles, Brett Winkler, said he would never begrudge other sporting groups their good fortune.

“With that amount of money we could certainly do plenty but there is no way we would ever say ‘give it us and not them’,” he said.

“If that figure is accurate then it’s worth it in the scheme of things when you look at what sport does and the people it reaches.

“It’s not a handout, it’s an investment.”

THE COMPARISONS

$1 million – Enable six young people with disabilities to move out of nursing homes and be cared for at home.

$2 million – Build a new ambulance station.

$2.5 million – Build units to house 15 disabled people.

$5.5 million – Build a 24-hour police station at Sippy Downs

$16 million – Win an Olympic gold medal.

$22 million – Build the Sippy Downs interchange.

$23 million – Build a sports stadium at Stockland Park.

$25 million – Redevelopment of Caloundra Hospital to provide an extra 30 beds.

$45 million – Build a community health precinct in Maroochydore.

$104 million – Upgrading of Sunshine Motorway from Maroochydore Road to David Low Way, including new Maroochy River Bridge.

$230 million – Build a new runway at Sunshine Coast Airport.

$1 billion – Build a new Sunshine Coast hospital.