How many Olympics elections will Queensland have, one or two? The first election could well influence the second.

Will the October 2024 state election be a referendum on the 2032 Olympics, or will that come later at the 2028 poll. My strong belief is the Olympics are a metaphor for both an ideal and a brighter future, but also a judgement on competency. A question of which side of politics can deliver the Games, and do us proud. A two-edge sword for the Palaszczuk Government.

As it stands, despite claiming credit for winning the Olympics they are in deep political trouble on youth crime, law and order and health: questions of delivery and competency. They won’t be wanting to run on their record on Saturday, 26 October 2024. Anything but.

At the time of the next state election, infrastructure progress will be palpable in SEQ with the new Queens Wharf Casino and attendant buildings open, transforming the look and feel of the Brisbane CBD.

Likewise the Cross River Rail, or parts thereof, will be opened, if not fully operating. The Gold Coast stage 3 Light Rail Project will be visible, but the Stage 4 leg is still only a promise.

The Sunshine Coast heavy rail line to the new Maroochydore CBD, the so-called Cairnscross Corridor, will still be being spruiked, if not much else.

Regional Queensland will be a different story. The perceived poorer cousins , with the much-vaunted Townsville to Mt Isa Copperstring 2 project still in early planning. It’s also likely that the Downers’ $7b Maryborough build of 65 trains will likely still be delayed and a future promise. No new trains to see.

In short, in 18 months time – the date of the next state election – there will be a fair share of colour and movement around Greater Brisbane, big projects delivered and the real promise of a new Gabba Olympics facility and precinct; Roma Street Entertainment Precinct, as well as reasonably-sized new Olympic projects dotted across SEQ.

Not to forget the state budget out-years sleeper, a poultice of small-to-medium state government infrastructure projects in peri-urban Brisbane (read seats in Ipswich, Logan and Caboolture).

But the regions will look very different, and in truth despite best efforts, only peripherally connected to the Brisbane Olympics.

That will present a major challenge to a Labor Government that has to secure its stranglehold on regional seats in Cairns, Townsville, Rockhampton and various Wide Bay cities .

During the long-term Beattie/Mackenroth, Bligh/Lucas State Governments, the need for big and visible regional city totemic projects was never forgotten. Entertainment Centres, new foreshores, big sporting facilities and new hospitals.

Annastacia Palaszczuk added to the lock on regional seats, but having reached their zenith in regional seats held at the 2020 poll, the tide is due to ebb.

Regional Queenslanders won’t be as starry-eyed about the Olympics – in truth they will be green with envy with the big SEQ Olympic spend. That, and government service delivery failures will be all too evident.

In many ways the 2024 election will be a harder ask for both the Blue and Red teams than the 2028 election, which might require a play it safe mentality for voters as a consequence of the proximity of the Olympics. The 2032 poll will be four months after the Olympics and have a completely different hue.

Both sides of politics will need to run split narratives in SEQ and regional seats (read straddle the barbed-wire fence), by speaking out of both sides of their mouth. No easy ask.

Look to infrastructure delivery and the promise of a shining 2032 Olympic Games, dare I say it , a “better future”, hope upon hope .

Or a large swag of the state of Queensland that will feel disconnected and malcontented. The Leader of the Opposition David Crisafulli, himself a former long-term regional Queenslander, gets it all too well. Don’t underestimate him.

The Palaszczuk Government will need a killer regional seat strategy in the next two state budgets, and during the 2024 elections. The clock is ticking.

Greg Hallam is a former Chief Executive of the Local Government Association of Queensland with a deep knowledge of Regional Queensland. He writes regularly for InQueensland