Secrecy over Olympic rowing course fuels south-east rower backlash

The Crisafulli government has not released a key report clearing Rockhampton's Olympic rowing venue, sparking anger from south-east Queensland rowers, according to The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

The rowing venue in question is located on the Fitzroy River in Rockhampton, around 600 kilometres north of Brisbane. According to The Island Sri Lanka and BBC World, the river is home to about 500 saltwater crocodiles.

The course has been approved by the sport's governing bodies, World Rowing and Paddle Worldwide, after a "thorough and robust assessment", as per Daily Times. The assessment, commissioned by the Games Independent Infrastructure and Coordination Authority (GIICA), looked at the course's suitability under various conditions, but did not consider the crocodiles. Contingency plans are reportedly in place to ensure rower safety in the event of crocodile sightings.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, Daily Times, The Island Sri Lanka, BBC World — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.