Australia considers Olympic bid with Brisbane

BEIJING (Reuters) - Australia are considering a bid to stage the Summer Olympics for the third time after agreeing on a preferred candidate city.

The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) have selected the Queensland state capital of Brisbane for any future bid after Melbourne hosted the Olympics in 1956 then Sydney in 2000.

"About two years ago, we passed a resolution to the effect that if there was going to be a third Summer Games in Australia ... Brisbane would be the candidate," AOC vice-president Peter Montgomery told a news conference on Tuesday.

Montgomery said it was too early to say when Brisbane would bid for the Olympics but the earliest possibility would be 2020 because London has been awarded the 2012 Games and the shortlist for 2016 has already been selected.

Brisbane launched an unsuccessful bid for the 1992 Olympics, which were awarded to Barcelona, and Montgomery admitted the city faced a difficult task winning them so soon after Sydney.

"It would be very difficult to win a bid ... but it's not an impossible task," he said.

"With such prestigious large cities bidding for the Games constantly it would be a difficult ... so building venues in a flurry now might not be a wise idea."

(Editing by Jeremy Laurence)