Brisbane 2032: Former mayor Graham Quirk lauds RNA athletes’ village as masterstroke

Former Brisbane lord mayor Graham Quirk has unleashed on Steven Miles for ignoring his recommendation for a stadium at Victoria Park. Should Labor have listened? VOTE NOW

After Labor limited the scope of his venue review and ignored his recommendation for a Victoria Park stadium, former Brisbane lord mayor Graham Quirk has unleashed a stinging take-down of the now-ditched QSAC plan and thrown his support behind the RNA Athletes Village calling it the masterstroke of the 2032 Games.

The scope for the 2032 Games venue review commissioned by former premier Steven Miles in January 2024, barred Mr Quirk and his team from assessing sites for the opening and closing ceremonies, media centre and athletes villages.

But Mr Quirk says “history will show” his original stadium verdict was correct and public sentiment for the Games was finally back on track.

Former Brisbane Mayor Graham Quirk says history will show his plan for the stadium was right. Picture: Dan Peled / NCA NewsWire

“They’ve created a precinct if you like with the athletes village adjacent to the stadium,” he said.

“When I did the review I met with RNA officials and it was glaringly obvious it needed a facelift.

“It just wasn’t going to work (as the main stadium) within the budget framework and villages weren’t part of our remit either.”

RNA chief executive Brendan Christou revealed it was Mr Quirk’s review that acted as the catalyst for RNA’s partnership with Lendlease – a move which would see the showgrounds thrust back into the 2032 venue mix a year later.

The QSAC was widely opposed.

“That first review was very limited in scope,” he said.

“At that time we were deemed to be the designated home for equestrian.

“When the (Quirk) review came out and said Victoria Park, it make us think broader about what we could be used for and the athletes village was the brainchild of that.”

The state government last week released is 2032 delivery plan, which will see the private sector help refurbish the tired showgrounds with a 20,000- seat arena and two unit towers to house 10,000 athletes.

Mr Quirk has praised the planned athletes' village at Bowen Hills.

Mr Quirk said the move would create genuine legacy compared to the now-ditched 40,000-seat QSAC stadium plan which lacked both ­atmosphere and revenue potential.

“I know that site extremely well, I was there for the ’82 Commonwealth Games,” he said. “The amount of concrete you’d have to pour into that … it would have been an urban disaster. It would have been an embarrassment.”

One surprise that won him over was the proposed Games apprenticeship scheme, which he labelled a “call to arms” for the state’s next-generation tradies.

“They’ll dine out on that (legacy) for the rest of their lives,” he said.

But the government doesn't have “plenty” of time and needs to start building immediately.

“If there’s one thing we do need, it’s a sense of urgency to the build,” Mr Quirk said.

“I don’t believe we have a minute to waste.”

Originally published as Brisbane 2032: Former mayor Graham Quirk lauds RNA athletes’ village as masterstroke