Cyclone won’t delay GIICA’s review, says deputy premier

The results of the Queensland government’s 100-day review will not be slowed down by Cyclone Alfred, with the Games Independent Infrastructure and Co-ordination Authority to hand over the report as planned on Saturday.

Last month, Premier David Crisafulli revealed the review findings, which were due on Saturday, would not be made public until March 25 following a fortnight of stakeholder consultation.

There had been fears the cyclone could throw a spanner in the works, but Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie – the minister overseeing the process – confirmed there would be no delays as a result of the cyclone, since downgraded to a tropical low, making landfall.

A new aquatic centre for Victoria Park is one of the suggestions being considered by GIICA.Credit: Archipelago

Bleijie said he would receive the report, as planned, on Saturday even as ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred batters South East Queensland.

“Then the government will consider it, and as we have indicated, we release it to everybody – and the government response – on the 25th of March,” he said.

Bleijie said he would take his recommendations to the state cabinet a day earlier, on March 24.

“Then we’ll release it, together with the report,” he said,

“So Queenslanders will see the final report on the Games, and then they’ll also see the government response on the 25th of March.

“Then we will get on with it.”

GIICA was convened in November and started taking public submissions for its 100-day review the following month; about 5000 were received.

Olympic planning had stalled after Steven Miles replaced Annastacia Palaszczuk as premier and immediately called a halt to the Gabba rebuild, while former lord mayor Graham Quirk conducted a 60-day review.

That review recommended a new stadium at Victoria Park – a recommendation Miles promptly rejected in favour of a no-frills option at the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre on the southside.

The most mentioned topic among the submissions was the debate about Brisbane’s new centrepiece stadium, with suggestions for and against Victoria Park, along with a proposal for a new Gabba West stadium.

There were also many submissions about the locations of other major and minor venues, including a swimming centre at Mount Coot-tha or Victoria Park, and a secondary rectangular stadium at Perry Park to complement the larger Suncorp Stadium.

Bleijie received a draft of the review late last month and on Friday remained coy on its contents.

“I’m not sure because I don’t get the report ’til tomorrow,” he said, when asked if he was happy with the recommendations.

Nine News has reported that Victoria Park had received the nod as the main Olympic stadium, while there have also been reports the planned Brisbane Arena may end up at the old Go Print site at Woolloongabba.