Brisbane Arena’s $2.5bn funding locked in – for now

Brisbane Arena’s $2.5bn funding remains locked in, as the federal Infrastructure Minister revealed there had been no requests for the money to be repurposed for other 2032 projects.

An artists impression of the proposed Brisbane Arena. The new major event venue will be one of two Brisbane 2032 Olympics and Paralympics aquatic venues.

Brisbane Arena’s $2.5bn funding remains locked in, as the federal Infrastructure Minister revealed there had been no requests for the money to be repurposed for other 2032 projects.

Catherine King did not meet with the Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie to discuss the draft 2032 infrastructure review report while in Brisbane on Thursday.

But Ms King said Mr Bleijie had promised to give the federal government “early line of sight” of the final report, due to be handed down at a special Courier-Mail Future Brisbane event on March 25.

“I text messaged with him on (Wednesday). The Deputy Premier has undertaken to give us early line of sight of the final report of the Brisbane Olympics review,” she said.

“As a 50-50, partner in funding the Olympic venues, we’re very keen to work with the Queensland Government on ensuring that we have this lasting legacy.

“I understand the Queensland Government has received the draft review and we look forward to hearing about it as soon as the Queensland Government is ready to share that with us.”

Mr Bleijie confirmed the federal government would be a key stakeholder consulted before State Cabinet signed off on the delivery plan on March 24.

Catherine King, Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government with Labor’s candidate for the seat of Brisbane Madonna Jarrett (left) and the candidate for the seat of Ryan Rebecca Hack (right). Picture: Dan Peled

“The Games Independent Infrastructure and Coordination Authority report and the Government’s Delivery Plan will be released to Queenslanders simultaneously on March 25,” he said.

“With our Delivery Plan, Queenslanders won’t be embarrassed on the world stage.”

But Mr Bleijie would not say if a request to repurpose any or all of the $2.5bn federal arena funding for other 2032 projects would be made.

Ms King said she was yet to receive any requests.

“We simply just don’t know what’s in the review,” she said.

“I do have a view, obviously, that the Brisbane Arena is really important.”

Ms King was in spruiking a $200m transport package, including $50m of City Deal money for a Brisbane Metro business case to investigate four proposed extension routes.

She said she “would not get into hypotheticals” on if the federal government would give more or repurpose funding towards a new stadium like at Victoria Park.

She said the main federal commitment remained the $2.5bn for Brisbane Arena.

“We think the Brisbane Arena is a really iconic and important project for the city of Brisbane, particularly leaving that legacy for a large scale entertainment venue,” she said.

“We’ve done the business case work.

“It is ready to go, and that is where the Commonwealth money currently sits, as well as the money that’s going into the minor venues.

“We will work with the Queensland Government once they’ve got a line of sight in terms of what they want to do in relation to the review, and we’ll make our decisions based on that, but collaboratively.”