Brisbane’s $450m bus stop: So many unanswered questions

It’s the “final signature piece” linking the public to the Gabba for the 2032 Olympic Games but our politicians can’t say why it will cost so much, when it will open or even what it will look like.

The $450m bus stop at the centre of the South East Queensland City Deal is the “final signature piece” linking the public to the Gabba for the 2032 Olympics, but politicians still can’t say why it will cost so much, when it will open, or what it would look like.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, along with mayors of the South East, signed off on the $1.8bn City Deal on Monday – cheering on their “great teamwork”, despite three years of bitter negotiations it took to get it off the ground.

The signing of the City Deal also locks in the state government’s first financial contribution to the council-led Brisbane Metro project after years of stonewalling.

Ms Palaszczuk even signalled the $450m Brisbane Metro interchange, with the Cross River Rail at the Gabba, had always been a “critical piece of infrastructure”.

This is despite her government in 2016 rejecting the council’s suggestion that the rail and bus networks should share that site.

The price tag of the new station makes it one of the most expensive anchor projects of Australia’s eight other City Deals, eclipsing the initial $250m put toward the Townsville stadium and the $250m relocation of a university into the Darwin CBD.

Why it is so expensive ­remains unclear, although it is understood the station will require underground works.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk after announcing the SEQ City Deal at the Gabba Stadium in Brisbane. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

Ms Palaszczuk said she was under the impression the metro station would be ready by the time Cross River Rail was operating in 2024-25, but couldn’t confirm a clear estimated start date.

Deputy Premier Steven Miles described the project as “much more than a new station” and rather “a major new transport interchange linking our flagship Cross River Rail … with the Brisbane City Council’s flagship metro project.

“People will be able to change from metro to trains here, access our new train stations and of course get to and from the fantastic Olympics venue the Gabba that will be rebuilt,” Mr Miles said. Mr Morrison said that a ­separate bucket of funding for Olympic Games infrastructure would be negotiated and agreed to.

“The urgency around this is the need, particularly as we’re moving forward into the next phase of getting arrangements together for the Olympics, is that this is a foundation I think that we build on,” he said.

Notably, Ms Palaszczuk revealed the commonwealth would contribute funding – expected to be half – of the $1bn redevelopment of The Gabba ahead of the Games.

Business and industry groups, including Business South Bank and the Committee for Brisbane, welcomed the deal.