Could Victoria Park be the solution for Brisbane 2032?

Speculation over the Victoria Park stadium project has resurfaced, as the new Deputy Premier insists the government can reverse Olympic cost blowouts plaguing three key venues.

Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie insists the government can reverse Olympic cost blowouts plaguing three key minor venues, as speculation over the potential for the Victoria Park stadium project resurfaces.

It comes after the costs of three 2032 venues -the Chandler and Sunshine Coast Indoor Sport Centres and Sunshine Coast Stadium- were found to have gone over budget by $181m.

In response to accusations that he purposely hid the cost blowouts prior to the election, Opposition Leader Steven Miles on Friday claimed that increased costs only become known during caretaker mode.

Victoria Park could be home to an Olympic stadium. Pic: ARCHIPELAGO

Mr Miles, asked whether he would have been able to request updated costs prior to the election, said the independent Games Delivery Authority was in charge of the tender process.

“That’s something we created after significant calls for us to have that the nature of having a more independent delivery authority is that they run these processes and then come back to government with the outcome of those processes,” he said.

“And as I understand it, those tender processes are closed during caretaker mode and they wouldn’t have been able to release them.

“Obviously, they didn’t have to come back to government for any additional funding (prior to the election).”

The political bath and forth saw Mr Bleijie commit to reversing any project blowouts, through reframing scope of works, however, all three venues will still be included in the government’s upcoming 100-day infrastructure review.

Victoria Park could be back on the table as an Olympic stadium option. Pictured Supplied by ARCHIPELAGO

Asked whether the existing projects would be scrapped or construction halted if the review found them unviable, Mr Bleijie said he was confident they could be delivered under the original budgets.

“I’ve already spoken to the Sunshine Coast Mayor Rosanna Natoli, she’s already got her team looking at those two particular projects on the Sunshine Coast, looking at how to put those back in their original budget,” Mr Bleijie said.

Meanwhile, the new LNP government left the door slightly ajar for a new stadium build after Cricket Australia and the Brisbane Lions AFL club penned a letter urging it to consider building the Victoria Park precinct.

Both Premier David Crisafulli and Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie are yet to read the letter, however asked whether it would be considered, Mr Bleijie said he would be “happy to look into it”.

“I haven’t seen the letter, and I’m not going to comment on a letter that I haven’t seen yet,” Mr Bleijie said.

“Happy to look into it. We’re going to have a 100-day review.”

Mr Bleijie refused to be drawn on whether the government would accept the recommendations from the review, saying it would simply “look at what they advise”.

Premier David Crisafulli refused to say whether he would allow private investment to fund a new stadium build, keeping the government within the agreed funding envelope, if the 100-day Olympics review recommended it.

“Just let the review take its place, you know our terms of reference,” he said.

The Premier said he would be asking Cricket Australia and the Brisbane Lions to engage with the independent infrastructure bodies during the review process.

Victoria Parklands. Picture: John Gass