Premier ‘confident’ Olympics can be done for $7.1bn despite blowouts

Premier David Crisafulli is asking Canberra for more cash, while saying Olympic stadiums can be built within the existing budget.

Premier David Crisafulli (right) with Deputy Premier and Infrastructure Minister Jarrod Bleijie. Picture: Lachie Millard/NCA NewsWire

• Editor’s view: Pick your battles

Premier David Crisafulli insists sports venues to host Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games can be built within the existing $7.1bn budget, but can’t say why he’s asking Canberra to stump up more cash.

The Queensland and Commonwealth governments in February 2023 agreed to a $7.1bn budget to build major and minor venues for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

However Deputy Premier and Infrastructure Minister Jarrod Bleijie has revealed the cost of three minor venues has already increased by $181m, noting Brisbane Arena is expected to cost more than $2.5bn.

It prompted Mr Bleijie to declare he was not comfortable with Queenslanders picking up the tab for the blowouts, and pledge to review the funding agreement with the Commonwealth.

Mr Crisafulli, asked whether Games venues could be built within the $7.1bn envelope, said they could.

“I’m very confident that funding window will be delivered,” he said.

“Have you ever seen a state government that doesn’t want more money from Canberra?

“I’m always going to go and fight for more from Canberra.”

Federal Industrial Relations Minister and Queensland senator Murray Watt. Picture: Martin Ollman/NCA NewsWire

The $7.1bn is split 50:50 between the state and Commonwealth, but Mr Crisafulli was unable to say whether extra cash from Canberra would be matched with extra cash from Queensland – exceeding the $7.1bn budget.

“We’re not talking about Canberra paying more of their share of the Games but we are going to be working well with Canberra,” he said.

Federal Industrial Relations Minister and Queensland senator Murray Watt said the federal government had capped its contribution to the Olympics.

“If any of you entered into an agreement like that, you probably wouldn’t be keen to renegotiate it when it’s there in black and white,” he said.

“… It was well understood, and I think it was part of the agreement that for the Brisbane Arena project, that any cost increases would be borne by the state government, not the federal government.”

Senator Watt said the agreement in place explicitly declared the cost was capped, and argued the LNP was embarking on a “shock horror” strategy around budget blowouts.

“I think it’s every day we see a new claim being made in terms of the Olympics,” he said.

“I am concerned that having yet another review into something that has been reviewed to death is only just going to result in more delays and more cost blowouts, so that’s why we’ve been saying it’s time to get on with it.”