Premier Steven Miles voices concern over cost of Gabba redevelopment
New comments from Premier Steven Miles have cast new doubt over a controversial $2.7 billion Gabba rebuild ahead of the 2032 Games.
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Premier Steven Miles has given the strongest indication yet the government could axe the controversial $2.7bn Gabba rebuild, revealing he holds concerns “about the cost”.
Mr Miles, who announced in November a brand-new Gabba for the Brisbane 2032 Games was locked in after the decision had been signed off by Cabinet, said Tuesday the plan “right now” is to rebuild.
“But … I’m concerned about, as are Queenslanders, concerned about that cost,” he said.
“Concerned about the division that it’s causing in our community, concerned that it’s undermining what should be a positive for our state – hosting the Brisbane 2032 Games.”
The Premier said while the price had not changed since he endorsed the Gabba demolition in November, cost and division was why the government was conducting a review on Games’ projects, declaring it “an earnest review.
“We do want to hear if there are alternatives and what they are,” Mr Miles said.
The Premier’s comments followed Opposition Leader David Crisafulli – who opposes the demolition and rebuild of the Gabba – claiming stakeholders were being secretly briefed the plan would not go ahead.
Mr Crisafulli said this week the government was “shopping around” that the Gabba rebuild was not going ahead, saying “the drums have been very, very loud”.
Mr Miles’ comments also come less than two months after he – as Deputy Premier – announced the then-Palaszczuk Government’s commitment to completely demolish and rebuild the Gabba.
“We’re going for the best bang-for-buck and giving Queenslanders a new, modern stadium with all the finishes, because it is the best value for money, and it will deliver much more than a stadium,” Mr Miles said in November.
“What I can assure you all is that we have not only assessed all of the options for the Gabba, but also if there were an option to deliver the games without the Gabba, and there isn’t one. “We did a detailed analysis of all of the alternative options where you could host an opening ceremony where you hold athletics and there isn’t a scenario that doesn’t require the upgrade.”
Deputy LNP Leader Jarrod Bleijie on Tuesday said stakeholders had privately revealed the cost of the Gabba knockdown was “no longer $2.7bn” – but did not detail how high the cost had climbed.
“It’s la-la land, the Labor Party essentially developed this concept of the Gabba knockdown on the back of an envelope,” he said.
“There has never been a business case, there has never been any financial acumen applied to it.
“Be upfront, they know they’ve made the decision, be upfront, come clean today and copy and support the LNP’s position not to knock down and rebuild the Gabba.”
Mr Bleijie acknowledged, however, the LNP would not scrap the Gabba redevelopment if the government had started it by the October election.
“We’re not going to disturb those contracts but the reality is the election is months away,” he said.
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