Brisbane Live arena plan faces test

Until now, Roma Street Parkland has been the frontrunner location for a new 17,000-seat entertainment centre. But does the government have another site in mind?

THE Palaszczuk Government has not ruled out an alternative site to Roma Street Parkland for a proposed 17,000-seat CBD entertainment centre.

Tourism Minister Kate Jones said yesterday the ­market had shown a strong ­interest in the Roma St site.

“All of the analysis to date has shown Brisbane Live would be a transformational investment in Roma Street,’’ Ms Jones said.

“While other sites have been floated, they have not been as compelling as Roma Street. They have all struggled from a space, precinct activation and connectivity point of view. But let’s … test exactly whether the current appetite for Roma Street really is what the market has so far told us.”

When Brisbane Live was first mooted in 2015, preliminary cost estimates undertaken by Treasury put the figure at $2 billion.

But ASM Global, the project champion, believes it can be done for significantly less.

The Government has also outlined how Cross River Rail stations will transform the CBD and be a major part of the state’s 2032 Olympics bid.

“It’s very much part of the transformation of the city,” Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said.