Brisbane 2032 Olympics: Gabba highest profile casualty of venue plan
David Crisafulli says it’s been “three years of chaos and crisis” since Queesland was awarded the Games. He’s about to flip the script and “get the show back on the road”.
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Premier David Crisafulli has delivered his strongest indication yet that a new stadium would be built at Victoria Park despite his pre-election promise of “no new stadiums”.
Mr Crisafulli, speaking at a joint new conference with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Canberra on Monday morning, said it had been “three years of chaos and crisis” since Queensland was awarded the Games.
He said his government’s venues plan, to be released on Tuesday, would “get the show back on the road”.
HOW TO WATCH THE PREMIER’S OLYMPIC VENUES PLAN ANNOUNCEMENT LIVE
“I have this view that if you provide the information and the reasons behind your decision, whatever those decisions are, I think overwhelmingly people will respect where we’re going,” he said.
Almost half of the Olympic venues proposed by Brisbane when it bid for the Games in 2021 – including the flagship new arena and upgraded Gabba – won’t feature in the final infrastructure blueprint handed down on Tuesday.
The revelation indicates the significant turmoil in planning for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games and little progress on infrastructure despite the city enjoying a three-year head start.
The bid submitted to the IOC and endorsed in Tokyo on July 21, 2021, featured three venue zones: Brisbane and the Gold and Sunshine coasts.
Of the 14 Brisbane sporting venues, six are expected to be changed or axed by Premier David Crisafulli when he hands down the final Games infrastructure plan at The Courier-Mail’s Future Brisbane lunch on Tuesday.
The Gabba is all but certain to head the list of axed venues.
In 2021, it was proposed to be Brisbane’s main stadium to host the ceremonies and athletics, but is now tipped to instead become the city’s second-choice round stadium following the construction of a new venue at Victoria Park.
The $2.5bn Brisbane Arena is also thought to be on the chopping block as Infrastructure Minister Jarrod Bleijie seeks to manage significant cost pressures to deliver venues within the $7.1bn envelope.
Mr Albanese last week refused to say whether the federal government would withdraw its $2.5bn funding for an inner-city arena if the project was axed, adding its importance extended beyond the Games.
Mr Crisafulli declined to say whether there was a back-up plan if the Commonwealth rejected repurposing the Brisbane Arena.
“I reckon we’ve spoken a lot about it,” he said.
We’ve negotiated well together ... we’ve worked together well.
“Of course there’s been some strong negotiations, two people of Italian descent you’d expect that
“There’s nothing that can’t be solved over a bit of common sense and a cannoli.”
Mr Crisafulli said the state had a plan to deliver generational infrastructure.
“It’s a plan to make sure we do host a great Games when the eyes of the world are on us,” he said.
The 100-day review panel is thought to have backed the 17,000-seat arena being built adjacent to the Gabba to host swimming in a drop-in pool.
The proposed Brisbane Indoor Sports Centre – slated to host basketball – is also expected to be axed.
Victoria Park was pencilled as the venue for BMX freestyle and equestrian cross country, but the likely construction of a new 60,000-seat stadium is expected to see those events moved.
Cross-country equestrian is tipped to be moved to the Toowoomba Showgrounds. That will force the associated equestrian disciplines of dressage and showjumping, slated for Brisbane Showgrounds, to also be relocated to Toowoomba.
A shadow remains over Suncorp Stadium’s hosting of the football and rugby sevens events, with Football Australia agitating for a new stadium at Perry Park.
Boxing, despite being given a reprieve to compete in Los Angeles, still faces an uncertain future in Brisbane.
It was originally slated for Nathan’s Nissan Arena before being touted for Moreton Bay Indoor Sports Centre.
With six of Brisbane’s 14 venues thought to be at risk, the Gold and Sunshine coasts could be big winners.
Both Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate and Sunshine Coast Mayor Rosanna Natoli have offered to contribute cash to help the state and federal government build venues.
Tenders for preliminary work on some minor Brisbane and Sunshine Coast venues were issued by the former Labor state government but no sod has been turned on any project. As premier, Steven Miles axed the Gabba rebuild and tasked former Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk to find an alternative – only to reject his March 2024 proposal to build a new stadium at Victoria Park.
Instead, Mr Miles said Queenslanders struggling with cost of living would expect him to reject the stadium, as he instead pledged $1.6bn to turn the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre into a temporary 40,000-seat athletics stadium – the smallest in Olympic history.
Asked this week whether Brisbane had made the most of the three-year head start gifted by the International Olympic Committee, Mr Miles said he was expecting Mr Crisafulli to keep his word.
“He made two promises to Queenslanders repeatedly and that was that he would not build a new stadium and that he would not go above the $7.2bn budget,” he said.
“Now what we’re hearing from within the hand-picked review put in place by the LNP is that they intend to recommend he break both of those promises, that he build a new stadium at Victoria Park and that he allocate billions of dollars of extra funds.
“Let’s not forget there were many venues ready to start construction and all of that has been put on hold including venues here on the Sunshine Coast that are absolutely critical for the delivery of the games but more importantly would deliver the community sporting facilities that this growing community needs.”
The lack of construction will put pressure on Queensland’s ability to deliver almost two dozen new or upgraded venues within seven years – while also balancing non-Olympics health and transport infrastructure.
Mr Quirk on Monday told the Today show the state government needs to get moving.
“Time has been ticking and we’re now in a situation where human resources and costs of projects are significant factors in getting this bill done,” he said.
He said the main venue should provide benefits for Queensland for the future after the Games.
“We are going to see good investment in Brisbane, it will be investment for Brisbane and Queensland which will help young people,” he said.
“We will also see improved outcomes for public transport.”
“We just have to wait and see what comes out (on Tuesday).”
Australian Constructors Association chief executive Jon Davies said the state was “up against the clock” and warned it could not afford years of drawn-out business cases and tender processes.
“Queensland had years to prepare for the 2032 Games but much of that time has been wasted,” he said.
“The Games infrastructure will be built alongside record-high infrastructure investment across Queensland, interstate and globally.
“We will not be able to fly in enough additional workers even if we wanted to.”
Mr Davies said procurement should focus on capability, innovation, and efficiency – not just the lowest price.
■ Cases for and against every stadium plan
WHAT WE KNOW
Victoria Park: A 60,000 seat oval stadium in the Victoria Park precinct is largely expected to be named as the preferred main venue of the 2032 Games, in what will be a shift from the government’s “no new stadiums” mantra.
National Aquatics Centre: A state-of-the-art swimming arena to be built across the road from a new Victoria Park stadium was firming as surprise 2032 Games mega-precinct. There would be a main and secondary stadium featuring two large indoor pools capable of hosting swimming, artistic swimming, water polo and diving.
Athletes’ village: Relocation of the main athletes’ village from Northshore Hamilton to the RNA Showgrounds on the edge of the Brisbane CBD is possible, with the plan expected to save billions of dollars.
Relocation of Brisbane Arena: The review is expected to suggest moving the proposed Brisbane Arena from Roma Street Parkland to the former GoPrint site adjacent to the Gabba. The federal government has put in $2.5bn, but the state government is expected to seek a redistribution of those funds.
Queensland Tennis Centre: In a bid to ensure Brisbane hosts the Olympic tennis events, the Queensland Tennis Centre will likely get a $113 million upgrade to meet the International Tennis Federation’s standards.
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