Brisbane 2032 QSAC stadium slammed by Opposition leader David Crisafulli as ‘cringe-worthy, desperate’

Labor’s controversial choice for the Brisbane 2032 athletics stadium has been slammed by the Opposition Leader who says he “would be stunned” if Queenslanders were proud of “temporary facilities in the middle of the bush”.

QSAC is Labor’s preferred choice for the Brisbane 2032 athletics stadium. Picture: Nigel Hallett

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli has blasted the government’s selection of QSAC as the athletics stadium for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, stating it was a “cringeworthy” plan backed by none.

Asked on Wednesday whether QSAC would be included in the LNP’s considerations for 2032 Olympic and Paralympic venues, Mr Crisafulli firmly shut down any possibility that the stadium would emerge as a project worthy of taxpayer money, and all but confirmed it was off the table for 2032.

“It’s a horrendous plan, and its prospect in the eyes of any Queenslander other than a bloke called Steven, is zilch,” he said.

Leader of the Opposition David Crisafulli. Picture: Liam Kidston

“I don’t think there’s any scenario where any Queenslander looks at that [QSAC] plan and doesn’t see anything but cringeworthiness from a desperate government,” he said.

“There is no one who believes that that project is either value for money or provides a legacy option.

“Whilst I look forward to the results of the 100-day review, if a project like that came out the other end, at a time when Queenslanders are yearning to be proud of their government and their state on the world stage, I would be stunned.”

State Development and Infrastructure Minister Grace Grace earlier on Wednesday revealed the project validation report for QSAC was due to be completed by mid-2025.

The report will assess whether the $1.6bn QSAC proposal can be completed on time and within budget.

Mr Crisafulli says QSAC is a “cringeworthy” plan backed by none. No Byline Please.

The Opposition has vowed to conduct an independent review into Olympic and Paralympic projects within 100 days if elected in October.

But Mr Crisafulli says the review’s parameters will not change to include new stadium builds, pointing to a potential return to the Gabba as Brisbane’s choice venue.

“But the idea of spending well north of a billion dollars in temporary facilities for something in the middle of the bush makes no sense in anyone’s language,” he said.

Mr Crisafulli has committed to remaining within the current $7.1bn 2032 Games budget.

Brisbane 2032 organising committee boss Andrew Liveris again refused to comment on the use of QSAC, but said a smaller 40,000-seat stadium would affect ticket revenue and the $5bn operating budget.

“We need to know the cost aspect of what would be the athletic stadium,” he said.

“You just have to be in the Stade de France watching the sevens rugby with 80,000 people providing revenue and top sponsors providing revenue to understand the power of having a right-size stadium for the Olympics.

“If QSAC ends up being the answer based on cost and revenue then we will have to look at where we do events… but we’re waiting for the PVR [Project Validation Report] on that.

“Very conscious that comes out after the election, so we’ll see what happens after the election.”

The organising committee boss reiterated Brisbane was not “Hicksville” and argued the success of the Games - like in Paris - rested on delivering the “Cathy Freeman” sporting moment.

Andrew Liveris, President of the Brisbane 2032 Organizing Committee. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

“At the end of day the venues didn’t matter, the performances mattered and the French partisanship was staggering,” he said.

“That’s what we’re going to have… Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, oi, oi, oi… this is really what makes it all work.

“It isn’t the squabbling about venue A versus venue B.”