‘Pull back the curtain’: Senate inquiry into Brisbane Games

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s decision to dump an independent infrastructure agency to oversee projects for the Brisbane 2032 Olympics and Paralympics in favour of keeping it in-house has sparked a Senate Inquiry.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s decision to dump an independent infrastructure agency to oversee projects for the Brisbane 2032 Olympics and Paralympics in favour of keeping it in-house has sparked a Senate Inquiry.

The Coalition and Greens have joined forces to ensure funding arrangements will go under the microscope of a special Senate inquiry examining how billions of dollars in taxpayer funds are being spent and to ensure a lasting sporting legacy is delivered.

It will look into adequacy of existing sporting infrastructure, appropriateness of oversight and accountability measures, as well as the impact on housing affordability and other issues.

It is understood a range of groups will be called to make submissions, including representatives from the state government, the Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and peak sporting bodies.

Opposition infrastructure spokeswoman Bridget McKenzie. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Federal Opposition infrastructure spokeswoman Bridget McKenzie said everyone wanted a successful Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games, but it had been a very opaque process so far.

“There’s an inherent conflict of interest with how the oversight body has been set up,” she said.

“Sport should be above politics. Having an independent oversight body not resting within the Premier’s own department would have been a much more transparent and accountable way of dealing billions and billions of taxpayers’ money.”

Queensland Greens Senator Penny Allman-Payne said the inquiry would be an opportunity to “pull back the curtain” on the Olympics arrangements.

“While many Queenslanders struggle to find affordable housing, public schools are understaffed and regional maternity services are closing across the state, there are so many more important things this $2.7 billion could be spent on, especially in a cost of living crisis,” she said.

Greens Senator Penny Allman-Payne. Picture: AUSPIC

The state and federal governments agreed last month to a $7 billion Olympics spend on a range of venues, including the Gabba and $2.5 billion for the Brisbane Live venue to be built at Roma Street.

Earlier this month Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announcing that a leaders’ forum, which she will chair, will have oversight of the Olympics Coordination Office, which will be located in her department.

A specially commissioned Deloitte report found this arrangement would avoid bureaucratic double-ups and costs, while the co-ordination office will be accountable to the parliament.

Also on the leaders’ forum will be Olympics organising committee president Andrew Liveris, several southeast Queensland mayors and two federal Ministers.

Earlier this week, Australian Olympics Committee boss Matt Carroll said all the Gabba Stadium needed was “a coat of paint” for the Olympics and that it would benefit cricket and AFL, before clarifying the he supported the redevelopment.

The inquiry is expected to report by September 1 this year.