Schrinner slams state’s ‘back to the future’ Olympic stadium plan, conduct

Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner has taken aim at the state’s handling of the 2032 Games, saying the government wanted “full credit (but) forgot that required full responsibility”.

Premier Steven Miles’s plan to use the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre as the city’s main Olympic Games stadium has been panned by Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner as a “back to the future” idea.

Mr Schrinner used a Property Council of Australia breakfast to slam the conduct of the state government in the three years since it won the 2032 Olympic Games.

“You know, long story short, they wanted full credit for the Olympics,” he said.

“They forgot that required full responsibility for the Olympics.”

Premier Steven Miles has moved to reverse policy decisions of his predecessor Annastacia Palaszczuk, including ditching the Gabba rebuild and instead moving the flagship athletics events to Nathan’s QSAC facility.

Detailed planning is yet to be undertaken, but it is expected the 40,000-seat development would cost some $1.6bn.

The Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre at Mount Gravatt.

Mr Schrinner, who has previously criticised the use of QSAC, argued it remained a proposal that could be changed by whoever forms government after the October state election.

“I can’t say that it’s going to be fait accompli until the full feasibility work and business case has been done and that has not yet been done,” he said.

“QSAC is at this perfect point in time a proposal, but without a business case and without detailed costings.”

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner slammed the stadium plan and the the conduct of the state government in the three years since it won the 2032 Olympic Games. Picture: John Gass

Mr Schrinner panned the state of Games planning, noting the decision to use QSAC without proper planning was the same one made by Ms Palaszczuk about an upgraded Gabba.

“This is a bit of back to the future because the original proposal on the Gabba was made without a business case and we’ve done it again … well, not me but someone’s done it again,” he said.

“Whoever is in government, whether it be LNP, Labor, Greens, they will have to look at those figures and then make a judgement going forward,” he said.

“The final decision has not yet been made and I don’t think it will be made until we get those figures in.”

The Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre.

Mr Schrinner in December accused the state government of “extortion” for demanding the council stump-up its share of $140m to upgrade the RNA Showgrounds.

It prompted an all-out war between the two levels of government and was seen, by some inside the Labor Party, as the final nail in the coffin of the Palaszczuk government.

Mr Miles has also backed down on his predecessor’s refusal to establish an independent authority to deliver infrastructure.

The Lord Mayor argued it should have been done 18 months ago, but said it was a positive move if the authority wasn’t stacked with former politicians.

“These people need to be independent, credible experts in their field and determined to deliver,” he said.