Anthony Albanese pledges $2.5bn for Brisbane Arena

Anthony Albanese is holding firm on the federal government’s plan to build a new inner-city entertainment centre for Brisbane in time for the 2032 Games.

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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is holding firm on the federal government’s plan to build a new inner-city entertainment centre for Brisbane in time for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Mr Albanese said the importance of the $2.5bn Brisbane Arena extended beyond the Games, saying the city would not be overlooked by global acts such as pop superstar Dua Lipa if it had an indoor venue close to its city centre.

This puts Mr Albanese in lock-step with Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner, who has called for the venue to be built in time for the Games or risk Brisbane missing out on a critical entertainment legacy.

“We’ve got money in there for an arena that’s important for the Olympics, but it’s also important for post-Olympics,” Mr Albanese said.

“We want young people to be able to go and – young and old – to be able to come and see festivals, to see music activity that occurs. I know that Dua Lipa isn’t playing here in Brisbane, but is playing in other cities where there are indoor venues right close to the city. So, that’s important.”

The comments come five days before the state government unveils its Games venues plan at The Courier-Mail’s Future Brisbane lunch on March 25.

The review panel has slated the arena for a site adjacent to the Gabba.

Mr Albanese refused to say if the federal government would withdraw its $2.5bn commitment if the project was axed.

He repeatedly pointed to the existing agreement, which includes $2.5bn for the arena and funds for 19 smaller venues.

What will Brisbane Arena look like and who will pay for it?

Mr Albanese, who has been in Queensland since Tuesday spruiking federal Labor candidates ahead of the election, also doubled down Treasurer Jim Chalmers’s assurance the funding would not be increasing.

“I will discuss respectfully with the premier the issues, but we are very clear about our funding being capped,” he said.

Mr Chalmers said this week there was little spare cash to pump more into Queensland’s Games infrastructure.

Federal Sport Minister and Brisbane-based MP Anika Wells also threw her support behind the Brisbane Arena, saying Olympic swimmers should compete there.

“They deserve a 17,000-seat arena to go for gold in Brisbane 2032,” she said.

Originally published as Anthony Albanese pledges $2.5bn for Brisbane Arena