Brisbane 2032 Olympics: South Brisbane broadcast centre scrapped

Plans for an inner Brisbane site that would eventually become a “South Bank 2.0” have been scrapped by the LNP government.

Infrastructure Minister Jarrod Bleijie in Parliament. Picture: John Gass/NCA NewsWire

A $165m deal by the former Queensland Labor government to boot a glass manufacturer from South Brisbane for a key 2032 Olympic venue has been dumped by the LNP government.

In 2022 the state government purchased the riverfront Visy Glass Factory to house an International Broadcast Centre for the 2032 Games, before the massive site would eventually be transformed into a “South Bank 2.0”.

The glass manufacturer was moved to Stapylton on the Gold Coast as part of a broader deal between the government and Visy, which would invest $700m in Queensland.

Following the 100-day review into Games venues, Infrastructure Minister Jarrod Bleijie has confirmed the site will not be used, but has promised any future use will support the needs of a growing city.

“Following the 100-day review, it’s clear the former Labor government rushed into purchasing the current Visy site without undertaking due diligence,” Mr Bleijie said.

“The (Games Independent Infrastructure and Co-ordination Authority) board found Labor’s proposal to use the site as an International Broadcasting Centre to be cost prohibitive with a clear recommendation to consider alternative locations.

The Visy site at South Brisbane

“The Crisafulli government will ensure that any future use of the riverside site supports the needs of a growing city, such as new housing, economic development and community use.”

Mr Bleijie could not guarantee it would be developed by the 2032 Games, but said the government had commenced investigating the best way to activate the site.

An optimal location for the IBC has yet to be determined by the authority, and the Visy site is under lease until March 2027.

Then premier Anastasia Palaszczuk said at the time the Visy factory was the best site for the crucial Games structure.

Similar to how Expo 88 paved way for today’s South Bank Parklands, Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner at the time said that after the Olympics the land would be used as a permanent asset for the city, saying he wanted to see a South Bank 2.0.

“What we will see here in the future is something like South Bank,” he said.

“This is a really exciting legacy for the people of Brisbane.

“Every single resident of Brisbane will be able to come here in the future into an amazing world-class parkland facility.”

Then premier Annastacia Palaszczuk with treasurer Cameron Dick (right) and Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner at the Visy facility in 2022

On Thursday Mr Bleijie said the Visy site would be “bigger and better than South Bank” and a masterplan will eventually be released for the area.

“The state owns the land, the lease is there until 2027 for Visy but we’ll work with the Brisbane City Council, release some plans of what, you know, the future of that site could look like.

“But certainly you know people talk South Bank, 2.0, I think what we can achieve in that particular site for Queenslanders is far better than even South Bank,” he said.

He said “tens of millions of dollars was going to be spent” on the IBC under the former Labor government, which he said could rightly be placed at a location such as the Brisbane Entertainment Centre.

When asked if they would sell the site, Mr Bleijie said the government would work closely with Mr Schrinner and Brisbane City Council to ensure the site will be for community use.

“I think it could be a really multi use mix of the facility, both for visitors, tourists, locals or Queenslanders, parkland, river land, the world is our oyster in terms of the Visy site,” he said.

Mr Bleijie said they would also look at the existing Parmalat milk factory, which stands between the existing cultural precinct and the Visy site, insisting the area will be a precinct.

Originally published as Brisbane 2032 Olympics: South Brisbane broadcast centre scrapped