Gabba, Gabba, deja vu: Cabinet papers show stadium schism back in 1994

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Around the Queensland cabinet table a little more than 30 years ago, the debate over Brisbane stadiums was firmly on the agenda.

The New Year’s Day release of Goss Labor government cabinet papers from 1994 shows debate that will likely have parallels in 2024 cabinet documents when they finally are made public.

The Gabba’s competed northern stand and light towers, photographed from East Brisbane State School in 1997.Credit: Greg White

In a November 1994 cabinet meeting, Queensland treasurer Keith De Lacy recommended the construction of the first section of what would eventually become the Gabba’s 360-degree bowl of seating and the installation of the stadium’s light towers.

All up, the cost would be $35.25 million – modest by today’s standards. While much more ambitious in scale, the Palaszczuk government’s proposed Gabba rebuild was estimated at $2.7 billion before it was scrapped.

“All other mainland states now have high-quality cricket grounds with greater capacity than the Gabba and broadcast quality lights suitable for night cricket and the televising thereof,” De Lacy says in his 1994 cabinet submission.

“The Goss government inherited a greatly rundown facility at the Gabba and its present condition, apart from presenting a bad image of Queensland on the national scene, does not even comply with our own health and safety standards.”

Then-treasurer Keith De Lacy pictured in 1994.Credit: Brian Condron

Sound familiar? Former lord mayor Graham Quirk’s review of Olympic venues last year found $1 billion would have to be spent on the Gabba simply to bring it up to modern code, less than two decades since the final stage was completed and the bowl was closed.

One revenue stream that was explored was selling the Gabba’s naming rights, which the Palaszczuk Labor government would again consider in 2018.

“Initial inquiries made by the Trust in the marker place suggest that the timing is inappropriate so soon after the sale of Lang Park’s naming rights to Suncorp,” De Lacy’s cabinet submission notes.

Five months earlier, Premier Wayne Goss was widely booed at a State of Origin match in 1994 when he welcomed the crowd to the newly renamed Suncorp Stadium for the opening of the new Castlemaine Street stand. That booing was followed by a sustained “Lang Park” chant.

The documents also reveal antipathy towards what was then the Brisbane City Council-run ANZ Stadium, these days known as the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre – a key reason for the Gabba redevelopment was to prevent events being moved at the southside venue.

“Queensland Cricket have made tentative moves towards playing the one-day international matches at ANZ Stadium. In negotiating tenancy arrangements with the [Brisbane Cricket Ground] Trust, QC have been insistent on retaining the right to program these one-day matches away from the Gabba,” De Lacy wrote in his cabinet submission.

“In the light of these developments, the Trust and Queensland Treasury have been developing an alternate redevelopment package to resubmit for Cabinet’s consideration. A cornerstone of this packing has been that the Bears and Queensland Cricket agree to tenancy arrangements.”

Those arrangements included an agreement from the Bears, which would later merge with Fitzroy to become the Brisbane Lions, and Queensland Cricket for a five-year commitment to “hold all major events” at the Gabba.

Separate 1994 cabinet documents concerning the makeup of the Lang Park Trust board also hint at the government’s antipathy towards ANZ Stadium.

The Broncos’ opening match at ANZ Stadium in March 1993, with Power Brewing - not XXXX - taking pride of place.Credit: Adam Smith

Then-Labor lord mayor Jim Soorley was a forceful critic of the Suncorp Stadium upgrade. Soorley had taken advantage of a dispute over beer-pouring rights at Lang Park to secure the Brisbane Broncos as ANZ Stadium’s main tenant (the Broncos were sponsored by Power’s, while XXXX was poured at Lang Park).

In his June 20 cabinet brief for the Lang Park Trust Amendment Bill, sports minister Bob Gibbs outlines the reasoning for removing Queensland Rugby League and Brisbane City Council members from the board.

“The composition of the Trust gives rise to a conflict of interest with the QRL being the major tenant of the Trust and the council being in direct competition with the Trust through its operation of ANZ Stadium.”

Gibbs notes both QRL chairman John MacDonald and general manager Ross Livermore were consulted and were supportive of the move. There is no mention of any negotiation with the Soorley-led council.

Both the Brisbane Cricket Ground and Lang Park trusts were dissolved when Stadiums Queensland took over their operations. QSAC also now forms part of the Stadiums Queensland portfolio.