LNP leader David Crisafulli open to revamping Gabba for Brisbane Olympics

Queensland election frontrunner David Crisafulli has left the door open to reviving plans to overhaul the Gabba as Brisbane’s marquee Olympic stadium.

Leader of the Opposition David Crisafulli with the Division 5 Metro women’s team during a visit to the Pine Rivers Football Club. Picture: Liam Kidston.

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Queensland election frontrunner David Crisafulli has left the door open to reviving plans to overhaul the Gabba as Brisbane’s marquee Olympic stadium.

Under pressure over his refusal to deliver an Olympic venue plan before the October 26 election, the Liberal National Party leader reaffirmed his commitment that a new stadium would not be built but remained open to renovating the Gabba.

Mr Crisafulli has savaged Labor’s proposal to spend up to $1.6bn revamping QSAC – the near 50-year-old suburban stadium that is not on a train line – as the main athletics hub for the 2032 Games.

“There is a huge sense of embarrassment there,” Mr Crisafulli said on Sunday. “The government have locked themselves into a facility that has neither a long-term legacy nor (could) create a world-class buzz.”

A refurbished Gabba was proposed as Brisbane’s main Olympic stadium in April 2021, without a detailed business case or community consultation.

Then-premier Annastacia Palaszczuk first estimated the rebuild would cost taxpayers $1bn, but that figure blew out to $2.7bn once more detailed studies were conducted, sparking calls for the redevelopment to be dumped.

Premier Steven Miles, who championed the Gabba rebuild as Ms Palaszczuk’s Olympics infrastructure minister, axed the project shortly after taking over the Labor leadership in December and has acknowledged he had failed to sell the plan to taxpayers.

Mr Crisafulli, who public polls suggest will comfortably form majority government later this month, has pledged to commission a 100-day venue review if the LNP wins the election.

The review will be led by the Games infrastructure delivery agency, the board of which is yet to be appointed, and will be required to prioritise road and rail infrastructure, use existing venues, not exceed the current $7bn funding envelope and present legacy opportunities for the entire state.

Announcing on Sunday a new $250m fund to upgrade local sporting facilities, Mr Crisafulli again ruled out QSAC and a new stadium, even if it were funded by the private sector.

“No new stadiums, but what we will do is make sure that there is world-class facilities that Queenslanders can be proud of,” he said.

Pressed on whether that left the Gabba as the only option available, Mr Crisafulli said: “Let’s have a look at what the review says.”

The Australian last month reported growing speculation in business circles that Mr Crisafulli planned to revive the Gabba as Brisbane main Olympic stadium.

Mr Miles on Sunday accused Mr Crisafulli of not being honest with taxpayers about his plans for the Gabba. “He’s got himself in quite a bind on Olympic stadiums, hasn’t he,” he said.

“You can read between the lines in that he wants to build a Gabba, that’s his plan, but he doesn’t want to be held to account for that come October 26.”

Originally, Brisbane hosts had planned to build a new 50,000-seat main stadium, but in a February 2021 a feasibility assessment by the IOC recommended the city instead use the existing 40,000-seat Gabba for opening and closing ceremonies and the 40,000-seat Carrara Stadium on the Gold Coast for athletics.