Editorial: $6bn private stadium plan for Brisbane’s Northshore Olympic gold

The Olympic dream of an entire state stands to be reignited after a bold $6bn proposal by a renowned group of architects and engineers to transform the north shore of the Brisbane River into a world-class precinct.

Finally, a stadium Queenslanders can get excited about.

The Olympic dream of an entire state stands to be reignited after a bold $6bn proposal by a renowned group of architects and engineers to transform the north shore of the Brisbane River into a world-class Olympic precinct.

News of the plan, revealed in the Saturday Courier-Mail, has generated extraordinary support already, with a couriermail.com.au poll recording more than 85 per cent support from 4600 respondents.

Compare that to a poll last month after Premier Steven Miles announced plans to spend $1.6bn upgrading the QSAC stadium at Mount Gravatt, which had the support of just 12 per cent of the 26,000 who voted.

It is not hard to see why the north shore proposal has change the mood of Queenslanders from apathy to excitement.

It ticks a lot of boxes.

The proposed stadium would look back toward the CBD.

It’s visionary. It will leave a legacy and catapult Brisbane on to the world stage. It will be funded by private enterprise, not taxpayers.

The global consortium behind the plan has runs on the board too. They’re been involved in creating some of the best stadiums in the world such as Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium and the Dallas Cowboys Stadium.

Dubbed the Brisbane Design Alliance, the team of world-class architecture, engineering and planning experts from Buchan, HKS, NRA Collaborative, Aurecon and Nikken Sekkei believes the project could be funded privately – similar to Perth’s Optus Stadium.

With a 60,000-seat stadium, hotel overlooking the venue, athletes’ village, an aquatic and wavepool centre and retail and restaurant hub.

Perhaps more importantly, the proposal includes a lasting legacy once the games are gone.

The precinct will host 12,000 residential dwellings – an enormous contribution to the solution to our housing crisis.

As HKS Australia director Andrew Colling says, the scheme responds to projected population growth over the next 25 years and provides a mixed-use precinct unmatched in Queensland on the shores of our famous river. And it is the river which is at the heart of the plan.

Former Brisbane Mayor Jim Soorley deserves credit for opening Brisbane’s eyes to the beauty of the river. Those city cats prowling the waters are a constant reminder of his determination to make the river the city’s centrepiece, and a string of successful ventures along the shoreline are testament to its enduring attraction.

World Expo gave us the magnificent South Bank precinct that thousands enjoy today. Howard Smith Wharves, not so long ago a riverside ghetto, are now teeming with crowds day and night. And the $3.6 billion Queens Wharf development, due to open soon, makes the river the centrepiece of a host of exciting attractions and facilities.

Importantly, this proposal shows the government there is private sector interest in building an Olympic stadium we can all be proud of.

So instead of digging its heels in on QSAC, the government should be asking the newly created Game Venue and Legacy Delivery Authority to immediately put calls out for other private enterprise proposals, then assess them to find the right fit.

We must take advantage of this opportunity and give Queenslanders a reason to, once again, get excited about the Games.

OUR PARALYMPIANS SET TO SHINE IN PARIS

Australia will field 160 athletes across 17 sports in the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games next week – and each and every one of them makes us proud.

Queensland’s own Alexa Leary, who in 2021 suffered a near fatal accident while riding her bike in training for a triathlon, is a chance of winning gold just two years after jumping in the pool as part of her rehabilitation.

She cites her love of sport as one of the key reasons she defied the odds and survived the horrific fall.

Alexa Leary is a chance of winning two golds in the pool in Paris. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Alexa, whose story is featured in today’s Stellar Magazine, has herself been inspired by her fellow Paralympians, and wants to increase the focus on the athletes.

“They’re so inspiring. So many have been told they wouldn’t live – let alone walk or talk. And look at what they’re doing,” she says in the Stellar story.

The Paralympics kick off on August 28 and run to September 8 – so it’s time to set the alarm again and tune in to cheer our athletes on as they go up against the best in the world.

Responsibility for election comment is taken by Melanie Pilling, corner of Mayne Rd & Campbell St, Bowen Hills, Qld 4006. Printed and published by NEWSQUEENSLAND (ACN 009 661 778). Contact details are available at www.couriermail.com.au/help/contact-us

Originally published as Editorial: $6bn private stadium plan for Brisbane’s Northshore Olympic gold