Brisbane 2032 Olympics: Clock ticking on $100bn infrastructure pipeline

Queensland will be in a race against time to build more than $100bn of major infrastructure projects before the 2032 Games, despite the unprecedented 11-year runway.

A concept for a redeveloped Gabba with adjoining arena

• Editor’s view: Clock is ticking

Queensland will be in a race against time to build more than $100bn of major infrastructure projects before the 2032 Games, despite the unprecedented 11-year runway handed to the city by the International Olympic Committee.

The state’s ballooning infrastructure program is set to accelerate in the lead-up to the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, with major road, rail and energy projects adding to the construction of some half-a-dozen sporting venues.

Major Contractors Association Queensland analysis found $104bn in infrastructure is scheduled over the next five years – excluding the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The state and federal government will spend $10bn upgrading the Bruce Highway to a minimum three-star safety rating and tens of billions will be spent on energy projects.

The cost of building Borumba Pumped Hydro has ballooned by $4.2bn to $18.4bn.

The state government also plans to invest $5bn to build an own the CopperString transmission network to connect the North West Minerals Province to the national electricity grid.

A hospital expansion program rollout will hit $19bn and it was revealed this week a third of buildings owned by Queensland Health, worth $8.7bn, are due to be replaced within the next decade.

Cross River Rail is one of several state mega projects.

A current workforce shortage has delayed existing major projects, including Cross River Rail and Coomera Connector, and put pressure on the effort to build thousands more homes.

It has raised fears Queensland will struggle to build critical health, road, energy and transport projects alongside critical Olympic Games infrastructure.

According to Brisbane’s original venue masterplan 15 existing venues would be upgraded and six new ones would be built.

While the masterplan is subject to a 100-day review, new indoor sports centres at Moreton Bay, Brisbane, Chandler and the Sunshine Coast are expected to be built alongside a new Redland Whitewater Centre and Brisbane Arena.

Central to Brisbane’s Games build could be a new stadium or a rebuilt Gabba.

Queensland Major Contractors Association chief executive officer Andrew Chapman

“We need to prioritise what is critical for 2032, what can be done after and what can be done by the private sector,” he said.

“By doing everything at once you’re forcing up costs – it’s simple supply and demand.

“We run a very real risk of not delivering health, energy and water infrastructure the state needs … we run a real risk we can’t deliver the Olympic infrastructure, let alone the Bruce Highway, rail – pick any of them. 

Acting Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning Ros Bates

“We need to get on with it.”

Mr Chapman said the construction sector needed to innovate and build “smarter” to fast-track works.

He said modular and prefabrication structures should be used to save time and costs.

“Why can’t we be looking at modular hospital ward solutions?

This could be applied, Mr Chapman said, to a main Olympic Games stadium if the state government decides to build a new one.

“If you’ve got a decent site and lay-down area you can do a heap of pre-assembly you lift into place, rather than stick build,” he said.

Significant improvements to the South East Queensland region’s transport and liveability prompted the Council of Mayors to first float a Brisbane Olympics, which were secured by then premier Annastacia Palaszczuk in Tokyo on July 21, 2021.

Without urgent changes – such as two years to complete a business case – Mr Chapman said Queensland ran the risk of pushing the Olympic Games deadline.

“We are spending far too much time stuffing around on projects early on,” he said. 

“Sydney was given seven-and-a-half years, but they had a plan and they immediately put it into place.

“There was also a lot of private-sector investment in that.

Council of Mayors (SEQ) CEO Scott Smith

“The state can’t do it all, we need to be looking at private sector investment and engagement.”

Acting Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning Ros Bates said the government was acting to get the Olympic and Paralympic Games back on track.

“The independent co-ordination authority is focused on delivering a world-class event which will drive economic growth throughout the state,” she said.

“The key to delivering the infrastructure our growing state needs is through overhauling productivity, which is why we moved promptly to suspend Labor’s CFMEU tax and re-establish the Productivity Commission.

“Queenslanders voted for a fresh start and the LNP are committed to building generational infrastructure across the state.”

Council of Mayors SEQ chief executive officer Scott Smith maintained Brisbane had the time to use the Games as a catalyst for development.

“In the typical seven-year Olympic runway, other regions have delivered transformational public transport and legacy infrastructure… we can’t afford to waste the unique opportunity Brisbane 2032 provides to deliver this outcome for South East Queensland,” he said.

“Communities expect government to be ambitious, innovative and look beyond business as usual to deliver on opportunity.”

CHOKED PIPELINE

* Bruce Highway – various locations.

* CopperString power network – west of Townsville

* Borumba Pumped Hydro – Borumba dam

* Brisbane Arena

* Hospital expansion program – Bundaberg, Toowoomba, Coomera (and several others)

* Rail extension – Beerwah to Maroochydore

* Minor Olympics venues – Chandler, Petrie, Brisbane, Sunshine Coast

* Airport terminal upgrade – Brisbane Airport

Originally published as Brisbane 2032 Olympics: Clock ticking on $100bn infrastructure pipeline