Games village no longer earmarked for social housing

The keys to a major Brisbane 2032 athletes’ village won’t be handed to the homeless before the Games after a Queensland government back-step.

Construction of Brisbane Olympic villages had been fast-tracked after the state government announced they would be used to help ease the housing crisis pre-Games.

At least 2000 dwellings will be built for Olympic athletes at Hamilton in Brisbane’s north, with other villages on the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast.

An artist’s impression of the proposed athletes’ village for the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games.

The main village at Hamilton looks set to be kept in pristine condition for the athletes, barely a year since the state government announced it would be offered for temporary accommodation.

“We are currently not planning to use the constructed dwellings for temporary accommodation to then transfer into Games mode to then transfer into permanent mode,” Economic Development Queensland general manager Debbie McNamara told a hearing on Wednesday.

There were plans instead to bring forward alternate land for social and affordable housing, McNamara said.

She did not confirm or deny whether the Hamilton village would lie vacant before the Games.

Housing is a key issue ahead of Queensland’s October election with the state government planning to build one million homes by 2046, including 53,500 social homes.

Brisbane 2032 infrastructure has also been a hot topic after the government ignored an independent review’s recommendation to build a new $3.4 billion stadium.

It instead opted to revamp ageing facilities including a $1.6 billion facelift for the 49-year-old Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre.

The government revealed costing still had not been completed for the site.

“We are going through the project validation case,” Infrastructure Minister Grace Grace said.

The business case may change the initial $1.6 billion price tag, State Development Department director-general Graham Fraine conceded.

“There has not been any further updated cost, that is the work that will be undertaken during the course of doing the project validation report,” he said.

Deputy Opposition Leader Jarrod Bleijie claimed the plan remained speculative without a finished business case.

He asked Grace whether Queenslanders should be embarrassed by the government’s handling of the Games.

“We will never be embarrassed ... I do not believe Queensland is embarrassed,” she said.

A proposed Gabba rebuild was also raised after a senior bureaucrat revealed the abandoned project’s initial $1 billion price tag was not based on analysis.

Former premier Annastacia Palaszczuk spruiked the $1 billion cost during their Games bid.

Department of Premier and Cabinet director-general Mike Kaiser said a business case had not been completed to back that price.

“A $1 billion cost for the Gabba ... was not based on any analysis at all,” he told the hearing.

Kaiser said investigations later found the “value for money” cost for the rebuild would be $2.7 billion.

The Gabba rebuild has been scrapped but the venue will undergo a minor upgrade before it hosts the Olympic opening and closing ceremonies.

Olympic upgrades for the Gabba as well as Suncorp Stadium have not been fully costed.

AAP