Axe the Gabba rebuild and cap the Olympics budget, crossbenchers say

Queensland’s seven crossbench MPs have made a rare joint call for the state government to cap the Brisbane 2032 Olympics budget and scrap the planned Gabba rebuild.

The group, spanning the state’s political and geographic breadth from Brisbane-based Greens MPs to north Queensland Katter’s Australian Party and One Nation members, will table a statement in parliament on Tuesday.

Crossbench representatives Nick Dametto (KAP, Hinchinbrook), Shane Knuth (KAP, Hill), Robbie Katter (KAP, Traeger), Sandy Bolton (Independent, Noosa) and Amy MacMahon (Greens, South Brisbane) hold a joint press conference on Tuesday.Credit: Matt Dennien

The state and federal governments inked a $7 billion funding deal for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in February for a range of new and upgraded venues. The Gabba rebuild has already more than doubled in cost.

While the statement will have little concrete effect in the state’s sole house of parliament and its functions dominated by the Labor government, such crossbench collaboration is believed to be the first since at least 2014.

The MPs are asking for the government to formally cap the 2032 Games budget at its current $7 billion figure, with an equivalent spend on “nation-building” projects in regions not earmarked for any of the work.

They have also called for the formal host city contract with the International Olympic Committee and all relevant business cases for infrastructure and venues to be made public immediately.

A planned rebuild of the Gabba has already more than doubled in cost to $2.7 billion.

The government is also being asked to develop an Olympics housing plan to ensure costs and displacements are not driven up, as they have been in other host cities, and convert any athlete accommodation to public or community housing.

A scrapping of the $2.7 billion Gabba rebuild is being urged, with athletics events to be held at a site such as the Gold Coast’s Carrara Stadium, or at least with limits imposed on the disruption the demolition and construction would have on the community.

“Every Olympic Games since 1960 has run over budget while driving up housing costs and displacing residents,” the joint statement said.

Crossbench MPs Amy MacMahon (Greens, South Brisbane), Sandy Bolton (Independent, Noosa), Stephen Andrew (One Nation, Mirani), Robbie Katter (KAP, Traeger), Nick Dametto (KAP, Hinchinbrook) and Shane Knuth (KAP, Hill) also held a joint press conference on Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters, the group said the government could legislate a budget cap or manage works in a way that ensured spending did not blow out – with both state and federal governments “on notice”.

Dametto also described the move as a “warning shot” across the bow of the state parties over demands the crossbench would make if needed to help form government after the 2024 election.

The Local Government Association of Queensland made similar calls in March, with a remote and rural funding program among a raft of other suggestions to bolster statewide opportunity from the Games.

A government spokesperson said nothing was being built solely for the Games, which offered an opportunity to boost investment across the state.

A renovation for the Gabba stadium had been on the cards for years, the spokesman said, and the $3.7 billion state government share of Games spending over the next decade was dwarfed by annual spending across health, education and housing.