Queensland Premier-elect David Crisafulli has only just won power, but he looks set to quickly transform Brisbane’s 2032 Olympic Games legacy with a huge appeal for the proposed venues.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday after Labor’s election victory over Labor Prime Minister Steven Miles, Mr Crisafulli said he agreed with former Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s call that staging the Games’ major athletics events at the modest Queensland Sports and Athletics Center (QSAC) would ‘go backwards’. ‘.
“Maybe I’ll just let the former prime minister put forward her point of view, and then I’ll put forward mine,” he said.
“And that means that within 100 days, Queenslanders will see a plan they are proud of, and by doing that we can restore confidence in that process.”
The state government has spent years considering whether to upgrade Brisbane’s iconic Gabba Stadium in inner-city Woolloongabba worth $2.7 billion, or build an entirely new stadium at Victoria Park at an estimated cost of $3.4 billion dollars as part of the city’s Olympic Games legacy. .
In March this year, Mr Miles rejected both options, opting instead to spend $1.6 billion on upgrading QSAC to accommodate 40,000 spectators and then hold the opening and closing ceremonies at Suncorp Stadium .
QSAC’s current full capacity is 48,500 seats and the stadium is located approximately 12 km from the CBD.
Mr Crisafulli has repeatedly dismissed the QSAC proposal, calling it a “thought bubble” and an “embarrassment”.
Queensland Premier-elect David Crisafulli (pictured with his wife Tegan) has only just won power, but he looks set to quickly transform the legacy of the 2032 Brisbane Olympics with a huge appeal for the proposed locations
He said he spoke about the Olympics during a phone call with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Sunday morning.
“I’ve spent a significant amount of time talking to the Prime Minister about that and we intend to speak directly to the (federal) Minister of Sport (Anika Wells), who is from Queensland, and I think we can get to a good outcome come.’
Mr Crisafulli has also previously said he would not commit to a new stadium, meaning a rebuild of the Gabba could be on the cards.
The Federal and Queensland Governments have agreed to a $7.1 billion ‘funding envelope’ for the Games.
The federal government will fund a new $2 billion ‘Brisbane Arena’ in the Roma Street Station precinct, which is expected to host swimming events.
Earlier this year, former Brisbane mayor Graham Quirk led a review of Queensland’s infrastructure for the Games, ultimately recommending a new stadium at Victoria Park to replace an ‘end of life’ Gabba.
“Brisbane needs a world-class stadium and arena,” the review said.
‘A greenfield stadium at Victoria Park, with a capacity of up to 55,000 seats in the old version and a capacity of 50,000 seats during the Games, would likely cost between $3 billion and $3.4 billion depending on the scope options chosen, but it offers the opportunity to deliver the best result and overcomes many of the shortcomings that Gabba faces due to limited space.
‘Rebuilding the Gabba, with a capacity of up to 55,000 seats in the legacy and a capacity of 50,000 seats during the Games, is now likely to cost in the region of $3 billion on a comparable basis, plus $185 to $360 million in AFL relocation costs and cricket.
Mr Crisafulli said hosting the Games’ major athletics events at the modest Queensland Sports and Athletics Center (pictured) would “take a back seat”
The Olympic Rings are pictured in Paris on August 18, 2024. Brisbane will host the Games in 2032
“A new stadium at Victoria Park will enable a smooth transition, for cricket, AFL and other major events, from the Gabba to the new stadium.
‘The assessment found that the minimum cost to keep the Gabba operational until 2032 is approximately $400 million to $500 million, while the cost to extend the life of the Gabba beyond 2032 and upgrade the site to modern code compliance amount to approximately $1 billion.
‘Due to the cost of a new stadium, the panel carefully considered an option to upgrade the QSAC Stadium to 40,000 seats for the Games, with 14,000 seats in legacy mode, at a cost of $1.6 billion, and to build the Gabba operational and compliant after 2032. at a cost of $1 billion.
‘The combined cost of upgrading QSAC plus keeping the Gabba operational and compliant beyond 2032 is comparable to building a new stadium.
“However, it delivers significantly less legacy and commercial benefits.”
The LNP has secured majority government in Queensland, winning at least 47 seats in Saturday’s election.
The Conservative Party will now govern for a four-year term until 2028.