The Queensland government says the Olympics will transform Brisbane like Expo 88 as it faces criticism over the cost blow-out for a key stadium rebuild.
More plans for the Woolloongabba precinct were unveiled on Saturday, a day after a landmark $7 billion funding deal was signed for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic venues.
The precinct will have more housing, shopping and dining areas, along with a walkable travel corridor to connect the city and South Bank to the Gabba stadium, Cross River Rail and the Brisbane Metro.
The upgraded precinct will modernise Brisbane the way the 1988 World Expo did, Deputy Premier Steven Miles said.
“It’s an incredible vision coming together for our great city,” he told reporters on Saturday.
“The place will be bustling and it will be somewhere that people come from around the city, around the region, around the state, the country – even the world to see and experience.”
But the opposition is feeling less positive about the Gabba rebuild cost.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Friday confirmed $2.7 billion had been set aside for the project – more than double the $1 billion originally estimated in 2021.
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The state government is solely funding the stadium rebuild, while the federal government will foot the entire bill for a new Brisbane Arena.
Queensland Deputy Opposition Leader and Member for Kawana Jarrod Bleijie said the Premier needed to explain why the Gabba costs rose by nearly 300 per cent in a year.
“How can Queenslanders trust that it’s not going to blow out again?” Mr Bleijie asked reporters on Saturday.
“Queenslanders need accountability with an independent delivery authority overseeing the Olympic infrastructure spend because at the end of the day, it is Queensland taxpayers’ money.”
Dr Miles said the government had gone with the best option for the Gabba after assessing different redevelopment proposals.
“They all came in at roughly similar amounts but with a far inferior outcome,” he said.
“‘So we’ve taken the decision, based on that very detailed analysis, to go ahead with a major rebuild of the Gabba.”
Both state and federal governments have also committed to almost $1.87b for five new venues and upgrades of nine existing ones.
The new venues include indoor sports centres at Breakfast Creek, Chandler, the Sunshine Coast and Moreton Bay, to host basketball, wheelchair basketball, gymnastics and boxing.
There will also be a new whitewater venue in Redlands for canoe events and potentially a new indoor sports centre at Logan for training or competition.
Related story:Â Joint funding deal inked for 2032 Olympics
Federal Member for Fisher Andrew Wallace said the Olympic funding deal was a positive, but that there were more pressing infrastructure needs.
“For the most part, I welcome the announcement of the funding agreement between the federal and state governments for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic sporting venues, including a new indoor centre and upgrade to Sunshine Coast Stadium at Kawana,” he said.
“Unfortunately, there was no reference by the Prime Minister or Queensland Premier regarding the urgency of building critical transport infrastructure to help Queenslanders travel to and from the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“For what is the most important infrastructure project for the region – to connect the existing line at Beerwah to new stations in Caloundra, Kawana and Maroochydore – both federal and state Labor remain deathly silent …
“Last July, I wrote to the Federal Minister for Sport to convey the concerns and demands of our community with respect to the infrastructure we need well before the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. It is my hope that local contractors and suppliers, community groups and residents are engaged in the procurement and consultation process moving forward.
“A joint body, as demanded by the Coalition Government as part of the 50/50 funding deal for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, would ensure appropriate oversight by reviewing all major sporting infrastructure spending.
“I will continue to have questions for both federal and state governments when it comes to value for money, on-time delivery of projects and the creation of vital infrastructure on the Sunshine Coast.”
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