The Queensland state government said a quarter of the $1.87 billion allocated to the minor venues program for the Games will be in market this year, with around eight years to go until the event.
“We are years ahead of other host nations in delivering competition venues this far ahead of the Games, which means they can be used by the local community and also attract high-calibre sport and entertainment events,” said Queensland’s state development and infrastructure minister Grace Grace.
“There is still more than eight years to go – Sydney 2000 didn’t have a master plan until five years out,” she said.
The minor venues program includes upgrades to existing facilities as well as new venue builds. Venues in this group include Sunshine Coast Stadium, which is set for a $148 million upgrade, and the Sunshine Coast Indoor Sports Centre which is a $142 million new build.
The state government is also doubling down on its decision to diverge from the recommendations made earlier this year by an independent review of the venues proposed for the Brisbane Olympics.
While the review recommended a new-build stadium in Brisbane’s Victoria Park and the future demolition of the ageing Gabba, a stadium in Brisbane’s inner city, the state government rejected these proposals on the day they were made public. Instead, the government will upgrade both the Gabba and Suncorp Stadium and use both venues for the Games.
In a media statement released on the same day that Olympic venue tenders were announced, the Queensland Government said it “has categorically ruled out any reduction of seating capacity at the Gabba or spending $1.1 billion on the upgrade”.
“Work on the nature and scope of the upgrades at the Gabba are in the early stages, and no proposals have been received,” said Minister Grace.
“But the Premier has been very clear that any upgrade must fit within the allocated budget. He has ruled out considering any further Games spending so that all available funds can be used for cost-of-living relief for Queenslanders.
“The Miles Government will never reduce seats at the Gabba.
“It’s worth remembering the proposal for a new stadium at Victoria Park means you’d lose a lot more than 4,000 seats at the Gabba – the Gabba would be demolished completely, seeing this much loved stadium die.”
While Brisbane’s current Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner supports a new stadium at Victoria Park, five former Lord Mayors – with terms dating all the way back the 1970s – oppose the plan.
However, it was another former Brisbane Lord Mayor, Graham Quirk, who chaired the venue review that made the recommendation of the new Victoria Park stadium.
