One of the issues to be reviewed will be the plan to convert the Gabba into the new main stadium for the Olympics. Photo: Brisbane 2032.
The Queensland Government has announced a review of the suitability of current venue projects for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The 60-day independent review has been called to assist the government in ensuring investments made in sports venues for the Olympics and Paralympics are affordable, fit for purpose and deliverable, and create a substantial legacy.
The review will be led by former Brisbane lord mayor Graham Quirk in conjunction with the former chair of the Sydney Olympic Park Authority, Ken Kanofski, and the principal and director at international sports and event management company MI Global Partners, Michelle Morris.
It will focus on the new and upgraded venues and assess them, having regard to existing documents and studies, including:
- The Olympic Host Contract (OHC), including the final response and commitments for new and upgraded venues to the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) future host questionnaire and the operational requirements related to event delivery and venues
- The IOC’s emphasis on affordability, sustainability, and long-term development objectives
- The sports venue-relevant recommendations of the IOC Games Optimisation Group, created in 2022 to identify savings and efficiencies in the delivery of the Games
- The Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) of February 2023 between the Commonwealth and State governments, which provides a framework to fund key projects and initiatives to support the successful delivery of the Games
- The deliverability of projects in the current market and macroeconomic conditions.
The review’s schedule calls for a final report to be delivered to the Minister for State Development and Infrastructure, Minister for Industrial Relations and Minister for Racing within 60 days of its commencement.
The review won’t consider temporary sports sites and overlay of venues, the International Broadcasting Centre and Main Press Centre, the athletes’ villages, nor minor upgrades that may be necessary for existing sports venues.
Launching the review on 18 January, Queensland Premier Steven Miles said the Games had become a divisive issue.
“We want to deliver a Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games that brings Queenslanders together and creates legacy benefits for decades to come,” he said.
“The mission is simple: make sure the Games work for Queensland and deliver for Queenslanders.”
He said the government would also establish a delivery authority for the Games, to have it up and run by mid-2024.
The Federal Government welcomed the review announcement and said it looked forward to participating cooperatively.
In a statement, it said it understood global conditions had resulted in cost and labour market pressures that were particularly evident in the construction sector, and said it was a good time to review plans to ensure current and likely future conditions were taken into account.
“We want to ensure the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games leave an enduring Games legacy for Brisbane and South-East Queensland, as well as the wider state and the nation long after the closing ceremony is over,” it said.
“That is why we entered a significant 50/50 co-funding with the Queensland Government, with capped investment for the Brisbane Arena and funding for 16 new or upgraded venues.”
