The starter’s gun has been fired for Brisbane 2032, with an Olympic venue blueprint to be delivered in 100 days.
And this time, Queensland Premier David Crisafulli is adamant it won’t be a false start.
The race to the 2032 Games seemed like a marathon when Brisbane was named host back in July 2021.
However, it is resembling a sprint for the host city after plenty of controversy, prompting Crisafulli’s Liberal National Party (LNP) government to fast-track plans.
Urgent legislation was passed to set up a 2032 Olympic Independent Infrastructure and Coordination Authority, with the Games clock now ticking.
The seven-member board tasked with the final 2032 Games venue plan was unveiled on Nov. 29.
Chaired by Stephen Conry AM, the body will have 100 days from Nov. 29 to finalise an infrastructure plan and get the Games back on track.
“We’ve now fired the starting gun,” Crisafulli told reporters.
“This is now day one of 100—their time starts now.”
The body hopes to remove any more hurdles in the run home to 2032 after a Labor Olympic venue plan was abandoned.
The premier had been adamant no new stadiums would be built for Brisbane 2032 after winning the Oct. 26 election and ordering the venue review.
He had rubbished the former Labor government’s Olympic infrastructure blueprint, which rejected a previous review’s recommendation to build a $3.4 billion (US$2.2 billion) centrepiece stadium at Victoria Park.
Instead, the Labor government preferred an upgrade of ageing facilities such as the Gabba, Suncorp Stadium, and the 49-year-old Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre, sparking a public backlash.
But Crisafulli on Nov. 29 would not directly answer when asked if he would also rule out building a new stadium if it was recommended by the independent review panel.
The review’s terms of reference seemed to keep the door open for the construction of a new stadium, adding further intrigue.
The review’s scope covers “new, upgraded and temporary venues” along with Olympic and Paralympic villages, transport infrastructure and Games governance.
Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie said the “new venues” to be reviewed were projects already announced in Labor’s aborted infrastructure plan.
A number of guiding principles for the review were outlined, in keeping with the Olympics’ “new norm” aimed at avoiding massive cost blowouts that have plagued past hosts.
Host cities are now encouraged to cut spending by reducing new infrastructure and using existing or temporary venues.
The only new 2032 venue in Labor’s plan was the $2.5 billion (US$1.6 billion) Brisbane Arena—set to host swimming—funded by the Commonwealth.
“I don’t think Brisbane needs an extra stadium,” Crisafulli told a Future Brisbane Forum on Nov. 29 alongside Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner and Federal Sports Minister Anika Wells.
Schrinner drew laughs from the crowd when he replied: “The premier is right, we don’t need an extra stadium—we need two stadiums.”
The state and federal government will split the $7.1 billion (US$4.6 billion) Brisbane Olympic infrastructure budget 50-50, with the private sector also invited to submit proposals.
The LNP has revealed several Olympic venue cost blowouts since taking office, blaming Labor.
Crisafulli has been adamant Brisbane won’t be a “cut-price” Olympics but has vowed to deliver generational infrastructure.
“The focus was never about a sporting stadium—never—and that’s not my focus,” he said of his 2032 plan.
“It was never about the big party.
“It was about generational infrastructure for every Queenslander and we’ve been getting the show back on the road in that regard.”
