New direction for Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games sports venues has community sport at its heart

Brisbane, March 29 (MCCQ Newsdesk, Ministerial Media Statement Media Release)

The Miles Government will accept almost all the recommendations made as part of the Review into Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games venue infrastructure.

The 60-day Sport Venue Review of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games venue infrastructure was completed by an independent panel led by former Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk.

The final report was provided to the Minister for State Development and Infrastructure Grace Grace on Friday afternoon (15 March). More than 900 submissions were received during the Review, while the panel held 130 meetings with stakeholders, assessed numerous studies, and conducted 28 site visits.

The findings have identified new opportunities to deliver value-for-money for Queenslanders, while supporting the government’s legacy vision. At its core, the government’s response prioritises community benefit while ensuring costs remain within the agreed funding envelope of $7.1 billion to be shared between the State and Commonwealth governments. The Government will now explore upgrades to QSAC and Suncorp Stadium while continuing to deliver the new state-of-the-art Brisbane Arena, securing benefits for more than 30 sporting facilities across Queensland, and exploring exciting opportunities for new transport connections in Brisbane as part of a revamped plan to enhance community legacy. The new Brisbane Arena is a much-needed piece of community infrastructure which will have multiple legacy uses for decades to come. It will feature within a connected precinct where accessibility and walkability will be a key feature to its position among the city’s cultural and entertainment centres.

Suncorp Stadium and QSAC are the two most highly used venues in Queensland, with QSAC hosting nearly 782,000 visits in 2022-23.

More than 527,000 visits were community sporting groups and schools, with another 167,000 visits from training and aspiring athletes. This compares to community visits of less than 20,000 at the Gabba, and around 4,000 athlete visits. Any upgrades to QSAC will further broaden community access.

Investment at QSAC would also provide the opportunity to explore expanded transport links servicing not only the stadium but also Griffith University, the health precinct at QEII hospital, and the growing communities on the southside of Brisbane to provide additional legacy benefits.

The Moreton Bay community is also one of the winners, with their new Indoor Sports Centre being investigated for an expansion.

The Breakfast Creek Indoor Sports Precinct at Albion will not proceed with the panel recommending an indoor sports centre be located in Zillmere or Boondall instead. The proposed upgrades to the Toowoomba Sports Ground will not proceed, but opportunities to host other Games events in the region will be explored.

The Government will move quickly to complete due diligence on venues in the coming months, followed by construction. Around half of these venues are outside of Brisbane, providing an economic and jobs boost during construction and beyond.

The Review panel recommended a brand new multi-billion dollar stadium at Victoria Park. However, as the reviewers noted, significantly more work is required to understand the opportunity and before these preliminary findings can be relied upon.

The Government does not believe it would be possible to deliver any new stadium at Victoria Park within the existing agreed funding, and the IOC has noted that a new stadium for the Olympic and Paralympic Games sits outside the “new norm” of using existing or already planned venues.

The Government is therefore ruling out a stadium at Victoria Park, instead favouring investigating upgrades to QSAC and Suncorp. The previously proposed re-build of the Gabba will not proceed, instead replaced with a more modest enhancement of the existing facility in consultation with AFL, Cricket Australia, and other stakeholders. Those sports will no longer be displaced from the Gabba, and East Brisbane State School will not need to vacate its current site by the end of 2025. However future works to the Gabba are expected to impact the school, and the government will work closely with the school community as those plans develop.

Any change of sports venue requires consultation with Games Delivery Partners, including the Australian Government, and final games approval from the Brisbane 2032 Organising Committee, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).

Delivery of the sports venue program will be the work of the Independent Delivery Authority when it is established mid-2024.

Premier Steven Miles acknowledges community: “This Review was one of my very first acts as Premier of Queensland and was driven by what Queenslanders told me was important to them –bang for buck and a lasting legacy.

“No one wants to see money spent on facilities that are only needed for four weeks.

“Instead, this new direction will deliver decades of benefit to local schools, community athletics programs and Olympic and Paralympic athletes in 2032 and beyond.

“I want to thank Graham, Ken and Michelle for taking on this challenge and for their dedicated work over the last 60 days.

“My government will accept 90 per cent of the recommendations made, for the benefit of Queenslanders right around the state.

“One of their recommendations would have meant the demise of the Gabba, which is something we couldn’t accept for such a beloved venue.

“And while the concept of a new stadium at Victoria Park has merit, the uncertainty around final cost means it is unfortunately not an option.

“2032 is one of the greatest opportunities to put Brisbane and Queensland on the map and leave a legacy for generations to come.”

Minister Grace Grace said:

“I want to place on record my thanks to Graham, Ken, and Michelle for the work they have done on such an important issue.

“I also want to thank all those who took the time to make a submission. Over 900 submissions were carefully reviewed, and informed the report and our response to it.

“The Miles Government now has a clear new approach, and we will be consulting closely with our delivery partners in the Commonwealth Government, the IOC, and the IPC to do our due diligence on QSAC and Suncorp and progress as quickly as possible.

“Victoria Park is highly-valued by the community, and we have no plans to spend billions of dollars to encroach into that green space.

“With the Review completed, we’ll be wasting no time with getting on with the job with a range of venues proceeding through to the next stage of delivery.

“Venues at the Sunshine Coast – the Indoor Sports Centre, Stadium Upgrade and Mountain Bike Facility, as well as the Chandler precinct projects can now progress to procurement with others following soon after.”

The IOC Vice President John Coates was pleased, he says: “Athletics Australia will be very pleased that with a QSAC upgrade, Queensland and Australian athletics will be left with a legacy venue for the development of the sport in Queensland.

“Sydney 2000 left a competition and warm-up track legacy for athletics, a legacy missing from the London, Rio, and Tokyo Games.

“The IOC will make available its Games construction experts to advise in respect of the potential upgrades to QSAC, including specifically whether the full $1 billion of suggested upgrades are needed.”

The Brisbane 2032 Organising Committee President Andrew Liveris opined that:

“The Olympic and Paralympic Games must fit the region, not the region fit the Games, and we will use the venues and infrastructure made available to us.

“We acknowledge the Queensland Government’s actions in accepting the majority of the independent review’s recommendations and urge due diligence across venues and infrastructure to be completed quickly and in consultation with stakeholders.

“Time and cost estimates are of the essence and progress must move swiftly.

“Once decisions are finalised, we will work with the International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee to refine our Venue Master Plan and Sport Program, in line with our Olympic Host Contract commitments.” ns during their tenure.”

“Local rural fire funds to stay local” - Fire Minister Nikki Boyd

Brisbane, March 19 (MCCQ Newsdesk, Ministerial Media Statement Media Release)

Fire Minister Nikki Boyd has reassured rural fire brigades that local funds and assets will stay local following legislative change currently being considered through a committee process.

The Minister met with the Commissioner and Chief Officer Rural Fire Service this morning who reassured the Minister that any money raised locally would stay local and local assets would stay local.

The legislation will improve accountability and transparency by ensuring that financial contributions are properly recorded and accounted for by brigades and asset management was in accordance with best practice.

Minister Boyd said the contribution from rural fire services volunteers is invaluable in ensuring the safety of our Queensland communities and thanked rural brigades for their efforts in fundraising to support local communities.

“The new legislation is about empowering volunteers but that also comes with responsibility,” the Minister said.

“The policy framework will make it clear that local assets like trucks and local funds will continue to solely benefit those local brigades and be accessed by local brigades for local purposes.

“There will also be transparency so brigades can see how local funds and local assets are being managed. “Volunteers do such a great job in raising funds.

“It’s important the right settings are in place when Rural Fire Service Queensland is established as a separate entity in the new Queensland Fire Department with its own dedicated budget.

“We have increased funding for the rural fire service increase by 40% in the past financial year to more than $100 million.

“That’s funding new trucks and support vehicles, vital safety equipment like deluge systems, new and upgraded stations and more.

“Local fundraising will continue to be an important part of how local brigades work that’s why it’s important local funds remain available for local brigades.”