Queensland’s infrastructure pipeline grows with funding announcement for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games

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Queensland’s infrastructure pipeline is growing with the recent announcement of $7b for the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games.

In July 2021, Brisbane was chosen as the host of the 2032 Olympic Games by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). This marks the third time that Australia will host the Summer Olympics, following the 1956 Melbourne Olympics and the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Queensland will host the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games over four weeks (29 days) with the Olympic Games hosted from 23 July to 8 August 2032 and the Paralympic Games to be hosted from 24 August to 5 September 2032. 

Funding 

In the last couple of days, it has been announced that the Queensland Government will fund the $2.7 billion redevelopment of the Gabba while the Federal Government will provide $2.5 billion for the Brisbane Arena development. Sixteen new or upgraded venues will receive close to $1.87 billion in co-funding on a 50/50 basis between the two governments.

The Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games will provide Queensland the opportunity for a once in a lifetime transformational change creating legacy for future generations, upgraded and new sporting venues. 

The Palaszczuk Government has unveiled its plans for a major revitalisation of Woolloongabba and The Gabba Stadium including an active travel corridor to the South Bank and the CBD. 

Improving Brisbane’s infrastructure

The Gabba Stadium will be fully demolished and rebuilt and will anchor major urban renewal including delivering more housing including social and affordable housing.

“Better infrastructure, and building in a lower emissions environment, will not only mean the best for the athletes of the world, but that communities will have great spaces and places to use into the future,” says Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King.

The current Woolloongabba Priority Development Area will be expanded to encompass more of Woolloongabba and the Stanley Street precinct to South Bank. 

Along with connecting Cross River Rail and the Brisbane Metro, it will deliver a walkable connection to South Bank and Brisbane CBD via Brisbane City Council’s new green bridge.

Gabba Stadium re-development

The $2.7 billion Gabba Stadium redevelopment will see the Stadium fully demolished and rebuilt, with improved disability access and better transport connection. 

“We know hosting the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to accelerate the infrastructure and housing we need to support a growing Queensland,” says Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.

“The Gabba has hosted sport for more than a century and is home to cricket and AFL most weeks of the year,” says Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.

“But it’s no secret that Queensland is losing out on major sporting events already – and the tourism, jobs and investment that come with them because The Gabba is not up to scratch. It must be upgraded to maintain our competitiveness for international sport and events,” says Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.

Given the complexity of building on a constrained site, completely rebuilding the Gabba is cheaper than trying to bring it to a truly accessible, modern standard. 

The new Gabba will include a pedestrian walkway linking the stadium to the new Cross River Rail station and future Metro station, via a bridge over Main Street, providing greater accessibility for those with all levels of mobility, making it one of the most accessible stadiums in the country. 

The current Stadium is nearing the end of its life and the redevelopment will support the long-term professional sport, community and entertainment needs of the city before and after 2032.

East Brisbane State School will not be able to continue at its current location beyond December 2025. Community consultation on several options will now begin, including relocating the school to new facilities at a nearby site. 

The announcement follows the funding agreement between the Australian and Queensland Governments that sees a $7 billion-plus infrastructure program and the cost of delivering the Brisbane 2032 Master Plan shared. 

Click here to read more about the redevelopment of The Gabba and Woolloongabba Cross River Rail Priority Development Area (PDA).

Brisbane 2032 Master Plan

The Brisbane 2032 Master Plan is focused on achieving optimal legacy outcomes over the next 20 years and beyond.

The Venue Master Plan identifies 37 competition venues required for hosting 28 Olympic and 22 Paralympic sports. The master plan comprises six new venues, eight upgraded venues and 23 existing or temporary venues.

Competition venues will be hosted in the following locations:

  • Brisbane—22 venues
  • Gold Coast—6 venues
  • Sunshine Coast—4 venues
  • Regional Queensland—3 venues (Cairns, Townsville, Toowoomba)
  • Interstate—2 venues (Sydney, Melbourne).
  • Venues were selected based on a rigorous technical assessment including involvement from national and international sporting federations.

Brisbane Arena

1. New 17,000 seat CBD indoor entertainment venue

2. Proposed Roma St location to be serviced by new Cross River Rail Brisbane Underground and existing train and bus services; and will be close to Suncorp Stadium

3. Hosts 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Swimming and Water Polo

4. Construction planned to start 2027. Completion 2030.

Additional Venues

1. Upgrade 9 existing venues:

  1. Wyaralong Flatwater Centre and Precinct – Rowing
  2. Sunshine Coast Stadium – Football
  3. Brisbane Aquatic Centre and Precinct – Aquatics (including diving, artistic swimming and water polo preliminaries)
  4. Barlow Park (Cairns) – Football
  5. Toowoomba Sports Ground – Football
  6. Brisbane International Shooting Centre – Shooting
  7. Sunshine Coast Mountain Bike Centre – Mountain Biking
  8. Anna Meares Velodrome and BMX Track – Track, BMX Racing
  9. Queensland Tennis Centre – Tennis

2. Construction of 5 new venues:

  1. Breakfast Creek (Brisbane) Indoor Sports Centre – Basketball and Wheelchair Basketball
  2. Chandler Indoor Sports Centre – Gymnastics and Wheelchair Basketball
  3. Sunshine Coast Indoor Sports Centre – Basketball
  4. Moreton Bay Indoor Sports Centre – Boxing
  5. Redlands Whitewater Centre – Canoe

3. Temporary International Broadcasting Centre

4. Logan Indoor Sports Centre as a potential training or competition venue

5. Minor upgrades to existing competition and training venues.

Climate Positive Games

Brisbane 2032 will deliver a climate positive Olympic and Paralympic Games, creating lasting climate benefits and accelerating the transition to net emissions.

Brisbane 2032 will deliver a climate positive Olympic and Paralympic Games by:

  • Minimising emissions in line with the Paris Agreement and what science says is required to limit global warming to 1.5°C.
  • Offsetting more than 100 per cent of remaining emissions.
  • Influencing to create change and deliver lasting climate benefits for Queensland and beyond Importantly, a climate positive Brisbane 2032 will help accelerate Queensland’s transition to a low carbon economy.

Queensland’s Infrastructure Pipeline

The major projects pipeline in Queensland continues to grow and in the five years between 2022/23 and 2026/27 inclusive, the major projects pipeline is valued at $71.3b (Source: QMCA).  The announcement of $7bn of funding for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games has not been factored in.

But for this incredible pipeline of work to be delivered, Queensland will need to address critical issues, one of them being the lack of a suitable workforce.

According to the latest report by Engineers Australia, Queensland has seen the biggest jump in civil engineering vacancies with 41 per cent increase in 2022 (Source: Australian Engineering Employment Vacancies Report, February 2023).

According to QMCA, “employment in the Queensland civil construction sector (currently 21,600 workers) remains 20% below pre-pandemic levels.” While border re-opening and slow return of skilled migrants will help to alleviate severe skill shortages in this sector, it is not a silver bullet.

Source: © The State of Queensland 1997–2023 | © Commonwealth of Australia | © The State of Queensland 1995–2023

Image source: © The State of Queensland 1997–2023

Source: QMCA Queensland Major Projects Pipeline 2022

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