If these are the Games Brisbane will deliver, perhaps it’s not worth it

By Cameron Atfield

PERSPECTIVE: Stung by local criticism of the Gabba rebuild, which was helping cement the Greens’ grip on the formerly safe Labor seat of South Brisbane, Queensland Premier Steven Miles launched a review into its $2.7 billion rebuild.

The review ostensibly covered all 2032 Olympic venues, but it was clear the Gabba was front-and-centre of Miles’ thinking when he flagged the independent appraisal days before he took office.

It was an early sign of pragmatism from the new premier, and his appointment of former Brisbane lord mayor Graham Quirk – an LNP stalwart and the man who kicked off the Olympic bid in the first place – was an absolute masterstroke.

“My preference would be that they come back and say, actually, ‘there is an alternative and here’s what we think you should do’,” Miles said as he announced Quirk’s $150,000 appointment in January.

“In which case, I will take that advice.”

Except, he didn’t.

That review came back on Monday with a clear vision for Brisbane’s Olympic stadium – on a greenfield site in an already built-up corner of Victoria Park that would, eventually, replace the Gabba as Brisbane’s premier oval-shaped stadium.

With a capacity of 55,000, it would be bigger, more modern and more versatile than the site-constrained Gabba rebuild would have allowed.

Yes, it would be more expensive – about $700 million more than the Gabba option – but it also made a lot more sense, particularly in terms of design potential.

But $3.4 billion is $3.4 billion and that was too much for Miles.

Read the full perspective here.

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