Former Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says Brisbane 2032 Olympic stadium already 'decided'

Former Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says the Olympic review committee has "already decided" to build a new stadium at Victoria Park for the Brisbane 2032 Games.

The LNP government is awaiting the findings of a 100-day review into key venues and infrastructure amid bitter debate over whether to demolish and upgrade the Gabba, build a new stadium at Victoria Park or revamp the Queensland Sports and Athletics Centre (QSAC) at Nathan.

In an interview on Channel 9's Today Show, Ms Palaszczuk said the Victoria Park proposal was "absolutely a ridiculous idea".

"I've been told the committee has actually already decided it's going to be Victoria Park," Ms Palaszczuk said.

"There is no access to public transport there.

"It's going to cost a lot more — more billions and billons of dollars that Queenslanders don't have at the moment because of the cost-of-living pressures."

A concept design of a proposal to build new venues for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games at Victoria Park in Brisbane's suburb of Herston. (Supplied: Archipelago)

The ABC understands the revamped design of the Victoria Park stadium will cost $14.2 billion under a public-private partnership and will include the southern hemisphere’s largest sport centre of excellence.

The ABC also understands there will be no net loss of green space.

'Huge fight' over stadiums

Ms Palaszczuk said she was "pretty annoyed" and "quite sad" that the Games had become a "political football" seven-and-a-half years out from the opening ceremony.

"It's become this huge fight over stadiums, for goodness sake," Ms Palaszczuk said.

"I'm absolutely shocked at the state of it.

"There was a plan, the plan was submitted to the IOC [International Olympic Committee], the IOC ticked off the plan and now you have nearly every single mayor and the new government reviewing [the plan].

"If I was at the IOC at the moment, I would be saying, 'What is going on Brisbane?'"

The former premier, who announced her retirement from politics in December 2023 after nine years in office, had proposed demolishing and rebuilding the Gabba stadium ahead of the Games at a cost of $1 billion.

In 2021 then-premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced the Gabba would be rebuilt for the 2032 Games. (Supplied: Queensland Government)

A detailed review later found it would cost at least $2.7 billion.

"When I left, we had a plan — we were sticking to the plan. The tenders would've been out now for the Gabba," Ms Palaszczuk said.

"You got the metro there; the underground railway station being built there … and we want to have a legacy for our city — the Gabba was the place."

Second review

The Gabba proposal was swiftly rejected by her successor Steven Miles, who announced his government would instead spend $1.6 billion to renovate the Queensland Sports and Athletics Centre.

Former premier Steven Miles committed to revamping the Queensland Sports and Athletics Centre at Nathan. (ABC News: Dean Caton)

Mr Miles also ordered a 60-day review of key sporting venues headed by former lord mayor Graham Quirk.

Mr Quirk's review recommended replacing the Gabba rebuild plan with a new "greenfield" stadium at Victoria Park, at a cost of up to $3.4 billion.

Former Brisbane lord mayor Graham Quirk headed a 60-day review into infrastructure for the Brisbane Olympics. (ABC News: Chris Gillette)

The LNP did not support the QSAC option and pledged to appoint an independent seven-member Olympics Coordination Authority to conduct a 100-day review if it won last year's election.

Premier launches Olympic venue review Photo shows A politician in a suit and tie talking with hand gestures. Queensland's premier doesn't believe Brisbane "needs another stadium," announcing a 100-day review into infrastructure to be used for Brisbane 2032.

The review, which began in November, is chaired by property industry veteran Stephen Conry and includes the Property Council of Australia's Jess Caire and sporting and events leader Tony Cochrane.

Its scope covers "new, upgraded and temporary venues", Olympic and Paralympic villages, transport infrastructure and Games governance.

There are several guiding principles outlined, including that the review will "maximise the use of existing venues" to "minimise new construction".

Premier David Crisafulli has previously spoken about "no new stadiums" but the terms of reference do not explicitly rule it out.

'Time is running out'

Rose O'Hagan from the Save Victoria Park Advocacy Group said Ms Palaszczuk's comments about Victoria Park were "disconcerting".

"Putting Victoria Park on the radar to start with was very strange because it was a typical example of someone coming up with a recommendation but not undertaking analysis and impact assessments before they did it," Ms O'Hagan said.

"We have given a very comprehensive submission to the review board, so they understand the impacts which are significant across that whole space.

"In saying that, we have to put our faith with the 100-day review panel is going to be doing their job and actually understanding the impacts.

"We also have to make sure that we hold our premier and deputy premier to their word when they have given us their election promise that there will be no stadium at Victoria Park."

Vivienne Clifton-Jones, Sue Bremmer and Rose O'Hagan have been fighting against an Olympic stadium at Victoria Park. (Supplied)

Ms Palaszczuk said the "fighting" over Olympic Games infrastructure needs to end because "time is running out".

"Everyone's got to sit around the table, and this has got to be sorted out," Ms Palaszczuk said.

"A lot of people might not have liked my plan, but people know that when I stood for something I stood by it, I backed it in, I stared others down and I got on with the job.

"At the moment, I'm not seeing that at all."

The review committee is due to report back on March 8.

Click here to read article