Queensland has reached an Olympic milestone, after the state and federal governments struck an infrastructure funding deal for the 2032 Games.
The governments today signed off on paperwork outlining funding to build or upgrade a total of 17 sporting venues.
The federal government will inject almost half of the $7 billion infrastructure cost.
Of that, $1.2 billion will go directly to the new Victoria Park stadium.
“The significance of today’s agreement lies in the assurance it brings to our infrastructure projects, benefiting industry, local communities, and the workforce,” stated Queensland deputy premier Jarrod Bleijie.
“We’ve just got to get on and deliver it.”
The federal government’s cash splash comes on the proviso of further community consultation on Victoria Park stadium.
“A collaborative effort between the Queensland government and Brisbane City Council will lead to the creation of a new precinct plan, with an emphasis on providing access to green spaces,” explained federal infrastructure minister Catherine King.
A community engagement plan, including consultation with impacted communities and First Nations group, will also be developed, King said.
The government also wants a transport connectivity plan, but Bleijie denied calls had been about about new rail stations.
“I think TMR may have done some brainstorming on where they would like to see certain things,” Bleijie said.
“I’m not ruling anything out about the transportation because what we need to do is work out what will be the best public transportation system.”
Next week, geotechnical activities, including soil analysis, are scheduled to begin at Victoria Park to finalize the stadium’s precise location.
Tenders for early design work on each of the four minor venues – Logan and Moreton Bay Sports Centres, the Sunshine Coast Stadium and Barlow Park Stadium in Cairns -also opened today.
Bleijie was confident the entertainment precinct at Woollongabba was going ahead and would be built before the games.
While it’s not a games site, the government is taking expressions of interest to fund it.
Bleijie said today they’ve had 2200 expressions of interest so far and expect the first stage of plans by the end of the year.
“The real legacy of an olympiad and the paralympic games isn’t just the sporting moments, it’s the legacy that it ignites,” King said.
