Countdown to Brisbane 2032 begins with review

The countdown to Brisbane 2032 has finally begun with an Olympic venue blueprint to be delivered in 100 days. The seven-member board tasked with the final venue plan for the 2032 Games was unveiled on Friday, more than three years after Brisbane was named host. Chaired by Stephen Conry AM, the body will have 100 days from Friday to finalise an infrastructure plan following years of controversy. Urgent legislation was passed by the Liberal National government late on Thursday to set up the 2032 Olympic Independent Infrastructure and Coordination Authority, with the Games clock now ticking. "We've now fired the starting gun," Premier David Crisafulli told reporters. "This is now day one of 100 - their time starts now." Terms of reference for the review include "new, upgraded and temporary venues". Mr Crisafulli had been adamant no new stadiums would be built for Brisbane 2032 after winning the October 26 election and ordering the review. He had rubbished the former Labor government's venue plan which rejected a review's recommendation to build a $3.4 billion centrepiece stadium at Victoria Park in favour of upgrading ageing facilities instead. "I don't think Brisbane needs an extra stadium," the premier told a Future Brisbane Forum on Friday alongside Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner and Federal Sports Minister Anika Wells. Mr Schrinner drew laughs from the crowd when he replied: "The premier is right, we don't need an extra stadium - we need two stadiums." When quizzed later by media on whether "new, upgraded and temporary venues" provided scope for a big build, Mr Crisafulli again ruled out adding a stadium. "This is about generational infrastructure for Queenslanders," he said. "The focus was never about a sporting stadium - never - and that's not my focus. "If you look at the terms of reference, I have every faith that the $7.1 billion (Brisbane Olympic budget) will be respected, and it will be about generational infrastructure and a plan to deliver." Since coming to power, the Liberal National government has revealed several Olympic venues cost blowouts. The latest was an extra $500 million required for Roma Street train station to provide links to Brisbane Arena, costs the government claimed Labor had hidden. Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie also announced $181 million in cost blowouts for Olympic venues planned for Chandler in Brisbane's south and the Sunshine Coast, again blaming Labor.