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Queensland committed to Brisbane 2032 after Victorian Games debacle
The organisers of the Brisbane Olympics have assured Australia’s shell-shocked sporting community they are committed to hosting the 2032 Games, after Victoria’s decision to cancel the 2026 Commonwealth Games over ballooning costs.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced on Tuesday his state would pull out of its commitment to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games, citing the escalating cost of holding the event in regional Victoria.
Andrews said the bill had come in at $6 billion, well above the budgeted $2.6 billion.
With Brisbane 2032 already having experienced massive cost blowouts – the Gabba rebuild went from $1 billion to $2.7 billion – questions were naturally asked about Queensland’s commitment to host the Olympics.
But Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the state was “100 per cent committed” to hosting the Olympics.
When it came to an alternative Commonwealth Games host, however, she was not interested.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says she’s “100 per cent committed” to hosting the 2032 Olympics.Credit: Matt Dennien
“There may be an opportunity for another state to put their hand up,” she said.
Palaszczuk said the initial $1 billion estimate for the Gabba was “in 2020 figures”, as she sought to hose down fears of a repeat of the Victorian experience.
“Since then, you’ve actually seen cost escalations, and the money now that has been secured – remember, there was an increase from the federal government, which was matched by the state government – they are on current costings,” she said.
Palaszczuk’s deputy, Steven Miles, said there were many differences between Victoria 2026 and Brisbane 2032.
The Gold Coast is out of the running to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games having hosted them in 2018.Credit: Francois Xavier Marit/AFP
“First of all, Queensland finds itself in a much better budget position and we have a rapidly growing population, so the venues and infrastructure we are building in Queensland are for that growing population,” he said.
On that point, the Labor government was singing from the same hymn sheet as its LNP counterpart in Brisbane’s City Hall.
Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner, a member of the Brisbane 2032 board, said he felt for his Victorian counterparts.
When asked if he had any doubts about Brisbane’s ability to deliver the Olympics in 2032, Schrinner said “none whatsoever”.
“I can understand it is a challenging decision to make for Melbourne, but ultimately, you look at the costs of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games and then you compare it to the benefits – $18 billion in benefits were determined a number of years ago through the state government’s report,” he said.
But Greens MP Amy MacMahon, whose electorate took in the Gabba, said the Andrews government had “rightly recognised” such events were bad deals for host cities.
“This is an acknowledgment that events like the Commonwealth and Olympic Games come at a huge cost to housing, public services, schools and hospitals – everyday Queenslanders will be paying with underfunded services, a worsening housing crisis,” she said.
Brisbane 2032 president Andrew Liveris said when it came to funding, the Olympic and Commonwealth Games were very different beasts.
“The Commonwealth Games runs on a different business model to the Olympic and Paralympic Games, particularly with respect to event delivery, infrastructure usage, and commercial revenue models,” he said.
“In addition, the International Olympic Committee provides a financial contribution to the organising committees’ running costs, and invaluable support in learning and best practice from prior Games.”
When it came to an alternative host for the 2026 Commonwealth Games, the 2018 host, the Gold Coast, was not keen to repeat the feat.
Acting Mayor Donna Gates said it would be impractical for any new host, including her city, to organise the Games in such a short timeframe.
“I guess if you’re looking for a positive angle, perhaps this might free up some more federal dollars for the city of Gold Coast and Brisbane, and the Sunshine Coast, in terms of hosting the Olympics in 2032,” she said.
“We might be able to fast-track the light rail, get some dollars that were going to go to Victoria and bring them to Queensland.”