Questions over $450 million Gabba Metro busway project
By Tony Moore
Plans for a $450 million busway and Metro station at Woolloongabba are being reconsidered due to the decision not to rebuild the Gabba.
The transport project, designed to complement the underground train station being built opposite the stadium, is the largest in the $1.8 billion South East Queensland City Deal.
The idea of spending $450 million on a new busway at the Gabba is being questioned.Credit: Brisbane Times
The $450 million was confirmed in March 2022 when Woolloongabba was set to become a new urban hub, anchored by a new stadium set to host the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games athletics and opening and closing ceremonies.
Two years later, the Miles state government in March 2024 ruled out a $2.7 billion rebuild of the Gabba, preferring to redevelop the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre at Mt Gravatt instead.
Federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine King, Queensland Transport Minister Bart Mellish and Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner are now considering the best use of the $450 million.
King confirmed at a media conference at Petrie on Thursday she had spoken with both Mellish and Schrinner this week about where the money should be spent.
“The money’s still there. [The] project is still there. There are ongoing discussions between the City of Brisbane and the Queensland Government and ourselves about that,” King said.
“We haven’t made any decisions about that at this stage.”
King said the use of the $450 million was raised with her by both Mellish and Schrinner.
“Minister Mellish raised this issue with me yesterday, as did Adrian Schrinner when I saw him, and we’ll just continue to have discussions. But no decisions are made yet.”
Schrinner confirmed the talks.
“With the decision not to rebuild the Gabba, there is an opportunity to redirect the Gabba Metro station funding into expanding the Metro to more locations,” Schrinner said on Thursday night.
“This would be the kind of much-needed transport legacy that prompted us to bid for the 2032 Games in the first place.”
The council has aggressively promoted its electric Metro fleet and will start southside services, using the South East Busway to the University of Queensland, in October.
Future Metro services have been promoted for Brisbane’s northside, out to the Brisbane Airport and previously out along Old Cleveland Road to Capalaba.
Mellish acknowledged the council’s interest in redirecting the funding.
“Brisbane City Council have indicated they may wish to use the $450 million allocated on different projects,” the minister said through a spokeswoman.
“The State Government is yet to receive a formal proposal.”
The council has an electric bus charging station on the southside at Rochedale to allow the first two Brisbane Metro routes to operate.
During the March 2024 council election campaign Schrinner promised a future electric bus charging station on council-owned land at Fitzgibbon, near Carseldine, allowing buses to be charged in six minutes.
The government’s Queensland Investment Corporation owns the land above Brisbane’s new Cross River Rail stations, including at Woolloongabba. It has yet to finalise development plans for the precincts.