This topic is deeply sensitive for many in Brisbane right now, as it directly impacts Brisbane’s and Queensland’s reputation. There is widespread frustration and anger among the public due to the government’s recent decision to abandon plans for a new stadium and allocate up to $3.1 billion towards what many perceive as a wasteful “white elephant” stadium at Nathan.
Given the substantial scale of this Olympic infrastructure investment and the risks associated with potential misallocation, BrisbaneDevelopment.com remains committed to addressing this critical issue and advocating for the optimal outcome for our city. This mission defines its purpose, and will steadfastly pursue it. BrisbaneDevelopment.com is dedicated to covering development and infrastructure matters specific to Brisbane, ensuring our city’s growth is guided by informed and reasonable decisions.
To clarify, Queensland Premier Steven Miles’ statement about not spending money on building new stadiums is not entirely accurate, considering the funds required to upgrade QSAC to Olympic standards. Many are questioning whether, if we must invest in this upgrade, it would be more beneficial to do it comprehensively and deliver a high-quality facility that meets our needs effectively.
Approximate costs of the Government’s QSAC plan:
- An estimated $1.6 billion to upgrade QSAC at Nathan
- An estimated $500 million for the busway connection to the stadium at Nathan
- $500 million on upgrading the Gabba (just to make it last till the 2030’s)
- $500 million on upgrading Suncorp stadium (to host the opening and closing ceremonies)
- Total spend = $3.1 billion
There is a far more efficient use of our tax dollars—one that has always been right under our noses. It’s the least controversial and potentially the most cost-effective location for development. This solution represents the silver bullet to address a significant and embarrassing problem facing Brisbane, while simultaneously resolving an upcoming planning issue in the inner city.
Rundown journey of Brisbane’s stadium:
- The Gabba redevelopment was found to be too restricted due to space limitations and was also not popular with the local community due to the need for the school demolition/relocation.
- The recommendation for Victoria Park Stadium by the Quirk review, although it offered ample space, faced community resistance because it would consume approximately 10% of the planned new parkland. Despite being better connected than QSAC, Victoria Park lacks convenient rail access due to its distance from railway stations, with the nearest being a 15-20 minute walk to the upgraded Exhibition station.
- QSAC at Nathan, an idea put forward by John Coates, a Sydneysider and adopted by the Queensland government has no mass transit connections, not supported by the majority of Brisbane residents and has been deemed as “not value for money” by the review panel.
The people of Brisbane and South East Queensland deserve better than a third-rate, future white elephant stadium. We should not stand for less.
The silver bullet solution here is Northshore Hamilton. Here’s why:
Rating Stadium Sites
Northshore Olympic Park
$3.03 ~ $3.23 billionBuilding an Olympic stadium at Northshore Hamilton is a proposition grounded in practicality and logic. The site’s proximity to the athletes’ village, coupled with its stunning riverfront location, offers an ideal opportunity to establish a new, iconic waterfront precinct akin to the transformation seen at South Bank Parklands following Brisbane’s World Expo 88.
Northshore Olympic Park would be centered around a state-of-the-art oval stadium, poised to become the future home of the Brisbane Lions and Queensland Cricket. Beyond sports, this versatile venue could also host major music concerts, ensuring Brisbane remains a prominent destination and doesn’t miss out on valuable tourism revenue opportunities.
Even beyond the context of the Olympics, Northshore Hamilton faces a critical need for a rail connection to accommodate an estimated 25,000 new residents expected post-games. Fortunately, the Doomben rail line is conveniently located just 1.4 kilometers north of the site. What’s more, connecting this rail line to the new precinct requires no displacement of homes, as there is already a relatively preserved rail corridor in place, offering a streamlined and sustainable solution for future transportation needs.
Brisbane, known as a river city, finds an ideal canvas for showcasing its famous meandering river at Northshore, all without the need to disturb schools or parkland. This flat, flood-proof site is primed for development, requiring minimal site preparation and no demolition of existing structures. It stands out as the most cost-effective option, yet politics has overshadowed its merits, leading to this unfortunate oversight.
Asked if Northshore Hamilton was ever considered as an Olympic stadium site, a spokesperson from the Department of State Development and Infrastructure told BrisbaneDevelopment.com:
It is expected the challenges around the Games and legacy mass public transport capacity, impacts to housing development plans and existing plans for the Athletes Village would be major issues that would arise for a stadium at Northshore Hamilton.
Northshore is a sprawling site with abundant space to accommodate both an Athletes Village and Stadium precinct. The projected costs for developing Northshore Olympic Park are anticipated to be significantly lower compared to the other four sites rated in this article, as it necessitates minimal earthworks (unlike Victoria Park) and involves no demolition of existing structures (as with QSAC and the Gabba). It’s also located in an iconic riverfront urban renewal site that desperately needs a rail line extension anyway.
Many residents of Brisbane may not realise that the Doomben line, running from Eagle Junction to Doomben, is actually a single-track route, significantly restricting the frequency of services along this stretch. Additionally, the condition of stations along this line leaves much to be desired. Photos by R Dow 18th November 2010.
The idea of duplicating the line was initially proposed in 1911-12, and some preliminary work began in 1911. However, this work was quickly halted. After World War II, efforts to duplicate the line resumed, with substantial progress made except for laying the actual track. Essentially, given that much of the groundwork has been completed, duplicating this line—a project long advocated for by the local community and rail advocates—would now be very cost-effective.
This is one site that wasn’t costed, but evidently would be the cheapest. Hypothetical breakdown of costs:
Northshore Olympic Park Stadium – $1.93 billion
- $1.93 billion has been estimated for the construction of a new stadium. To provide context, the Optus Stadium in Perth, with a capacity of 60,000 seats, was constructed in 2017 in a similar flat riverside location at a cost of $1.6 billion. Adjusted for inflation to current values, this amounts to the equivalent of $1.93 billion today.
- This figure would include construction of stadium structure, stadium fit-out, landscaping and surrounding precinct amenities.
- [For comparison, the Government has proposed to spend $1.6 billion to rebuild QSAC, however this cost is for a much smaller 40,000 seat stadium and requires not only demolition of the old stands but earthworks also].
Northshore Olympic Park Station & Spur Rail Line – $1.1 ~ 1.3 billion
- $600-$800 million for a new 1.4km spur rail line extension from the existing Doomben line with a short 500m segment being elevated track and the remaining 900m being surface level.
- An additional $300 million for necessary 3.5km rail track duplication from Eagle Junction to Doomben using already constructed rail duplication corridor.
- $200 million for a new surface level station at Northshore Olympic Park.
A Northshore Olympic Park would be roughly $3.03 ~ $3.23 billion which includes much needed legacy rail infrastructure.
VS
QSAC would cost roughly the same, around $3.1 billion for an unimaginative, third-rate Olympic plan.
Essentially, for a comparable cost, we have the opportunity to create a brand-new Waterfront Olympic Park and establish a lasting rail legacy to Northshore. This option becomes feasible because the government’s plan for QSAC relies on extending the life of the Gabba until 2032, an investment projected to cost around $500 million. Additionally, there’s a planned $500 million upgrade for Suncorp Stadium to host the Opening and Closing ceremonies. These expenses illustrate how investing in a new Olympic Park at Northshore can offer greater value and long-term benefits for Brisbane.
Furthermore, at QSAC, there will be a need for a busway extension, likely necessitating the clearance of bushland, in addition to the rebuild of the stadium. Another critical consideration is the challenge of transporting tens of thousands of people solely by buses, which would lead to significant congestion. Buses have lower capacities compared to trains, even with bi-articulated metro buses, making them an impractical solution for efficiently moving large crowds in and out of the area.
So it is perplexing that the Government wants to waste taxpayers money and rob Brisbane of a much smarter solution which would in hand solve Northshore’s future transportation problem.
Now, let’s rank the other proposed sites in comparison to Northshore Olympic Park, from highest to lowest score.
Gabba Olympic Stadium Site
$3.36 billionOriginally, The Gabba stadium was suggested as the designated venue for hosting athletics and the opening and closing ceremonies. While it enjoys a prime inner-city location, the site’s major drawback is its tight constraints and significant community opposition to the relocation of East Brisbane State School. Nonetheless, considering that The Gabba will inevitably require redevelopment in the future, acting now offers the advantage of cost savings by preemptively addressing the stadium’s looming need for a major overhaul.
Brisbane architecture firm Hayes Anderson Lynch Architects (HAL) has developed an updated concept proposal for the Gabba that keeps the current school in place. The plan highlights construction of a state-of-the-art 17,000-seat Brisbane Live arena, poised to sit atop the Woolloongabba Cross River Rail station. This facility would be seamlessly linked to a revitalised Gabba stadium, boasting a seating capacity of 55,000. The entire precinct would be linked via elevated walking bridges connecting the precinct into the local framework, and also connecting the precinct into Southbank.
Victoria Park Olympic Stadium Site
$3.0 – $3.4 billionThe Victoria Park Olympic site was identified by the Quirk review as a prime location for a new stadium, emphasising the advantages of building on greenfield land to maximise efficiency and establish a lasting Olympic legacy. However, two significant challenges arise with this site. Firstly, the proposed stadium would encroach upon future planned green spaces in Victoria Park, which has been met with resistance from the local community. Secondly, accessibility remains an issue due to the distance of train stations, requiring a 15-20 minute walk, although busway stations are conveniently located nearby.
Breakfast Creek Olympic Park
~$4 – $5 billion
WilkinsonEyre’s vision for Brisbane 2032, presented during the Queensland Government’s 60 Day Review, proposes a strategic redevelopment plan centered around relocating the Mayne Rail Yards to the Aviation and Seaport precinct. By freeing up this prime inner-city space, the proposal envisions transforming the existing rail yard area into a dynamic Olympic Park capable of accommodating various sports venues, including a new 60,000-seat multipurpose oval stadium intended for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. This plan also involves constructing essential infrastructure like a new train station on the Cross River Rail line and a pedestrian bridge over Breakfast Creek, connecting multiple Olympic sites while simultaneously enhancing transport accessibility and creating a lasting legacy for Brisbane.
The envisioned Olympic Park, designed to manage the high volumes of visitors during the Games, would feature expansive parklands integrated with Olympic legacy activities like the Olympic Oval and Olympic Walk. This centrally located precinct not only supports the immediate needs of the 2032 Olympics but also aims to stimulate future urban development by fostering a vibrant mixed-use environment post-Games. By repurposing the Mayne Rail Yards and strategically linking key areas within inner-Brisbane, this proposal represents a forward-thinking approach that leverages existing infrastructure to deliver a transformative legacy for the city, enhancing connectivity, sustainability, and ecological preservation along Brisbane’s waterways.
Although this plan is visionary and would give Brisbane lasting legacy infrastructure, the sheer cost of moving the Mayne Rail Yards to the aviation precinct would be very high (anywhere from $500m – $1 billion) making this proposal extremely cost prohibitive.
Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre (QSAC) Olympic Stadium
$3.1 billionThe government’s decision appears to be steering directly towards creating a white elephant stadium, despite their claims of wanting to avoid one. QSAC’s post-Commonwealth Games fate serves as a cautionary tale—it’s not centrally located, lacks rail connections, and is plagued by noise and traffic issues in its suburban setting. Adding to the challenges, the existing stands, surrounded by a graveyard and koala habitat bushland, would require demolition for any new construction.
Will a new 40,000-seat stadium at QSAC thrive after the Olympic Games? The answer seems to be a resounding no.
In fact, the only choice worse than this would have been to opt for building an Olympic stadium at the Boondall Entertainment Centre. Even then, Boondall has the advantage of rail connectivity, making QSAC the worst possible location for such an endeavor.
If we are to compare Brisbane with other Australasian cities with planned new stadiums, Auckland is preparing to embark on the construction of a new 55,000-seat stadium named Te Tōangaroa, inspired by Māori culture. Ironically, HKS, a Brisbane-based architecture firm, is behind the design of this remarkable stadium, along with other notable projects such as Perth’s Optus Stadium and LA’s Sofi Stadium, which is widely acclaimed as the most advanced stadium globally.
The Government’s reluctance to commit to a common sense stadium location that would be embraced by Brisbane as an Olympic host city is deeply disappointing and reflects a disregard for the well-being of our city and region. Rather than prioritising the needs of Brisbane, this government appears focused solely on securing re-election, using the ‘no new stadium’ stance as a pretext, even though equivalent funds will be needed for the QSAC plan.
This approach reflects a troubling lack of genuine concern for the future and development of Brisbane. There’s also a risk that the government might simply still give up on hosting the games altogether, which would be a significant blow to Brisbane and Queensland’s reputation for successfully hosting international events. It would not only impact future tourism and business revenue but also erode intangible benefits which come from hosting the Olympics accrued to the state over time.
Choosing Northshore Hamilton for the Olympic precinct is a matter of pure common sense. Not only would this location be budget-friendly, likely costing the same or even less than QSAC, but it also offers the opportunity to address the urgent need for rail infrastructure in Northshore—a suburb expected to accommodate an additional 25,000 residents. This approach efficiently tackles two important goals: providing essential rail connectivity and delivering Brisbane the iconic riverfront stadium it rightfully deserves.
Wow someone with logic. This is a far better plan than the others and takes allot of the additional heavy traffic away from of the city. If rail can be extended as a result another win for everyone after the games and will revitalise the area. The location will be a huge positive for tourists who will then spend money in the CBD and inner city and take advantage of local attractions. Can you seriously see tourists loving Nathan area and the travel? Im happy to part my tax dollars for this project at Hamilton but NOT at Nathan.
If you shift the stadium at North Shore slightly and within the PDA to sit over the BP whinstanes terminal, which is naturally requiring decommissioning due to age of asset and diminishing return on investment of a new terminal at this location as opposed to collocating at the port or bulwar island, then the rail extension wouldn’t be on the critical path as an upgrade to station and access to the station at Doomben would work extremely well and provide a fanatic value for the same community. This would also provide the value of converting heavily polluted land into valuable public space, which was a huge part of the success of Sydney 2000 and London 2012 – land that is deemed as too expensive to repair and decontaminate for private development.
I made an idea in a nearby location. Instead of Hamilton, I chose eagle farm race course at ascot. The horses would have to relocate to Doomben down the road though.
Eagle Farm racecourse would be interesting, although there’d be a massive amount of NIMBYism from the wealthy locals. At least with Hamilton it’s only displacing industries that won’t last in the area for too much longer anyway because it’ll be developed for residential or retail space. But I guess both areas will be by a railway station and can conceivably get a Brisbane Metro service to them.
Northshore by far is the most prominent location. Riverfront site , rail connection extension and much more it’s good to have a stadium away from city and on the other side of river leaves a legacy as well. It’s a win win situation for everyone wise way to utilise taxpayers money I’m in for this location
I have an even better idea, why not develop wynnum manly for an Olympic stadium, us locals would love it. We need more investment in the area. They could use Wynnum Many Seaguls grounds, and the train is right there.
In addition if the rail goes to Hamilton or the Iner city subway, extend the line to our cruise ship terminal
It’s a nice article, but I’m still not convinced the North Shore location is best.
It’s right in the middle of a flight path. And not just that, but these are low-flying planes coming in to land. The noise is far worse than locations elsewhere.
Adding a train line extension isn’t really that big of a win either. If you have 8 stations (and spend 20 minutes) to get to Olympics station, then you might as well just refurbish Boondal. At least the residents of Sandgate get to the games faster.
This idea is really more of a post-games legacy for Hamilton residents buying into the olympic village.
I’d argue there’s no other cheap and/or easy mass-public transport solution at North Shore. You could add an extra City-Cat terminal, but it’s unlikely this provides enough capacity to empty the area of patrons once an event is over. Plus the train would probably beat the City Cat back to the city time-wise. Likewise, adding a bus lane to Kingsford Smith Dr isn’t much more practical either. I’d imagine a lot of locals and commuters would be up in arms about reducing the capacity of a major roadway artery.
ok you may laugh but experts have looked at the R N A and planning has started. train all ready their and a little work to connect to all the tunnels it will be almost sound proof .they have stadiums in other parts of the world their looking at copying.
I think either the north shore or VIC park option would be good. I just can’t understand the logic of the state government and the LNP. They would rather wate the same amount of money on putting lipstick on the pig AKA QSAC and the Gabba and Brisbane will still not have a proper descent stadium for both AFL and Cricket. The Governments options leave no legacy for Brisbane and QLD. I read that there was a lot of opposition to the new Optus oval in Perth when it was announced before being built but there are no complaints now that it is operational and amazing. People don’t like change but unfortunately that is the only constant in life. Time for Miles and Crisafulli to ‘man ‘ up and do something that is logical and will benefit the people of Brisbane and this state instead of trying to win an election! Especially if the end cost is going to be roughly the same.
Finally a clear, cost effective in depth presentation that really has the potential to give we citizens the lasting world standard arena we need. The authors deserve congratulations and the powers that be must admit this is exactly what this city needs to have some sort of credibility. .
This is the solution we have been looking for. Both the Miles government and LNP have nothing but re-election on their minds, and are incapable of making a decision that could cost them votes. This lack of leadership and decision making will ultimately cost the leader his job. Northshore makes sense. It’s a thumbs up from me. Just get on with it.
North Shore will be a great idea because it’s so close to everything including the city card is close to the airport is close to the train station it’s close to bus stations it’s just close to everything I think it’s a great idea you’ll be able to utilize all the public transport around North Shore because North Shore either North Shore or Or Victoria Park but they think with North shore is that Northshore already has a land so you don’t have to demolish too much it’ll be perfect
North Shore will be a great idea because it’s so close to everything including the city card is close to the airport is close to the train station it’s close to bus stations it’s just close to everything I think it’s a great idea you’ll be able to utilize all the public transport around North Shore because North Shore either North Shore or Or Victoria Park but they think with North shore is that Northshore already has a land so you don’t have to demolish too much it’ll be perfect please don’t be able to stadium next to Sunnybank or further out from the city it’s not very economically smart because there’s no train stations there’s no city cars there’s no other public transport but bus I think that north shore Is the greatest idea so far
This article is incorrect. Mandatory Olympic requirements, any proposed stadium also needs an adjacent warm up facility. Only Gabba and QSAC options have this covered. Also after the 2011 and 2022 floods, the road networks around Victoria Park, Northshore Hamilton and Breakfast Creek were cut off (this also includes Suncorp Stadium). Some predict, statistically in 2032 Brisbane is due for another flood. Any proposed Olympic site will need to be flood proofed.
Where is the adjacent warm up facility for the Gabba?
Behind the pineapple hotel has been ear marked I believe. Taking over a local soccer field
Yes, it’s Raymond Park (approximately 3 blocks north of the Gabba) that was proposed as the warm-up facility. A bit of a raw issue as this needed road closures to allow athletes to get from training to the stadium.
If you take a look at the Victoria Park renders, you’ll see that they’ve set aside space for an oval right next to the proposed stadium. It looks like they’re using the area where the current cricket nets are located.. You may know this area as the site of the free drive-through pop-up COVID testing back in 2021-2022.
But let’s say these grounds are too small/ too exposed to the public for a proper warm up area: there’s still the entirety of the Ekka showgrounds at your disposal. It’s about the same distance as the Gabba to Raymond Park as well.
Also the IOC can requisition the existing bikeway underpasses to shuttle athletes quickly to the main stadium and avoid all those road crossing hassles. Riders might know this as the section of bike path starting at the ICB overpass at York’s Hollow (in Victoria Park) and continuing through to Bowen Park (the park lining the northern end of the Exhibition grounds.)
If they could do this with Vic Park and the RNA or Gabba and Pineapple hotel, I’m sure Northshore could do the same with some extra space from knocking down more industrial or utilizing one of the racecourses.
As per the article; the Northshore, Victoria Park and the Gabba proposals are already proposed to be built on flood-proof land. So that’s already been taken into account. Flooding of the magnitude which happened in 2011 and 2022 will knock out all road infrastructure along the Brisbane River. So road network disruption will cause widespread Olympics failure regardless of the stadium location.
Also, I hope it’s just the way your comments are written and prone for misinterpretation; but you’re doing statistics wrong if you believe 2032 is the exact year another flood will occur.
Then they should just build an adjacent warm up facility at Northshore. There’s enough space, especially if they take over the golf course there.
There’s no way the golf course is going to be resumed for some temporary training grounds, imagine the uproar of cutting down trees to form a temporary open space. Is it even public land to begin with? Don’t they host the Brisbane international there? You can’t just slap down a public domain notice and expect no push back or court appeal.
If you’re going to go to the effort of paying for both stadium, training oval and train line plus station then the others options become more cost effective.
This is the solution we have been looking for. Both the Miles government and LNP have nothing but re-election on their minds, and are incapable of making a decision that could cost them votes. This lack of leadership and decision making will ultimately cost the leader his job. Northshore makes sense. It’s a thumbs up from me. Just get on with it.
At least we have some intelligent people talking about it and giving some logical options, unlike the unintelligent government, who seem to have put their heads up their bottoms and forgotten that this will be a legacy for this great city of ours… but then again politicians only seem to worry about the length of their term and the next one, nothing about what the legacy they are creating for the future. We don’t have statesmen anymore!
As cricket and AFL will benefit from a new stadium, why is it that we have not heard from them… or did I miss it?
I personally like Victoria Park, but there is some good logic in Hamilton… anything other than QSAC!
I could live with the Hamilton proposal – not that I have any say in the matter.
For me Victoria Park is an absolute no-no and how QSAC came to be in the picture escapes me. That said my favoured site is the former Toombul shopping centre acreage: easy access to the local railway station and to a new station on the Airport line. Whilst a flood plain easy to lift a new complex above that.
Another site is Griffin Park, Coorparoo. There, transport options are again close: Coorparoo and Norman Park railway stations.
Toombul has many of the same problems that QSAC has – located in a residential area with little pre/post game amenity, 7km from the city (QSAC 11km).
Better Transport is pretty much the only improvement over QSAC.
Hamilton sounds great and logical. My first pick is Victoria Park thou. I always voted labour my whole life but this is the final straw for me. The Muppets playing political games with Brisbane’s future is completely irresponsible as far as I’m concerned. Not too mention looking like A class morons. Hopefully a smarter decision is made soon and a shovel thrown in the ground, the clocks ticking.
I’m do not think several billion dollars for one decent cricket match per year and that afl rubbish is worth the investment. Hard no.
It’s a mandatory yes regardless of the choice. The Gabba’s lifespan is tipped to end around 2030. So like it or not, there will be several billion dollars spent on future cricket and AFL.
The issue YOU should be focusing on is what’s the better value for money long term. Build a new venue by including it with the Olympics infrastructure, or spend billions after the games.
Why do we need an afl team anyway? Broncos and Dolphins are very successful. Magic round is fantastic here. Maybe we could get a third rugby club to play at qsac from 2032 and let the lions leave to Victoria or whatever
A thousand Brisbane lions fans, plus the AFL and a dozen politicians worried about losing voter shares have just labelled your opinions trollish and idiotic.
Plus you still have the entirety of Cricket Australia and a nation of fans lining up to fight you
Great article but you missed one aspect.
In about 2034 when the Gabba has finished its life cycle, the state government at that time is going to be faced with the cost of replacing the stadium (probably $4b+ by then) and the 5 years of displacing AFL and cricket that started this current debacle.
So you really need to add that number to the Government’s spend on stadiums over the next 10-15 years.
The current plan is an utter joke and (I cant believe I am saying this) I dont want the Olympics anymore. I would prefer the worldwide short term embarrassment of pulling out now to the even bigger embarrassment of what this games will be. the pride I felt after the award of the games has complete gone and this Labour government are using it as a political wedge (on cost of living) rather than using the Olympics as the opportunity it is to elevate Brisbane as a world city.
The QSAC “legacy” is even worse than portrayed, in that TEMPORARY GRANDSTANDS will enable the stadium to achieve its (measly) 40,000 capacity, and THESE WILL BE REMOVED AFTER THE GAMES, leaving only 14,000 seats going forward!
There’s alot of Queenslanders thinking the same as you -scrap the games and withdraw the bid.
The only issue with this is the horse has already bolted. The costs to scrap Victoria’s Commonweath games bid was $500 million. If the rumours from the Labour caucus meeting are to be believed, the costs for scrapping the 2032 Olympics bid are around $1 billion.
That’s a big chunk of money for no results; plus don’t forget the additional costs associated with the worldwide shame. (E.g. knock-on effects to future tourism.)
I’m not saying your point is invalid, but I would like Brisbane to do it’s best with whatever the remaining hand they’ve been dealt with. Australia’s got a 2 from 2 proven track record; it’s not a matter of skill shortage, inexperience or lack of ability. We just need the political willpower and sensible management.
Personally, I like the idea of putting it ontop of the dog-track at Albion. The thing is an eye-sore and lets be honest, who races dogs these days…
An olympic stadium there would fit have a ready-built entertainment precinct around it with the Albion warehouses rapidly converting to pubs/bars/resturants at the moment. Plus you have the iconic Brekky Creek hotel.
For transport you can run the Brisbane metro through the valley, to the stadium, then out to Northshore Hamilton and the Airport – connecting a lot of growing communities. You could even add a station in between Bowen Hills and Albion stations and connect it by a bridge over the creek. Plus you could add in a city cat stop to increase access futher.
The downside is the site floods – but so does a lot of the city. Suncorp floods regularly. Provided we build a stadium focused on flood resiliance that can be brought back online quickly after a flood I don’t think there is any issue.
For the Gabba – we could do what the British do and turn it into a dedicated Cricket stadium, like the Oval or Lords. Refurbish it to specific cricket standards at a much lower cost and keep the history we have at the Gabba-toir.
Northshore Hamilton Is an excellent option. I ticks all the boxes. As with the Millenium Dome in London. The entertainments and after event facilities could be integrated onsite. It would be the perfect legacy project and the best use option to value add to the City. The best push for this is through people power. I did not know of this option till reading this article. So let’s market this as the development to move forward with.
I love this idea it’s the most partical. Only down side to this that you didn’t discuss or mention is that you would be right in the middle of the flight path on the new runway at the airport so you would have to put a roof over it and limit the lighting on the outside of it which would take away alot..if you could get brisbane airport cooperation on board you would have a winning idea..also worth looping this train line around and up to the cruise ship terminal and back under he airport to the terminals there
Whilst the article has it’s merits, it sounds like the Northshore option has been manipulated to be the frontrunner choice. If you’re adding a new train line extension, wouldn’t a better argument be to add a new aboveground train station adjacent to the Victoria Park site? Surely that’s a far cheaper solution?
That gives you BOTH metro and train services, which beats all other proposals for public transport. And at a far smaller cost. Include a station construction occuring simultaneously with covering the ICB, and you have a landbridge link to both the stadium, station and Gregory Tce park.
Long term legacy also come in the form of park accessibility, which will ensure it becomes the focus for future tourists and locals alike. There’s a reason SouthBank and Roma St Parklands are so popular: ease of access.
Exactly!
So your comparing a greenfield construction with an extension to an existing railway line to a new station on a busy railway line and building over one of the busiest roads in Brisbane.
I’ll eat my shoes if they can do the Vic park option without adding at least 50% onto that cost.
Matt,
Victoria Park is a greenfield site -you’re building on a disused golf course fairway. So the sites are very comparable. I’d also argue Vic Park is far better a greenfield site for any kind of permanent structure: NorthShore would have to solve the potential flooding issues; maybe even requiring an elevated playing field. Plus the stadium would have to account for weak sedimentary soil in it’s foundation design.
I’d hardly call the isolated railway loop running past Vic Park a ‘busy railway line.’ The only passenger trains to use the line are during the Ekka. Apart from that, it’s used to access the trainwash building. Even with construction occurring at the eastern end of the ICB, you can still access it from the Bowen Hills railway yard.
There are considerable costs with covering the ICB, yes. But I’d argue nowhere near 50% extra cost. The priority bus bridge over the eastern end of the ICB (the one that connects Bowen Bridge Rd to the inner northern busway) went off smoothly and with no significant cost overruns.
If you’re going to argue cost overrun issues with bridging a major road, you’ll have to concede the same issue applies to the proposed train-line bridge over Kingsford Smith Drive.
Building a stadium over a road and rail line is not greenfield.
That ‘isolated loop’ is going to be a key part of cross river rail, it will be taking a lot of traffic in the near future.
Building a stadium over the ICB and CRR lines is a different ball game to building a rail overpass over KSD.
Sorry, the facts do not support your argument.
Why isn’t anyone talking about the issues around the proposed Suncorp stadium upgrade?
We saw the costs (and huge uproar from Cricket and AFL) with relocating teams to a temporary stadium whilst the Gabba rebuild would take place.
What costs are involved to relocate both the Broncos, Dolphins, Reds, Roar and all the other teams using Suncorp ( like the women’s State of Origin)?
What kind of uproar are we to expect when these teams are asked to foot the bill for relocation costs?
Combined with the necessary Gabba rebuild costs when it’s lifespan comes to an end, what is the real cost of Brisbane infrastructure come 2032?
I can’t believe what I am reading. I totally agree with the Hamilton North Shore location or even Victoria park. But please do not let them build it at QSAC at Nathan it would be a huge embarrassment to our city. This article needs to be sent to as many people as possible as I had no idea what their proposal was. I just got back from Barcelona and learnt from tour guides that the Olympic Games put their city on the map and it is now one of the most visited cities in the world and they are thriving from it. We have an opportunity to lift Brisbane to another level if we do this right, When world expo came to Brisbane the city changed and benefited from that hugely and the Olympics will do the same but only if it is done right.
The Victoria Park/Barrambin option has many advantages and opportunities (not all indicated within this article).
Access and Connectivity:
– has more access to mass transit (already under construction) than any of the other options. It’s 1km from the proposed Exhibition Cross River Rail Station (less than a 15 minute walk) and abuts 2 proposed Brisbane Metro Stations (less than a 10 minute walk).
– is centrally located and therefore more equitable, and more easily accessible by more people.
No net loss of Parkland:
The northern carpark is able to be reclaimed as a 1.2ha parkland, with carpark pushed underground (offsetting some of the loss of parkland). Other Government land in the vicinity could be reclaimed to ensure no net loss of parkland.
Urban Vitality (syngergies with neighbouring sites):
– Kelvin Grove Urban Village (approximately 15 minute walk) would be activated by the Stadium, supporting existing hospitality businesses while enhancing ‘event day’ experience (pre-event and post-event).
– Potential Allied Sports Services between QUT Kelvin Grove and the Stadium, and opportunities to embrace night-time activation of the campus.
Opportunities for stadium rooftop observation deck, viewing terraces and stadium climb, leveraging the elevated nature of the site and views to city skyline and parklands. The uses enhance experiences outside event days.
NO! NO! NO! Not once have any of our community been consulted or considered in these ridiculous and destructive decisions. There is no way that a gigantic sports stadium is appropriate in this neighbourhood. We bought here after dozens of promises for a quiet, safe and low-medium residential community NOT a place for 60,000 plus sports fans to bombard us with noise, congestion, hooliganism, damage and disorderly conduct. There was never any plan to put a rail network through Northshore, nor is there the space or facilities to accommodate such a facility. The fact that some fool who clearly doesn’t live here has even suggested this as an alternative is ludicrous. Where are we supposed to go? A large portion of our community are retirees and I’ve spent nearly 40 years working and saving to be able to spend the rest of my life here in a quiet and safe neighbourhood. This was never in the 20 year plan and we have been given no consideration whatsoever.
I still believe that the best location is Victoria Park, it is central, the infrastructure is already there, a 15 minute walk to the train station will only help to reduce congestion and manage crowd movement in a safe manner after events, and there will still be 90% of the parklands for the original redevelopment. Why is this not the most common sense approach and why the heck are these decisions still not being made?
And why has no-one put forward the enormous amount of space out at Brisbane Airport now that the plans for the auto Center are scrapped. The land has already been cleared, the railway is in place and easily accessible, there are no flooding issues, plenty of car-parking and more on the way, easy access to the city, and both North and South coasts, hotels, plenty of space for an adjoining Olympic village and then some with minimal impact on the environment and no disruption or threat to any residential neighbourhoods. And because it is Commonwealth land funding can be shared between the Federal and State Governments.
What was Anastasia relying on when she made her bid on behalf of our city? What happened to the original plans? This is just a disaster waiting to happen and taxpayers will suffer as a result.
Say NO WAY to a stadium in Northshore. Enough is enough.
An absolute no brainer to build a new stadium either at Hamilton or Victoria Park. Our city deserves a state-of-the-art centrepiece stadium that is integral to any vibrant international city for which we aspire to be. We are seeing deplorable behaviour from our troglodyte elected politicians, thinly guised to self-serve their political ambitions at the expense of Queensland taxpayers. We need our leaders to have foresight and vision for future decades that transcends party politics and the political cycle.
Sadly the current Government proposal to “upgrade” the Gabba is a prime example of further intergenerational inequity whereby a solution today to replace the stadium is indefinitely deferred – placing an additional cost for our children’s generation to contend with.
Cities are the for the young and vibrant. The old and decrepit such as yourself should remember this. Have you thought about moving to the Sunny Coast? Its full of fossils. Youll fit right in.
It’s NIMBY’s like you who hold the city back. Change and progress is constant and if you think living 6km from the centre of Australia’s 3rd largest city is going to afford you a life of peace and quiet, then you clearly didn’t think things through.
It’s laughable that you think your your retirement lifestyle is more important than what is the largest sporting event on the planet. Do you live in a bubble?
You’re probably one of those old fogies who go to bed at 8pm and wouldn’t know nightlife if it bit you on the backside.
Suggest you sell up and move to somewhere less vibrant.
To be frank, wowsers and NIMBYs have no place in a modern city. Do yourself and all of us a favour and head out bush.
And on another serious note, anybody thinking the hicks and wannabees who run this joint have the necessary vision and skill to make this a success are deluding themselves. “New World City”? PMSL
Carla I don’t think the vacant land left over from the abandoned Auto mall would be suitable for a sports stadium.
The Auto mall was proposed due to the no noise limit at the site. No amount of car engine revving would be heard above the roar of 20 jumbo airliners per hour taking off and landing.
I don’t think the stadium goers would appreciate the ear bleeding caused by 1,000 decibel background noise
Carla, if you bought at North Shore expecting ‘low-medium rise’ apartments then you must be blind or willfully ignorant. The existing structures there are all high-density, with many more planned.
Whats more, the area already hosts large events such as Circ-de-Soliei & Eat Street which attract thosands of people to the area on a regular basis.
This really comes off as a NIMBY wanting to block a good option for no good reason.
Yes Yes Yes to Hamilton. Like to see this area become a haven for footy fans, a place they can enjoy before and after the game. Don’t worry about the nimby’s, just build it now.
“There is widespread frustration and anger among the public ”
LOL
The public are angry that we need to waste our money on building anything for the Olympics.
No new construction is necessary at all.
It’s the hyped up developers who want to build build build.
New construction for the Gabba will be needed regardless of the Olympics. It’s too old, too out of date and the list of ever growing defects will make it obsolete and in need of replacement by around 2030. This isn’t developer driven, it’s just basic facts.
The public are angry now; they’ll be absolutely furious when they are asked to foot the bill for a Gabba replacement AS WELL as the costs for the Olympics.
What would you rather have, a solution that addresses both Olympics and Gabba replacement now (with a few ignorant public gripes), or a full-blown pitchfork clutching lynch mob in the future (when a levy is tacked onto their rates? )
Money has to be spent, it’s inevitable. You might as well receive lasting infrastructure in exchange.
Best and most logical option! Finally, a fantastic idea! Now let’s just do it!
The cross river rail line runs adjacent to the Vic park proposal, just add a station on the Kelvin grove side, just outside of the crr tunnel portal (near bgs pedestrian bridge), heavy rail transport solved. How is this not considered???
Victoria Park makes the most sense, and will actually leave a quality legacy beyond the games.
If Brisbane really wants the new world city moniker, this is the opportunity to solidify it. Let’s not aim for the legacy of the most budget and underwhelming games of all time.
Excellent idea! To make this idea even more excellent, I would suggest the creation of a mall at the southern end of Racecource Road at Hamilton. Access from Kingsford Smith Drive would be through Riverview Terrace and Rossiter Parade. The north bound bus stop would have to be relocated.
Of your five proposals for the Olympic Stadium, you appear to be missing one. That is, the renovation and beatification of the Gabba. There are, however, several problems with this. Firstly there is not enough clearance for a normal ambulance. This could be resolved with one that has a retractable roof. Secondly, people in wheelchairs have problems. A solution perhaps could be to turn the corporate room into a VIP lounge where those with disabilities (and some others) could get access. Thirdly , there is a lack of space for women. More space could be added by removing items from the storerooms and then placed in new ones that are constructed underground. in the Gabba. A good position would be near the fence on the ground but not on the playing area.
I suggest that the Gabba only be used for events and not for the opening and closing ceremonies. This could be held at the Kangaroo Point Cliff Parks. This area needs to be at least quadrupled in size. Temporary stands should be built which could be 750 metres in length and accommodate 100, 000.. Also required would be a floating platform to act as a stage.
This spot is in a very handy location. It can be accessed by ferry as well as by walking from the Cross River Railway station along Leopard Street and River Terrace. In the future this park would be a wonderful asset for Brisbane. Maybe statues could be built there to commemorate the “mud army” deeds during the floods.
Overall this Gabba proposal is about money. This is important. There are other projects on the table that will cost a lot of money. In this proposal we could spend millions not millions.
I propose that the mains railway yard be capped and the stadiums all built two stories above the existing rail infrastructure. All construction materials would be handled by rail with no interruption to existing transport corridors.
Mayne Rail yards was previously thought for this and should be considered but to think there wouldn’t be interference with transport corridors is incorrect. You would need to temporarily shut down parts or the whole of the facility to build over it.
This would either require a new temporary/permanent yard built somewhere else, masssive schedule changes and cuts or both.
This….couldn’t agree more!
The Northshore plan is flawed by its location. Let’s face it. It’s not really central is it? It suits the well heeled in Hamilton, Ascot etc but nobody else Plus, as has been mentioned, it would be flood prone. Extending rail from Doomben doesn’t give fast access to CBD. We’d need a dedicated new u’ground rail from Fort Valley to make this feasible. This line would give much better direct access to CBD, and has been on the SEQ mass transit planning radar for sometime, but there’s not enough time or money now to complete it.
The Quirk committee review’s pick of Vic Park is still the best option. Spend the money, get the job done and give Brisbane something to be proud of!
Northshore is BY FAR the best option.
The Gabba could in the future be re-purposed into a housing and entertainment/parkland zone for concerts with X-River rail present.
The Labor government has NO vision. QE II is a total waste. Suncorp is too small…no local would stand a chance to seeing the opening ceremony with 52k seats going to sponsors, pollies and IOC mates.
It is time springboatd this event to make bold decisions for the next 40 years not the NEXT ELECTION.
BUILD NORTHSHORE
The problem with Northshore is the transport. The Doomben line might be right there, but it’s an exceedingly indirect route to the city.
From a proposed Northshore station, the journey times to Central are
Car – 13min
Bus – 20min
Bike – 28min
Train – 28min (3 minutes longer than trip to Doomben)
Jog – 32min
Walk – 1hr 15min
You read that right, the train from the city to Northshore would be slower than any other sort of vehicle, and only just faster than jogging. That’s not because of anything to do with the single track or the dilapidated stations. That’s because the line takes you on a tour of Brisbane’s northside suburbs before finally turning towards town.
It’s a problem that can’t be fixed with a tart up of the existing corridor into dual track. And it’s a problem that would be significant for an Olympic stadium. It’s a big argument against Vic Park, that it’s close to the CBD but world take a long time to actually get there (unless an infill station at Normanby were built). Northshore is similarly close-ish to the city, but would take an enormous time to get there even if a new station were built.
We don’t need a 60,000 seat oval stadium in Brisbane.
For the Olympics we do. There’s never been a modern Olympic stadium with such a small seating capacity.
We’ll need a replacement for the Gabba around 2030 sine it’s lifespan is coming to an end. It would be a monstrous waste of money if we didn’t address both problems with the one solution.
But okay, suppose the numbers are wrong and Brisbane’s 2032 population isn’t going to be the size as Sydney’s is now. Suppose there’s no forward planning needed and a huge oval stadium isn’t suitable post Olympics. The Sydney games solved this issue by having a stadium that was reconfigurable to a smaller size in ‘legacy mode.’ What’s stopping Brisbane doing that?
There’s only one country in the world that plays a football code on an oval. Australia. That code is a minor sport in Brisbane. The Brisbane Lions will never draw 60,000 fans to a game. They average well under 30,000 to theie games.
Cricket is lucky to draw 30,000 to the Gabba.
It makes more sense to upgrade Lang Park to 60,000-70,000. State of Origin and a few Broncos and Dolphins games will draw 60,000-70,000 fans to Lang Park every year. It will be large enough for the NRL Grand Final every few years.
Stadium Australia was ruined to accommodate the AFL, despite that game rarely using the ground. Rugby league, rugby union and soccer fans have suffered due to its terrible design for games played on a rectangular field.
Bruce, you will still need a new oval stadium regardless of the Olympics. The Gabba is due to be decommissioned by 2030 due to the endless dilapidation issues and out-of-date facilities. So you’re going to need to fix that issue regardless of the Olympics. Might as well kill two birds with one stone and save some money doing it.
If you can’t get 60k crowds to the Cricket or AFL, then fine. Make the stadium reconfigurable to a smaller capacity post-games. These sports aren’t going away and will likely increase as Brisbane’s population expands. You sound like a Gold-Coast old-boy arguing that AFL will never take off in this part of the country.
Whilst you’re mentioning upgrading Lang Park, how much will it cost to relocate all those teams whilst this is happening? We’ve heard nothing about these costs, they seem to be deliberately not talked about. Are we going to see a surprise cost-blowout later on? After the October elections perhaps?
The Qld Government needed $137 million to build a ‘temporary’ stadium at the Ekka for their knock-down-rebuild-the-Gabba plans; they even demanded AFL and Cricket Australia contribute $91 million. That went down like a lead balloon; does anyone expect the NRL/ A-league/ Rugby Australia to be any more willing?
Lets expand on the Northshore plan a little and do some truly visionary thinking.
First – lets look at alternate travel to the train. Having the new lanes on Kingsford Smith Drive turn into a transitway on event days means you could have 18m or ‘Metro’ vehicles run down KSD, onto the ICB then joining the INB at Countess Street.
Then we have my 2 proposed extensions onto the Doomben Line.
Stage 1: Duplicate the Doomben line to new Olympic stadium station. Trains can run express from Stadium station to Eagle Junction, then express pattern to City on even days. This should drop the Journey into the City to approx. 12-15 minutes.
Northbound Stage: Start dropping the line somewhere around Clayfield station, turn Eagle Junction into a bigger interchange, have Doomben line run underground through Kedron Stafford Heights towards Trouts Road Corridor. It could stop here or then turn north and run above/underground along the Trouts Road corridor. It would interchange with future Northern busway at Kedron.
Southbound Stage 1: Stadium Station is underground. Continues under the river connecting at Morning Side or Cannon Hill Stations. You have now started creating a ring train track around Brisbane.
Southbound Stage 2:
From there there are multiple routes depending on expense etc
– Camp Hill, Holland Park, Coopers Plains then connecting to the dual gauge line at Acacia Ridge.
– Camp Hill, Holland Park, Griffith Uni, QSAC, Altandi, Calamvale then connecting to the dual gauge line
– Cannon Hill, Carina, Carindale, Mansfield, Eight Mile Plains, Runcorn/Fruitgrove, Calamvale, Browns Plains, then connecting to the dual gauge line
Obviously all of the above is not possible by the Olympics. But Stage 1 and and prep work and planning for either North or Southbound Stage 1 would be.
Matt, if you’re going to go to all the effort to implement all those train line extensions/ underground tunnels/ express trains then it well and truly blows the budget. Implementing just half of those ideas makes any of the other proposals a more cost effective solution.
The argument at stake is balancing infrastructure costs for the Olympics whilst also providing good legacy infrastructure for the city.
It’s why the Graham Quirk led report found Victoria Park the best overall option, despite the Gabba-rebuild option coming in slightly cheaper.
Greg, what you said would be true if I actually wrote that.
What I did write was that upgrading the Doomben line opens up some pretty amazing options for opening up and expanding the rail network in Brisbane to improve coverage and provide a route that isn’t city centric.
The only bit that would be critical is the Doomben extension to Stadium station, and potentially the transit lanes along Kingsford Smith drive. The rest is legacy and icing on the cake. No other option provides this option as easy.
Matt,
Apologies I should have worded that better. But my point still stands. You’re using the Olympics as a spring-board for better infrastructure; which is a good idea if only it didn’t burden the Olympics AND future stadium legacy in the process.
Just like this article, there seems to be an attempt to highjack Olympics funds to justify a grander infrastructure solution. Which really raises some questions:
1. Why isn’t the idea so good that it can’t be raised as an infrastructure project on it’s own? Why does it need Olympics funds to get started?
2. Is this a good solution for the Olympics itself? And is it a good long-term solution for the legacy stadium it creates?
I’ve read countless arguments where people twist themselves into a pretzel trying to get around the obvious issues with the NorthShore site.
-Even if you redivert air-traffic for the Olympics, you can’t do this every game-day.
-There’s weak founding soil (being built along a sediment laden riverside) and flooding issues this site is prone to.
-Will there be massive pushback from residents of the surrounding suburbs? Not just shoreside Hamilton, but suburban dwellers in Ascot
-Do you really expect AFL fans/ Cricket fans/ NRL fans to be happy travelling so far out to a game?
-Is the site any more accessible than current white elephant locations? (All your express train ideas could equally apply to Boondal, and you wouldn’t need to build any new stations either.)
I’d hate to see another “Boondal by the river” or “QSAC on the Northshore” white elephant project. Especially not with Olympics funding.
Letalone the justification for this being “stage 1 of a very costly multi-stage public transport infrastructure plan”
Woolloongabba should not yet be entirely dismissed as a location.
A large chunk of central Woolloongabba is a State Government Priority Development Area. The parcel of land bounded by Vulture Street Main Street Stanley Street and the Pacific Motorway contains the soon to be completed Cross River Rail Station as well as the existing City Council Busway Station. Public transport accessibility in this location is/will be as good as anywhere in the city.
Constructing a new stadium here across Main Street from the existing facility and directly adjacent to public transport modes is worthy of consideration.
It can straddle busway and rail station functions.
Site planning can resolve the confused and confusing road vehicle nightmare caused by Pacific Motorway Leopard Street and busway corridors.
The existing stadium can remain in use till the new one is completed – existing tenants not disturbed.
No need for an elevated pedestrian thoroughfare across Main Street.
On completion of the new stadium the old one can be demolished and high density development currently planned on the western side of Main Street can be re-directed to the old property. The existing school can be preserved and enhanced. Other heritage structures can remain as artefacts in new development.
The new high density accommodation would be more appropriate here: it can knit back together the currently disjointed residential parts of the central suburb.
Brisbane needs to preserve the historical locational significance of the Gabba location as a stadium: Brisbane cricket tests would not be the same if they were not located at the Gabba.
Re-imagining Vulture and Stanley Streets as two way traffic arteries would add icing to the cake.
Outcome from this would be a stadium-led urban regeneration of central Woolloongabba a suburb which once had a brilliant near-city energetic main street but was guillotined 50 years ago by traffic engineering orthodoxy imported from North America.
I have very much enjoyed this excellent article and the accompanying intelligent debate. While I see great merit in the Northshore and Vic Park proposals I am personally in favour of exploring the Gabba site further. It tops the list for accessibility, and is an existing high quality entertainment precinct, with numerous bars and restaurants that rely on the trade that regular sporting events bring to the suburb. If a suitably sized Olympic stadium could be built across the road from the existing stadium on the site above the Cross River Rail and Metro stations, the old stadium site would be freed up to perform as the warm up facility for the athletes during the actual games. Raymond Park was always too far away to serve as a warm up track, and the absence of a warm up area is a possible flaw or extra cost with many of the alternative sites proposed in this article. I am not qualified to consider the many engineering constraints, but if a few hundred metres of tunnels were first to be dug under Vulture and Stanley streets adjoining this site, perhaps this would lessen disruption to traffic flow, and later traffic could be diverted into the new tunnels. This might allow for a stadium with a larger footprint with traffic flowing beneath its extremities rather than the stadium hanging above the roadway as something of an eyesore which is presently the case.
Peter, there’s been valid points made for alot of the options listed in the article.
I’d like to highlight the point you made about digging a tunnels under Vulture & Stanley streets to lessen disruption to traffic flow: this is one of the key fundamental problems with the Gabba site. Even now, gamedays for both Cricket and AFL still cause considerable traffic congestion around the stadium. And that’s not going to improve in the future. Don’t forget the whole Gabba suburb is a priority development area. You’ll have increasing urban population and densificiation of the suburb well before 2032.
Every other major capital city in Australia have stadiums surrounded by open space, not city streets. The MCG, Adelaide Oval, SCG, Perth Optus Stadium and Sydney’s Stadium Australia all have surrounding parkland, are all good walking distance to the CBD and all have good public transport nearby.
This is the minimum Brisbane should strive for, not just for the Olympics itself but for the stadium legacy to host future sports.
I agree with the report commissioned by the independent body: Victoria Park is the best solution. It’s the only one to meet all the above criteria. Ideally I’d like a train station built alongside it, since it’s such an easy win. But worse-case scenario there’s already metro stations nearby.
It may not be the cheapest solution, but it offers the best value-for-money. Especially given the billions of dollars not factored into these decisions when an aging Gabba stadium needs to be replaced around 2030. Plus of course the millions of dollars not factored in with building public transport to QSAC AND relocating teams during the Suncorp Stadium upgrade.
Legacies from this option include
-A permanent home for the AFL/ Cricket OR, like the NRL buying the rights to Stadium Australia a home stadium for the 2nd NRL team (e.g. Dolphins.)
-Covering the ICB both adds green space (lost to the stadium) as well as linking Victoria Park and Gregory Tce Park into one big Barambin Parkland.
-The parklands are made easily accessible by public transport, which will attract more users and tourists. Just like how public transport makes Roma St Parklands and Southbank so popular.
-Covering the ICB reduces traffic noise, making the park quieter and more enjoyable.
Plus other legacies that are available: if you consider this solution will require a Brisbane Council / State Government land swap, Council will own the Gabba site. This means
-The existing Brisbane State School can both stay AND have space to expand. Forget appeasing the current nimbies, a public school is vital for an increasingly dense suburb. This just makes for good future planning.
-The site can be turned into an inner city recreation park. Developers in the area still have an incentive to continue since buyers will want their green space.
-There’s no ‘white elephant’ issues with a Gabba station: this will still have high usage regardless of a stadium. The densification of the suburb guarantees that.
People need to look seriously at Wynnum Manly as an option I reckon. Who would oppose to this? not the locals.
Surprisingly, the one disadvantage of the Northshore site not having a rail line is not entirely correct. There is a legacy rail corridor still protected going into the site – you can see it on Google Maps in terrain mode, and it hasn’t been built on. So land acquisition costs and impacts arent an issue. It would require grade separation of Kingsford Smith Drive, so that will come at a cost also.
The Hamilton option is a brilliant idea. I’m a local, and will be sending that to my local member and other state reps after the election. Well done and thank you for putting the work into bringing this forward.
HAL’s concept of the Gabba Olympics parks is perfect. Location Location Location and walking connection to southbank, close to everything and all that, even keeping the school. AFL and Cricket just need to bite the bullet and play else where for 3 years during redevelopment. Raymond Park will just be tempoary for the warm ups. Everything will be back to norm after the Olympics no stress.
The cons on Gabba is the size, jeez I don’t see it as a con we don’t need a massive Stadium, Lions and cricket rarely get full house even Broncos at Suncorp. It’ll be a eye sore seeing heaps of empty seats. So keep it to 50,000 as the Olympics is only one off!