Federal funds for Brisbane Olympics stalled after arena shift
The federal government is yet to recommit to its $3.44 billion contribution to Brisbane 2032 Olympic infrastructure after its preferred project, an inner-city arena, was removed from the Games plan two months ago.
The Albanese government had agreed to fund the Brisbane Arena, which would host Olympic and Paralympic swimming events, leaving the main Olympic stadium to be delivered by the state.
But when Queensland's new Crisafulli LNP government adopted its Brisbane 2032 delivery plan in March, the arena – which the previous Labor government planned to build at Roma Street – was left for the private sector to deliver at Woolloongabba.
Swimming would be held at a new National Aquatic Centre to be built next to the Centenary Pool at Victoria Park, where the main 63,000-seat Olympic stadium would also be built, though its exact location and design were yet to be determined.
The change meant the $7 billion joint funding agreement between the Albanese and Palaszczuk governments in 2023 needed to be renegotiated.
Noting what she called the 'positive changes' coming out of the Crisafulli government's 100-day review, Federal Sports Minister Anika Wells said she was keen to come to a new agreement.
'The prime minister wrote to the premier saying, 'you don't have to worry about us squibbing on the deal' – we love the Games, we want to make it a success, but we need to see that detail,' she said.
Wells said there had to be value for money to justify the use of federal taxpayer funds, which was something the Albanese government had identified in the Brisbane Arena.
'One of the things we loved about the Brisbane Arena is that we could say to people from Karratha or Bendigo, this is something that you can enjoy when you come to Brisbane,' she said.
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