Brisbane new venue termed ‘political backflip’

Article posted by Coliseum, March 27^th, 2025

Image: Government of Queensland

A new 63,000-seater stadium will be built in Brisbane (Australia) as the centerpiece of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Queensland Government has announced.

The above decision, announced by the Queensland Premier David Crisafulli, comes following numerous pledges before the 2024 State elections that a new stadium would not be built and the Crisafulli volte-face now has been termed as a “political backflip”.

Commented Crisafulli, “I have to own that and I will. I am sorry, it’s my decision, and I accept that decision.”

‘BBC SPORT’ stated that the multisport arena, to be built in the Victoria Park area of Brisbane, will host the Opening and the Closing Ceremonies as well as the athletics.

The 2032 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXXV Olympiad and also known as Brisbane 2032 or the abbreviation Bris2032, is an upcoming international multisport event scheduled to take place from July 23^rd-August 8^th, 2032 with Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, as the main Host City.

The 2032 Summer Paralympics or as the Games of the XIX Paralympiad, and also known as the 19th Summer Paralympic Games and branded as Brisbane 2032 or the abbreviation Bris2032, are an upcoming international multisport parasports event scheduled to be held in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, from August 24^th-September 5^th, 2032 about a month after the 2032 Summer Olympics.

The Victoria Park is a heritage-listed park located in Spring Hill and Herston in Brisbane, Australia.

‘BBC SPORT’ further stated that the plans will see the new stadium become Brisbane’s ‘Home for Cricket’ with the famous The Gabba stadium to be demolished following the Games.

The 42,000-capacity Brisbane Cricket Ground, commonly known as The Gabba, is a major sports stadium in Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, Australia.

The Government had toyed with plans to redevelop The Gabba – which was built in 1895 and has staged 67 Men’s Test matches – but those plans were scrapped following a 100-day review into planning for 2032.

Cricket, which is being held in Los Angeles (US) in 2028 and is likely to be retained in 2032, could be played at The Gabba before the arena is torn down.

The 2028 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXXIV Olympiad and commonly known as Los Angeles 2028 or LA28, is an upcoming international multisport event scheduled to take place from July 14^th-30^th, 2028 in the United States. Los Angeles will be the Host City with various events also scheduled to be held at the other Cities spread across the Greater Los Angeles area plus two subsites in Oklahoma City.

Added Crisafulli, “Wouldn’t it be amazing to see the Australian cricket team win gold at an Olympic Final? The Gabba’s swansong. The Gabba is at its end of life. It hasn’t been well-maintained and we do need a stadium to host this great show and there is an opportunity for legacy play.”

Queensland Cricket backed the plans with Chief Executive Terry Svenson saying the arena had been a “wonderful venue” but its challenges were “well-documented”.

A new 25,000-seater national aquatic center will be built in Spring Hill near the main stadium while a new 20,000-seater arena is planned near the main Athletes Village.

The rowing will be held in Queensland’s Fitzroy River which is known to host saltwater crocodiles but the Government says the waters are safe.

The Brisbane Queensland Tennis Centre will receive significant upgrades in order to host the tennis events.

The 5,500-capacity Queensland Tennis Centre, known during its development as the Tennyson Tennis Centre, is a tennis venue in Tennyson, Brisbane, Australia. It is an A$82 million tennis facility which opened on January 2^nd, 2009 at the site of the demolished Tennyson Power Station.

‘It’s a Political Backflip’

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) Reporter Arianna Levy said the plans to build a stadium in Victoria Park are controversial because the site holds “cultural significance” for the aboriginal people.

Stated Levy, “It really has come as a political backflip. It’s been really polarizing for a lot of the community here in Queensland. The main stadium in Victoria Park, which will host 63,000 seats, it’s one of the few green sites across Brisbane and it holds cultural significance for the indigenous people of Brisbane, the Turrbal people (the Aboriginal Australian people from the area now known as Brisbane). They call the place the Barrambin (windy place). It was a native camping ground and food-gathering place. It had First Nations people from across Queensland gather all over the place for corroboree, which is the traditional dance for the First Nations people.”

Added Levy, “There were protests on March 25^th. There were communities that were against the development of the park to turn it into a stadium. We do imagine in the days to come there will be fallout from the community groups and the stakeholders that feel like this plan is not the best plan going forward.”

The Aboriginal (the indigenous people of Australia) and the Torres Strait Islander (a person from any of the Torres Strait Islands between Northern Australia and New Guinea (the world’s second-largest island is located in the Southwestern Pacific Ocean North of Australia). The (First Nations) people are the first people of Australia. They are not one group but rather comprise hundreds of groups that have their own distinct set of languages, histories and cultural traditions.

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