‘We Want It to Happen’: PM Anthony Albanese Weighs in on Brisbane Arena Situation
As Queenslanders wait on the release today of the Olympic and Paralympic Games venues strategy, Anthony Albanese has assured that his federal government wants a new arena as part of those plans.
State premier David Crisafulli’s cabinet signed off on the 2032 Olympics infrastructure blueprint last night, ahead of the public unveiling this afternoon, March 25th.
On the agenda: the site for the athlete’s village, whether a controversial new stadium will be built at Victoria Park, and whether construction of the Brisbane Live Arena will be abandoned.
Speaking this morning on B105’s Stav, Abby & Matt, prime minister Albanese insisted the multi-billion-dollar arena, which would be built at Roma Street, should get the go-ahead.
“We want it to happen, absolutely we do,” he explained.
“Brisbane does need an indoor arena so that you can have acts. It’s about leaving a legacy, post-2032, as well. And the fact that Queenslanders I know don’t want to go to (Boondall). They want other options. I certainly think Brisbane deserves one.”
Though he didn’t mention it by name, the PM was referring to the maligned Brisbane Entertainment Centre, which opened for business in 1986. While the venue is in good shape for its age, and is one of the busiest arenas anywhere for its size, the site at Boondall, some 16km north of the CBD, is a real drawback.
“We’ll have those discussions in good faith with the Queensland government once they release their report,” Albanese continued.
Several months in the making, the report will drop on the eve of the QMusic Awards, the state’s annual celebration of the contemporary music community.
The Brisbane Live Arena was envisioned as a legacy venue for the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games, a premier multi-purpose space on Roma Street, a short stroll from King George Square.
The 18,000-capacity site was drawn up in late 2018, and presented to the public in August 2022, as part of the city’s Cross River Rail project, and delivered in time for the Olympics.
Those plans are said to have come unstuck.
According to reports published on the weekend, Queensland’s new Coalition government is set to ditch the arena and its entertainment district.
Through a previously-announced $7 billion redevelopment deal for venues in the Sunshine State, the Commonwealth would contribute around $3.5 billion, including $2.5 billion for the Brisbane Arena, and a further $1 billion for the new venues and facility upgrades, according to the ABC.
“We’ve got funding that we’ve made available for the arena and then for the smaller venues as well, some 19 that we’ve provided funding for,” Albanese told B105. “We’ll wait and see what’s announced, one way or the other.”