Australian Greens - Dissenting Report
1.1The inquiry has demonstrated that the demolition of the Gabba Stadium, at a cost of $2.7 billion, does not need to go ahead to ensure the success of the Olympic Games. This is based on:
Evidence given by the Australian Olympic Committee over the course of the inquiry that the Gabba rebuild is not required for the 2032 Olympic Games.[1]
Evidence from the City of the Gold Coast that Carrara Stadium could accommodate the athletics.[2]
1.2The Queensland Government is moving ahead with the Gabba redevelopment, which will require the closure of East Brisbane State School and clearing of Raymond Park, based on advice given by architecture firm Populous.[3]Is it not clear on what evidence or data Populous based this advice on.
1.3The Queensland Government have referenced the 2018 Stadiums Taskforce Report to justify the Gabba demolition and rebuild. However, the 2018 Stadiums Taskforce Report recommends against building new venues and suggests that the life of the Gabba could be extended with internal and external upgrades.[4]
1.4Athletics Australia also indicated that they would like to see legacy infrastructure, and that rather than a temporary venue, they would like to see investment in a venue where:
“In the lead-up to the games, our athletes get to use that facility and that, post the games, the sport of athletics gets to use the facilities”.[5]
1.5There is significant community opposition to the Gabba redevelopment. This opposition was clear based on evidence from the East Brisbane State School Parents and Citizens (P&C), Friends of Raymond Park, Brisbane Residents United and the West End Community Association.
1.6Brisbane Residents United noted:
We believe the proposal to spend $2.5 billion (likely $4 billion with the inevitable budget blowouts) on demolishing and rebuilding The Gabba stadium for the 2032 Olympic Games is a manifest misallocation and misuse of public monies.[6]
1.7This community opposition is a major liability to the Queensland Government that will negatively impact the success of the 2032 Olympic Games.
1.8The Gabba redevelopment will negatively impact the mental and physical health of surrounding residents. The Friends of Raymond Park representative noted that:
“The importance of residents' personal health and wellbeing does not appear to even be a consideration”.[7]
1.9Olympics Games fuel housing unaffordability. This is clear from evidence provided by Q Shelter, West End Community Association and Brisbane Residents United.
1.10Q Shelter stated that:
“...mega-events can cause the displacement of local populations because any factors attracting people to a place and promoting a place can cause intense competition for the housing that is already in the market”.[8]
1.11Q Shelter’s follow-up response noted evidence from other mega events driving up the cost of rent, the cost of homes and displacing people from their neighbourhoods.
1.12Community consultation has been near zero, with evidence from a number of key decision makers, including the head of the Brisbane Organising Committee for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, who have not met with affected community members.[9] This is fuelling ill-will in the community and will result in poor decision making. The complete inability of the Queensland Government to engage in meaningful consultation will impact negatively on the success of the 2032 Olympic Games.
1.13East Brisbane State School P&C outlined their own thorough consultation process and compared this with the poor approach to consultation taken by the Queensland Government.[10]
1.14Q Shelter noted that the economic benefits from mega-events like the Olympics tend to be unfairly distributed.
1.15The Queensland Government are basing their claims of economic benefits on a KPMG Report titled “Preliminary economic, social and environmental analysis”. This report includes unreferenced and unjustified claims, many of which don’t seem to be based on any actual evidence, or data from other host cities.
1.16The Brisbane Organising Committee for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games was unable to reference any clear data or reports to justify their claims of economic benefits.
1.17Evidence from the inquiry has indicated that there is no need to build a new whitewater rafting facility in the Redlands. There is insufficient justification for a new facility, considering the existence of a functional facility in Penrith.
1.18The technical report from the International Olympic Committee set out that instead of the Redlands Whitewater Centre, the Brisbane Olympic Committee should consider using the existing legacy facilities in New South Wales. This aligns with the new norm strategy for Olympics, that aims to reduce wasted infrastructure.
1.19The track record of the last six Olympic whitewater stadiums indicates the Olympic legacy for the Redlands will be a long-term financial burden. Three stadiums are abandoned, effectively concrete swamps, and three are running in the red. The newly upgraded Olympic whitewater stadium in Penrith, New South Wales will host the Canoe Slalom World Championships in 2025.
1.20For these reasons the decision to build a new Whitewater Centre at Redlands seems to have been taken without justification and pursued doggedly despite community opposition to the project. This clearly fails to align with the new norm requirements for an Olympic Games.
Senator Penny Allman-Payne
Substitute Member
Footnotes
[1]Mr Matt Carroll, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Olympic Committee, Committee Hansard, 22 August 2023, p. 6.
[2]Mr Tom Tate, Mayor, City of Gold Coast, Committee Hansard, 22 August 2023, p. 69.
[3]Mr Mike Kaiser, Director-General, Department of State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning, Committee Hansard, 22 August 2023, p. 78.
[4]Queensland Government, Stadium Taskforce Report, November 2018, pp. 124, 138, 125.
[5]Mr Steve Moneghetti, Board Director, Athletics Australia, Committee Hansard, 29 August 2023, p. 8.
[6]Brisbane Residents United, Submission 45, p. 2.
[7]Ms Melissa Occhipinti, Founder, Friends of Raymond Park, Committee Hansard, 22 August 2023, p. 27.
[8]Ms Fiona Caniglia, Executive Director, Q Shelter, Committee Hansard, 22 August 2023, p. 44.
[9]Ms Cindy Hook, Chief Executive Officer, Brisbane Organising Committee for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Committee Hansard, 22 August 2023, p. 38.
[10]Professor Daniel Angus, Association Member, East Brisbane State School Parents and Citizens Association Olympic Impact Group, Committee Hansard, 22 August 2023, p. 28
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