Going into the final day of February which is the 28th before we enter the crucial last few weeks of March, the current Brisbane Government party will officially reveal their choice of venues for the home 2032 Summer Olympics including the much-divided Olympic Stadium based on yet another 100-day review assessment by an independent group come Tuesday, March 25 2025.
Looks like in recent days that Victoria Park seems to be the front-runner for an Olympic Stadium to be built rather than doing anything to rebuild or even renovate The Gabba – or even make a second Gabba up West to replace one.
Yes, there’s also ongoing protests from both places like Save Victoria Park and Rethink The Gabba where both of whom are trying so hard to protect that is theirs which is their own community.
This goes from running the risk of diminishing green space to knocking down a heritage-listed school as well as homes and even making daily traffic more difficult to get around all because of the Olympics.
Albion wouldn’t be bad and they’ve got a train station nearby but then that’s gonna take like 20 mins to get there via walk unless they’re more than willing to take extra shuttle buses just for the Stadium and back itself – a bit too much there.
The same goes to Hamilton Northshore even though that area would be built on state-owned industrial property that can complement with the Athletes’ Village. Not only it’s even further away from the CBD when you go past Albion, they’re also more suited for a mixed-use development like the Athletes’ Village/Apartments post-games and there’s a reason why the State Government isn’t bothered with this idea where they may as well struggle to generate as much commercial potential when it’s easier to do so within the city for world-class sport.
Plus, don’t get us started on the QSAC over in Nathan, Mt Gravatt as there’s no way they will host Athletics for a few weeks and then it will just be home for something that isn’t world-class after that other than the yearly athletics meets as that sport there does not have the same hype and audience as AFL & Cricket except it’s every four years at random spots worldwide.
The better solution before all this would’ve been Brisbane and its protest groups going to the IOC saying no due to the fact that building/rebuilding a new stadium does tarnish tight-knit communities that makes no sense when people’s needs do come first but no can do and Brisbane is way behind at hosting world-class sporting events including entertainment concerts anyway – so hosting an Olympics is a good opportunity for them to catch up with Sydney & Melbourne as well as the world.
At the end of the day, Victoria Park would be the least worst option tbh just like how Perth decided to put Optus Stadium on the map over redeveloping Subiaco Oval.
Just replace the golf course with a 55,000 to 60,000 seater stadium and a 5,000 seat warm up track alongside a dedicated train line to make commuting a bit more accessible if possible – nothing more.
That way, the Gabba can continue to host games until then with the Brisbane Lions (AFL) and Cricket along with a beautiful send off for one last time at Brisbane 2032 with Cricket as a 2 x Olympic sport before they reach the “end of life” stage, Brisbane Lions and Cricket both relocate to Victoria Park and they can knock that down afterwards to either create that green space or even scaling it down as a boutique cricket/AFL venue.
Everything else will stay where they are like the Brisbane Live arena in the Roma area as I get having a dedicated world-class swimming venue helps but swimming is beginning to be like athletics now and it’s important for Olympics swimming to be held at a world-class arena or stadium even like the one in Paris last year and SoFi Stadium in LA for 2028.
Over to you now QLD.
