Preparations for Brisbane 2032’s northernmost venue progressed on Wednesday, with designers unveiled for Cairns’ Barlow Park – as Moreton Bay simultaneously escalated its push to relocate Olympic rowing from Rockhampton.
Speaking in Cairns on Wednesday, Sport and Olympic Games Minister Tim Mander said the principal architects for the Barlow Park rebuild would be Australian designers Architectus, partnering with multinational firm HKS – the firm behind SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and Optus Stadium in Perth, among other stadiums.
The announcement came as Moreton Bay’s bid to poach Olympic rowing from Rockhampton ramped up, with the city’s mayor linking its proposal for a purpose-built facility in greater Brisbane to a new housing master plan.
Architectus Townsville studio principal Greg Sexton said three key themes underpinned the Barlow Park design.
“[Those] being Cairns’ amazing landscape and unique tropical location, delivering an ultimate – and inclusive – experience for spectators, players and athletes, and also legacy,” he said.
“It’s really important that the facility we deliver fosters the growth and development leading up to the 2032 Games.”
While ostensibly being upgraded to host Olympic soccer, the legacy discussion on Wednesday focused on a different sport.
Northern Pride rugby league club chief executive Garreth Smith said the club was excited about the upgrade, which would increase the grandstand seating from 1700 to 5000, leaving a legacy stadium capacity of about 15,000.
During the Games, that would increase to 20,000 through temporary seating.
“We feel privileged to be part of this work, and certainly very grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the design of the stadium, but likewise, to be able to have a stadium that complements one of the best surfaces in Far North Queensland,” Smith said.
Mander said work on the stadium would begin after the local rugby league season.
“Obviously, we’ve got to do preparatory work and we will be starting by the end of 2026,” he said.
“Towards later in the year, we’ll announce a principal contractor – the people that will actually build the place.”
Meanwhile, Moreton Bay Mayor Peter Flannery upped his city’s bid to host Olympic rowing on Wednesday, linking it to planned housing development at a decommissioned Boral quarry at Lawnton.
Flannery said the housing element of the precinct, which would deliver about 850 homes, would proceed regardless of whether rowing and paddle events were held at Lawnton in 2032.
But the permanent facility, which was coveted by the rowing community, was contingent on it being a Games venue. The under-construction Moreton Bay Indoor Sports Centre, already slated for Olympic competition, would be within walking distance of the course.
“From our perspective, it’s wait and see how Rockhampton goes,” Flannery said.
“… The opportunity for the residential development is up to Boral to go ahead with that, regardless of whether this will be a rowing facility or just two beautiful, big lakes out there where the people can enjoy moving forward.”
Flannery said Olympic rowing was a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” for the region.
“To have a facility there that more than just rowers can enjoy – the community can come along, you can have triathlons around the outside, you have a lot of water activity going on in that water.
“This will be a unique opportunity for all different types of sports to come and have this massive controlled water body that doesn’t exist anywhere in south-east Queensland – that doesn’t exist anywhere in Queensland.”
With international bodies yet to sign off on the Rockhampton course, Flannery said he was determined to keep Lawnton in the mix.
“We’re going to wait for the IOC to make a decision on the facility in Rockhampton, and whether it’s a positive or negative decision for them, we’ll see what the outcome of that will be,” he said.
The Crisafulli government went against the Games Independent Infrastructure and Coordination Authority’s 100‑day review – which it commissioned upon entering government – to make the controversial call to host rowing in Rockhampton.
GIICA’s review found Rockhampton had “insufficient space for field of play and warm-up, inadequate onshore space and access road upgrade requirements, as well as limited accommodation options for athletes and officials” so it was not progressed.
GIICA ultimately recommended Brisbane 2032 competition be held at International Regatta Centre in Penrith, which hosted competition at the Sydney 2000 Games. This masthead understands GIICA did not consider Moreton Bay’s proposal, which was not fully formed at the time of the review.
Flannery said Moreton Bay had since made GIICA – along with the Crisafulli government and local and international sporting bodies – acutely aware of the Lawnton proposal.
“We’ve made sure we’ve shown everybody the opportunity that’s here, and we’re waiting now for that technical assessment,” he said.
“We’ve invited the international rowing committee to come out and view the facility, to do their assessment of it, and that’s all we’re asking.”
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