Premier David Crisafulli says Queensland has run out of time to upgrade the Gabba before the 2032 Olympics.
Crisafulli said experts had advised the Gabba could not be upgraded to a standard to be fit for the Olympic Games in the “timeframe we inherited”.
“It came down to a choice, a choice between the embarrassment of hosting the Games in QSAC or a new stadium at Victoria Park,” he said.
“Any other choice would have meant placing the government’s political interests ahead of the interests of Queenslanders.”
The Gabba, next door to a new Cross River Rail station, was former Labor premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s preferred site for the main stadium.
And Crisafulli said the issue with a drop-in pool in another venue, such as Suncorp Stadium, meant legacy for swimming would disappear after the Games.
As a result, Crisafulli said his government would build a new national aquatic centre with a Games capacity of 25,000 people.
“The centre will see a number of Olympic and Paralympic sports move their headquarters up to Brisbane, permanently, a real world-class legacy which will serve these sports for decades to come,” he said.
An artist’s impression of the National Aquatic Centre and Precinct, to be built at the existing Centenary Pool site in Spring Hill.Credit: Queensland government
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