RAIL - Back On Track Forum

Gold Coast Bulletin --> Olympic Games infrastructure review: Gold Coast's wishlist from 2032 event revamp $

QuoteMayor Tom Tate will put himself and the city's sporting venues forward for a wide-ranging review of Olympic Games infrastructure.

The state government as launched a 60-day "value for money" review of Games infrastructure to determine whether the existing plan is the best use of taxpayers funds.

The review will be led by former Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk and will look at a range of proposed venues, including the controversial $2.7bn Gabba redevelopment and temporary swimming centre. Mr Tate welcomed both the review and Mr Quirk's appointment and has committed to submitting a detailed submission pitching a greater role for the city in the event it is co-hosting.

He put forward the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre hosting swimming, as well as an expansion of Carrara's Heritage Bank Stadium.

"If they want to upgrade our aquatic centre and do the swimming there, we are happy to joint-fund because we see that as being a long-term benefit for the city and it makes sense to me to take it up to Olympic standard," he said. ...

Agree with the swimming at the aquatic centre.  Makes a lot more sense then a temporary pool!

Couriermail --> No risk of losing Games amid questions over Gabba rebuild $

QuotePremier Steven Miles says Olympic events could be moved out of the southeast in an effort to cut costs, but declared no risk to Brisbane losing the Games altogether if the Gabba was not redeveloped.

After this week revealing he had tasked former Lord Mayor Graham Quirk with a "blank sheet" review of Games' venues, Mr Miles said on Friday "nothing was out of the question".

Asked about a push by his Labor colleague Don Brown to scrap the $100m Redland Whitewater Centre at Birkdale – and send the event to Sydney instead – the Premier said he had "known for a long time" about the concerns held by the Capalaba MP. ...

Couriermail --> No grandstanding, let's play moneyball $

QuotePremier Steven Miles is taking his medicine like a man after appointing former Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk to review the progress of the 2032 Olympics, returning to a model of using existing venues to improve transport links as the moneyball thinking that underpinned the Council of Mayors (SEQ)'s initial bid now thankfully back on the table. ...

Couriermail --> Brisbane 2032 Games president on Gabba rebuild $

QuoteBrisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games boss Andrew Liveris says he is "not married" to the Gabba being rebuilt for the event, but has called on the government to make a decision sooner rather than later.

It comes as Premier Steven Miles revealed he had written to the International Olympic Committee to reassure the organisation of the government's commitment to the Games.

Brisbane 2032 Games president, Mr Liveris, said the organising committee would deliver the Games in "whatever venue was chosen", but said he still believed the Gabba could prove the best option for both the event, and the city long-term. ...

Couriermail --> 'Doesn't stack up': Coates calls for Gabba rebuild to be scrapped $

QuoteBrisbane's controversial $2.7bn Gabba rebuild is dead, with Olympic powerbroker John Coates declaring the project is damaging the Games brand and "just doesn't stack up".

Mr Coates called for the rebuild to be axed in favour of an opening and closing ceremony at Suncorp Stadium and the athletics at the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre (formerly QEII Stadium) on the city's southside.

The International Olympic Committee vice-president said the Olympic movement was now "on the nose in Brisbane" due to failures by the state government and Brisbane 2032 Organising Committee in promoting venue upgrades. ...

"Suncorp Stadium, located in the heart of Brisbane, will be the main venue for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics. The stadium, which is the largest in Australia, will host the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as the athletics and football events. The stadium has a capacity of over 52,000 and is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, including a retractable roof, which will ensure that the events are held in the best possible conditions."

https://www.thebrisbaneolympics.com.au/sports/venues-at-the-2032-brisbane-olympics

Quote from: Stillwater on February 08, 2024, 03:26:47 AM"Suncorp Stadium, located in the heart of Brisbane, will be the main venue for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics. The stadium, which is the largest in Australia, will host the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as the athletics and football events. The stadium has a capacity of over 52,000 and is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, including a retractable roof, which will ensure that the events are held in the best possible conditions."

https://www.thebrisbaneolympics.com.au/sports/venues-at-the-2032-brisbane-olympics

That doesn't look like an official website. Seems to be fan made. There's a disclaimer at the bottom of the page saying it's got no affiliation.

They could still hold the opening and closing ceremonies at the Gabba without upgrading it, and have the Track and Field at Carrara and the Football at Suncorp Stadium. Then the Gabba could still have AFL Games in the middle weekend and the foreign media could see what it's all about. Sounds like a win-win-win to me.

^^ I think the main concern is capacity - they seem to want a venue with ~60,000 seats to host the Opening Ceremony - The Gabba in its current form can only manage 42,000, while Suncorp hits 52,500.

Also, the QSAC plan announced by John Coates calls for a 42,000 seat venue - Carrara currently only seats 27,500 (it can be expanded to 40,000, but work is required for that). QSAC in its current form has 48,500 seats.

Quote from: Stillwater on February 08, 2024, 03:26:47 AM"Suncorp Stadium, located in the heart of Brisbane, will be the main venue for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics. The stadium, which is the largest in Australia, will host the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as the athletics and football events. The stadium has a capacity of over 52,000 and is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, including a retractable roof, which will ensure that the events are held in the best possible conditions."

https://www.thebrisbaneolympics.com.au/sports/venues-at-the-2032-brisbane-olympics

That is wrong. Suncorp - a rectangular stadium - can not host athletics (oval track). It isn't the largest in Australia (MCG, Sydney Olympic stadium, Perth Stadium are all bigger). It doesn't have a retractable roof.

Brisbanetimes --> Gabba rebuild on life support after Olympic supremo's intervention $

QuoteWith the Gabba rebuild looking increasingly shaky, Brisbane's lord mayor has demanded marquee Olympic events, such as athletics, remain in the city in the 2032 Games.

Former International Olympic Committee vice-president John Coates effectively killed off the Gabba rebuild on Wednesday, when he went public with concerns about the reputational damage the Olympic movement had copped due to the project's huge cost blowouts. ...

The Australian --> Brisbane 2032 Olympics planning is in utter shambles $

QuoteWhat an utter shambles.

That Annastacia Palaszczuk put a rebuilt Gabba stadium front and centre of the 2032 Brisbane Olympics on the basis of a-back-of-the-envelope cost calculation was bad enough.

Now International Olympics Committee powerbroker John Coates has pre-empted a long-overdue review of the former premier's decision-making on Games venues by declaring that the project had lost public support and was "dead".

So much for due process. The Gabba has come to symbolise everything that's gone wrong with Olympics' planning to date, starting with Palaszczuk's shonky costings. The original $1bn price tag soon ballooned to $2.7bn, and even that might not be enough to fund the do-over she envisioned. ...

Couriermail --> 'Spot on': Beattie backs axing of Gabba for Games $

QuoteFormer premier Peter Beattie has joined a chorus of calls for the $2.7bn rebuild of the Gabba to be dumped and for an upgraded Suncorp Stadium to host the Brisbane 2032 opening and closing ceremonies instead.

Olympic supremo John Coates' public take-down set off a chain reaction of calls for the $2.7bn rebuild to be permanently dumped, with Mr Beattie saying it was the wrong decision and Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner declaring the plans "dead, buried and cremated".

Brisbane 2032 Games president Andrew Liveris lamented "the loss of time" after Mr Coates' comments all but ended any chance of new Gabba stadium – slated to host the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as the athletics – more than 900 days after the city won the event. ...

https://x.com/ozbob13/status/1755703016597176324?s=20

Adding to the confusion is the fact that engineering and technical issues associated with building a 17,000 seat Brisbane Arena Stadium above a working railway station has all but ruled out that project at Roma Street Station. The Federal Government signed up to fund it, but that agreement is now fish and chip wrapping paper.

The feds must be bemused that Queensland will insist they continue to fund 'something' that is yet to emerge on an alternative site that they don't know. It is a helluva way to go about planning until we get the promised Olympic Infrastructure Authority that the state signed up to originally, but which Annastacia Palaszczuk decided should be subsumed into several government departments, with the result being the mess we have currently.

Now we are to start all over again, precious time has been wasted in the delivery of the Games in 2032. If it was business-as-usual in Queensland, the government would issue a glossy brochure titled 'Delivering the Olympic Games in 2033'. With all that is planned and all that is required to construct Games venues, while at the same time delivering new housing and projects such as the $14.2 BILLION Lake Borumba Pumped Hydro Project to provide 'Green Games', taxpayers will be paying top dollar amid a shortage of tradies and building materials.

Welcome to Queensland - Beautiful one day, perfectly stuffed the next

Brisbanetimes --> East Brisbane campaigners see finish line in battle against the Gabba rebuild $

QuoteThe champagne corks are not quite popping around the Gabba, but the local community members who have campaigned against the $2.7 billion rebuild for almost three years are upbeat after the Australian Olympic Committee effectively killed off the idea.

The AOC's intervention has given the adjacent East Brisbane State School a possible reprieve from oblivion, as the rebuilt stadium's footprint was set to squeeze the school out of its site. ...

ABC News --> Queensland politicians all agree the $2.7 billion Gabba redevelopment plan is dead

QuoteConsensus is a rare thing in politics.

But Queensland politicians — red, blue, green and all shades in between — are in furious agreement about one thing: the Gabba Olympic redevelopment is dead in the water.

The 2032 Olympics will be headquartered at another venue (or venues). The only question now is which one(s)?

At face value, it might appear this makes the independent review of venue options by former Brisbane lord mayor Graham Quirk redundant. ...

https://x.com/sarahelks/status/1755835474193838515?s=20

The Australian --> Ex-Labor Minister Kate Jones eyes big Olympics gig $

QuoteAssassin goes for gold
Former Labor minister Kate Jones is going for gold in her dream to be appointed by old mate Steven Miles to head the resurrected "independent" agency to deliver the 2032 Olympics infrastructure.

In his first major act in the top job in December, the Premier scrapped the in-house co-ordination office established under Annastacia Palaszczuk to make way for a stand-alone authority first proposed when Brisbane secured the event two years ago.

It is just one of the major backflips from Miles over the government's unpopular Olympic plans that might just win him a place on Australia's dive or gymnastic teams going to the Brisbane Games.

Jones, who has been boasting all over town about her role in taking out Palaszczuk from the grassy knoll of political has-beens, is apparently determined to get the gig. ...

Originally,  I was really in favour of a new stadium and aquatic centre on top of the Maynes Yards at Bowen Hills. It would have really helped transform that area.

It's a mess now from submissions coming in left right and centre.

I am just hoping that the Gabba site still goes ahead. Surely, they can redevelop the Gabba site cheaper than originally quoted.

I also feel the Greens and their antics with that Gabba community group have really tarnished Brisbane's Olympic journey.

I also suspect people who have gotten involved have no real connection with the area or Brisbane itself. For example people from other jurisdictions of the State and Australia.

The Olympics other than the 1 month of sport serves as a real chance for pockets of Brisbane to be redeveloped and modernised with new stadiums and other facilities. It's a one in a century chance.

Australian swimming are also calling out for a new Aquatic Centre in Brisbane which would also be a lasting legacy well after the games.

If by any chance the Gabba falls through, the Albion Park idea seems good as well.

I reckon with 2.5 billion you could get a new Aquatic Centre as well as a stadium and the much needed upgrade to Perry Park with in this vicinity.

Saying that I support the Albion idea as long as it includes an Aquatic Centre and a redeveloped Perry Park as well. These would be real lasting legacy projects.

What I don't understand, is why a "rebuilt" Gabba would be hosting all these Olympic events, but a merely "fixed" Gabba wouldn't.
By Olympic standards, is the Gabba unfixable?
If so, how can anywhere else be made suitable without spending just as much money?

I guess Suncorp+QSAC is the least worst option of what's left, but:

• presumably, QSAC also needs billions of dollars of work to be usable
• by 2032, the Gabba is going to be falling apart and have to be rebuilt anyway
• what an embarrassment for a 'world city' to have a choice between QSAC and Carrara.

I don't think the Gabba plan has any hope of going ahead in its current form, but it will be interesting to see what happens when the infrstructure review lands. I reckon the conclusion of the review will be "hosting an Olympics is f**king expensive". Who'd have thought!

I blame the Greens party with their anti Olympic rhetoric. But the current government has also to take some blame due to not establishing an independent authority from day one

https://x.com/7NewsBrisbane/status/1755869993353560109?s=20

Couriermail --> John Coates is the Olympics hero Brisbane needs $

QuoteLeaders we can look up to are few and far between these days – and we in Queensland have had an unfair share of duds. So I'm calling it: John Coates is a hero.

The man who championed Brisbane's bid for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games is now our champion – rescuing the Gabba from the wrecking ball in a taxpayer saving of $2.7bn and, with it, quite possibly the neighbouring and much-loved East Brisbane State School. ...

Quote from: AnonymouslyBad on February 09, 2024, 20:35:32 PMWhat I don't understand, is why a "rebuilt" Gabba would be hosting all these Olympic events, but a merely "fixed" Gabba wouldn't.
By Olympic standards, is the Gabba unfixable?
If so, how can anywhere else be made suitable without spending just as much money?

I guess Suncorp+QSAC is the least worst option of what's left, but:

• presumably, QSAC also needs billions of dollars of work to be usable

It's about the footprint on the land it's on. The existing Gabba is already too big for the footprint and cantilevers out over Stanley and Vulture Streets. If you wanted to add seating in any way shape or form, you have nowhere to build. Any upgrade to the Gabbas seating capacity requires such major works that you may as well start from scratch.

QSAC meanwhile could be demolished in about 2 seconds and is on ample, easily developable land that wouldn't require converting all the surrounding streets into tunnels and resuming schools and businesses[/list]

Brisbanetimes --> Forget Quirk's 60-day review into Olympic venues. I did mine in 60 minutes $

QuoteBrisbane was given an unprecedented 11 years to prepare for the 2032 Olympic Games. Depending on the outcome of a review into Games venues, 2½ of those years may have already been wasted.

Premier Steven Miles effectively sent organisers back to the drawing board last month when he announced a 60-day review into Olympic venues.

By the time it's done, we will be another two months closer to the opening ceremony. Tick. Tock.

Tick.

Tock.

To be clear, it's welcome news that former Brisbane lord mayor Graham Quirk, the man who spearheaded the city's bid in the first place, is running the rule over the multibillion-dollar venues before any contracts are signed.

But with Quirk's review not due until March 18, that's another month lost. As Brisbane 2032 Olympics boss Andrew Liveris alluded last week, time is of the essence. ...

Why is a Stadium at the RNA Groubds not possible! Rail, bus, walking to Valley and second rail station?

Quote from: Jonno on February 14, 2024, 08:06:14 AMWhy is a Stadium at the RNA Groubds not possible! Rail, bus, walking to Valley and second rail station?

Because the footprint there is also too small. Plus the existing grandstands are heritage listed. You couldn't possibly build a modern Olympic size stadium there

Great location though.  Shame.

Left field Option.

• Knock down SE Freeway around and north of the Clem 7 Tunnel entrance. Keep SE Busway. Sell off land.
• Convert CCB to into a Greenway to Alice Street.
• Pull down Rverside Expressway.
• Build Stadium between Allen Street and around Lehey Lane (roughly).
• Incorporate/build over Morrison Hotel into the Stadium.
• Make Vulture Street and Stanley Street pedestrian/cycling focused rather than current vehicle sewers.

Now that is a legacy to leave behind.

Queensland Parliament Hansard

https://documents.parliament.qld.gov.au/events/han/2024/2024_02_14_DAILY.pdf

Questions Without Notice

Gabba, Redevelopment

Mr BERKMAN: My question is to the Premier. John Coates, Brisbane's Lord Mayor and even
Peter Beattie have now joined the Greens campaign against the Gabba demolition. Will the Premier
finally listen to Queenslanders and call off the Gabba demolition now?

Mr MILES: I thank the member for Maiwar for his question. I understand why the Greens political
party wants to make this a political issue for its own electoral advantage, but we certainly will not be.
We are focused on delivering the best outcome, and that is why we commissioned Graham Quirk to
look at the games master plan and identify for us the best value options, and we will take on board the
outcomes of that review. It is a sincere process and I certainly hope that it results in a better plan. I
certainly hope that it can deliver for us better value for money and a better outcome for the venues. I
certainly hope that it helps us to deliver a better outcome, and that is why we have undertaken this
process, as I say, in good faith.

Mr Quirk has a wide remit to look at whatever he thinks should be looked at and make whatever
recommendations to us he thinks he should make, so I would not, if I was the member for Maiwar, rush
to chalk this up as a victory for the Greens political party. This is an attempt to get the most
commonsense outcome. We know the position of the Greens political party on the Olympics. That is
well established, and we acknowledge that. It is well known. We support the games. We think the games
will be good for our state. We know that Queensland will deliver the best Olympics ever, and they will
be even better thanks to the contribution that Graham Quirk is making in working with us on this review.

What about north west of Darra Station, between Perivale St, Limestone St and Station Ave?

Except Perry Park (which is constrained as well) there doesn't appear to be space available to have a stadium that can expand overtime, let alone fit 50-60k people in the inner core of the city (<5km). QSAC has plenty of space and is near Nissan Arena, but not much other opportunities for development and has no current public transport. Darra is right bang between Brisbane and Ipswich. Plenty of development potential around station and it already has quad track.

Tennyson line could be used to access stadium from gold coast/beenleigh. 

Ripley Line has already had studies of potential route, which is better than nothing. If that is built and preferably to Ippy, that could be a selling point for politicians to say they built some actual public transport for an event that was meant to expedite and deliver transport projects. 

Quote from: Jonno on February 14, 2024, 15:00:07 PMLeft field Option.

• Knock down SE Freeway around and north of the Clem 7 Tunnel entrance. Keep SE Busway. Sell off land.
• Convert CCB to into a Greenway to Alice Street.
• Pull down Rverside Expressway.
• Build Stadium between Allen Street and around Lehey Lane (roughly).
• Incorporate/build over Morrison Hotel into the Stadium.
• Make Vulture Street and Stanley Street pedestrian/cycling focused rather than current vehicle sewers.

Now that is a legacy to leave behind.

But that site is pretty much exactly the same size width as the current site.
(Stanley St and Vulture St are the same distance apart)
So isn't it shifting the issue?

Quote from: Gazza on February 15, 2024, 09:01:00 AM

Quote from: Jonno on February 14, 2024, 15:00:07 PMLeft field Option.

• Knock down SE Freeway around and north of the Clem 7 Tunnel entrance. Keep SE Busway. Sell off land.
• Convert CCB to into a Greenway to Alice Street.
• Pull down Rverside Expressway.
• Build Stadium between Allen Street and around Lehey Lane (roughly).
• Incorporate/build over Morrison Hotel into the Stadium.
• Make Vulture Street and Stanley Street pedestrian/cycling focused rather than current vehicle sewers.

Now that is a legacy to leave behind.

But that site is pretty much exactly the same size width as the current site.
(Stanley St and Vulture St are the same distance apart)
So isn't it shifting the issue?

It is. Not sure the physical dimensions of the stadium was a major issue.     Vulture and Stanely need to be "de-trafficked either way.   A train station underneath might be an issue.  This does not require school to move.  Old Stadium demolished and turned into park, retail, commercial and apartments.   

A slightly closer option to Darra would be Yeerongpilly station development. Stadium between Wilkie St, Station Rd and Green St. Its approximately 300m x 300m. South of Station Rd between creek would be parklands.

Aquatic Centre could be built between Moolabin Creek, Lucy St, Gow St and Ipswich Rd. Going off dimensions of Gold Coast Aquatic Centre it should fit alright.

You already have tennis centre next door. While I know Royal Queensland Golf Club is meant to host, they could maybe use Yeerongpilly or Indooroopilly golf courses.

Tennyson Line used for Ipswich/Springfield. Its all in one location, accessed by rail already (no new projects required). Walking distance to major event areas. 

QuoteNot sure the physical dimensions of the stadium was a major issue.

It was, they want to rebuild it but they can only fit an extra 6000 seats.

Quote from: AnonymouslyBad on February 09, 2024, 20:35:32 PMWhat I don't understand, is why a "rebuilt" Gabba would be hosting all these Olympic events, but a merely "fixed" Gabba wouldn't.
By Olympic standards, is the Gabba unfixable?

If what I have heard is correct, the Gabba's pitch as it is currently doesn't meet the requirements to host athletics - specifically it's not long enough to contain a regulation running track. If you ever saw Carrara in Athletics layout, the northern seating all had to be removed to fit the running track in which, while not terribly hard to do at Carrara, is much, much more difficult at the Gabba.

By comparison, QSAC's field already hosts a regulation sized running track, so while the stands would likely all need to be replaced, the actual size of the field is already correct.   

Couriermail --> Inside Brisbane's bid to save the Olympic Games $

QuoteThis is the inside plan to resurrect the Olympic Games brand in Brisbane and regain the excitement lost after almost three years of government infighting, public protests and insular leadership.

Brisbane's 2032 Olympic Games opening ceremony could be split across several regional cities as part of an ambitious pitch to rebuild support for the "damaged" event, powerbroker John Coates has declared.

The Sunday-Mail can reveal the inside plan to resurrect the Olympic Games brand in Brisbane and regain the excitement lost after almost three years of government infighting, public protests and insular leadership that has made for a toxic atmosphere.

Mr Coates, the International Olympic Committee and Brisbane 2032 vice president who last week declared its brand had been "damaged" by the controversial Gabba rebuild, called for a better focus on regional Queensland and a demonstration of the financial viability of hosting the event.

"Once the community understands we're not bankrupting them out of this, once they understand we're using 84 per cent of existing venues and upgrading other existing ones – then the message we had originally that the Games can cut even, will be there," he said.

"That must go a long way to restoring confidence." ...

^  wishing and hoping ...

InQueensland --> Thanks Mr Coates, but if anyone is going to boss around our politicians, it should be us

QuoteHe might be one of the most powerful people in sports, but long-time Olympics boss John Coates needs to remember that the 2032 Games belong to us all, not just the elite, writes Madonna King.

Someone needs to put Olympic heavyweight John Coates in his place.

And it would be wonderful to see Labor premier Steven Miles and Liberal Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner join political hands to do just that.

Coates has been part of the Olympic movement since Adam met Eve, and there's no doubt, as a sports administrator, he is mightily experienced.

But he doesn't run Queensland. Indeed, he doesn't even live here. He's not registered to vote here, and he's not entitled to boss the State's elected leaders around like they are his personal ball boys in a tennis match. ...