Funding fires starter's gun for Brisbane 2032 Games
Queensland's Liberal National government on Tuesday provided a first look at how it would help deliver the 2032 Games as it unveiled a milestone budget.
In the first LNP budget since 2014, $145.5 million has been allocated to Brisbane Olympic infrastructure in the forthcoming financial year.
That will blow out to $1.7 billion over the next four years, with $950 million allocated to the construction of the athletes' villages and $832 million for procurement and delivery of venues.
The clock is ticking for the Games after the Queensland government finally confirmed its venue blueprint in March, more than 1300 days after Brisbane was named host city.
Victoria Park in Brisbane's inner city is expected to become the Brisbane Games hub, with a 63,000-seat main stadium and a nearby national aquatic centre to be built.
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said he would work with the Commonwealth to determine how $7.1 billion in state-federal joint Games funding will be used.
He said costs associated with each venue would be released in time, with delivery of 2032 Olympic venues to be undertaken by the Games Independent Infrastructure Authority.
"We remain very optimistic and the negotiations have been very good with the federal government," Mr Crisafulli said on Tuesday.
"We put forward what is not only a sensible case, but a very credible case, where they pay the same quantum that they're always going to pay."
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has backed the LNP government's 2032 venue plan after several false starts, saying the Brisbane Games are "on the right path".
Brisbane 2032 boss Andrew Liveris believes shovels will be in the ground for major venues by the end of 2026 and wants projects to be completed by 2031.
The Queensland government has vowed to meet the looming deadline despite resource shortages and escalating prices in Australia.
To help ensure infrastructure was built on time, the government passed a bill to guarantee 2032 Olympic sites are exempt from 15 planning laws.
The laws include the Environmental Protection, Queensland Heritage and Nature Conservation Acts, sparking outrage from advocacy groups.
The venue plan's delay forced the IOC to push back confirmation of Brisbane's 2032 sports program by 12 months until 2026.
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