2032 Olympic & Paralympic Games: Part 1 – Brisbane’s Gold Rush

And the winner is… the construction industry.

Brisbane’s Lord Mayor, Adrian Schrinner said it best when he said, “In the end, the first reason that we went for the Olympics was to get better infrastructure and better transport infrastructure in particular”.

With an initial budget of $4.5bn for the 2032 Games (which does not include other proposed infrastructure, such as the Cross River Rail or Brisbane Metro), and the recently signed $1.8bn SEQ City Deal, there are opportunities of Olympic proportions for the construction industry (not just the athletes) to bring home gold over the next decade.

Over the next four weeks, we will discuss:

1. The major infrastructure proposed for Brisbane in the lead up of the Games (Part 1);
2. What the Olympics (and preparing for them) can teach contractors and principals about:
   1. Implementing sustainability for major infrastructure projects (Part 2);
   2. Managing the risks associated with project cost overruns (Part 3); and
   3. Managing delay in project delivery (Part 4).

SEQ City Deal

The goals put forward in the Final Submission to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in May 2021 are already being achieved with the implementation of the SEQ City Deal, particularly:

1. For a legacy-led master plan which aligns Federal, State and Local Government policies for delivery of infrastructure and services, which supports growth and is needed for Queensland’s rapidly growing region; and
2. Scheduling the delivery of existing and planned transport projects, accommodation hubs, and spectator population centres in time for the 2032 Games.

The $1.8bn SEQ City Deal launched by the Federal, State and Local Governments (and funded in partnership with the private sector) aims to improve liveability and support population growth in the region by facilitating more than 30 projects across the South East over the next 20 years.

The 2032 Olympic Games will act as an important push to accelerate delivery of long-term plans for infrastructure outlined in the SEQ City Deal, including the upgrade of the transport and digital networks, community facilities, and capacity and capability needed for sustainable growth across Queensland. Ahead of the Games and beyond, South East Queensland will be established as a global region through the improved connectivity of the region, increased liveability, job creations, and the delivery of first-class infrastructure.

The projects proposed to be delivered under SEQ City Deal include:

1. Kangaroo Point Green Bridge ($190.2M);
2. Brisbane Metro Station at Woolloongabba ($450M);
3. Revitalisation of the Loganlea / Meadowbrook precinct ($45M);
4. Upgrade of the ferry terminal at Junner Street, Dunwich in North Stradbroke ($41M);
5. Effective waste management and recycling solutions ($100M); and
6. Infrastructure and planning to support a productive freight, transport and logistic sector.

The construction of the Cross River Rail and other planned upgrades to address the rail network’s bottleneck between Brisbane, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coats was forecast in the Final Submission to the IOC to increase its capacity to 50,000 passengers, per hour, per direction.

Brisbane City Master Plan

In the 10-year countdown to the 2032 Olympic Games, the Brisbane City Council has released and begun implementing the City Master Plan 2032 – Stage 1 as the first step towards redefining the city in preparation to showcase Brisbane to the world.

Stage 1 is intended to boost the economy by increasing the appeal of the city centre and city activity, improving the cycle networks, enhancing river connections, upgrading public transport, and creating a greener city while also planning Brisbane’s Olympic and Paralympic legacy.

Olympics-Specific Infrastructure

Eighteen of the 32 venues proposed for the 2032 Games will be located in Brisbane, with over half of the proposed Olympic sports being located within 5km of the CBD.

The Games will embrace the IOC’s “New Norms” Reforms by:

1. Optimising the use of existing venues (with over 80% of venues being existing or temporary); and
2. Delivering new legacy infrastructure to meet the long-term needs of the growing region, in time for the 2032 Games. Each of the proposed Indoor Sport Centres will be developed as “Community Centres” following the Games.

The new competition venues were proposed in the Final Submission to the IOC to be undertaken by the Queensland Government through the Department of Energy and Public Works, with the Brisbane Arena potentially being delivered through a public-private partnership.

The proposed new competition venues are:

Venue	Location	Host	Capacity
Brisbane Arena, which will include the construction of a temporary pool.	Roma Street Parklands	Olympic and Paralympic Swimming and Olympic Water Polo finals	15,000 spectators
Moreton Bay Indoor Sports Centre	The Mill, Moreton Bay	Olympic Boxing	7,000 spectators*
Brisbane Indoor Sports Centre	Albion	Olympic Basketball and Paralympic Wheelchair Basketball	12,000 spectators*
Sunshine Coast Indoor Centre	Kawana Sports Precinct or Maroochydore	Olympic Basketball preliminaries	6,000 spectators*
Chandler Indoor Sports Centre	Chandler	Olympic Gymnastics and Paralympic Wheelchair Basketball	10,000 spectators*
Redland Whitewater Centre, which will also provide elite community facilities and emergency services rescue training.	Birkdale	Olympic Canoe (Slalom)	8,000 spectators*

* with temporary seating overlay.

The proposed upgraded competition venues are:

Venue	Location	Host	Capacity
Brisbane Cricket Ground (“the Gabba”) which will undergo a $1bn redevelopment to increase its capacity from 42,000 to 50,000 (making it the largest stadium in SEQ), and will be integrated with the broader precinct, including the new Cross River Rail.	Woolloongabba	Olympic and Paralympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies, and the Olympic and Paralympic Track and Field events.	50,000 spectators
Brisbane Aquatic Centre	Chandler	Olympic Artistic Swimming, Diving and Water Polo events, and Paralympic Aquatics	4,300 spectators*
Wyaralong Rowing Centre	Wyaralong	Olympic Canoe Sprint and Paralympic Rowing and Canoe Sprint	14,000 spectators*
Brisbane International Shooting Centre	Belmont	Olympic and Paralympic Shooting	2,000 spectators*
Sunshine Coast Stadium	Kawana	Football preliminaries	20,000 spectators*
Sunshine Coast Mountain Bike Centre	Parklands	Mountain Biking	10,000 spectators*
Toowoomba Sports Ground	East Toowoomba	Football preliminaries	15,000 spectators*
Barlow Park, Cairns	Paramatta Park	Football Preliminaries	20,000 spectators*

* with temporary seating overlay

The Brisbane Olympic Village (being one of four proposed Olympic Villages) is to be located on a 300hectare site owned by Economic Development Queensland in Northshore Hamilton, and will accommodate up to 10,700 athletes and officials for the Games. After the Games, the site will accommodate Brisbane’s growing population, and be converted into 2,000 permanent dwellings and a hotel.

The development of the Brisbane Olympic Village will also include:

1. A main dining hall, transport mall, Olympic Village Plaza and a dedicated athlete training precinct;
2. A proposed “green street” connecting the waterfront and parkland to the future school precinct;
3. Delivery of a component of the future riverside parkland;
4. Construction of a new CityCat terminal; and
5. Revitalisation of existing warehouses along the waterfront.

The Final Submission to the IOC proposed the Brisbane Olympic Village be delivered as a public-private partnership.

Prospective Contractors – Games infrastructure

Outlined in the Final Submission to the IOC, all major infrastructure developments in Queensland require a business case be developed in three stages – strategic assessment, options analysis, and the development of a detailed business case document, with stakeholder engagement (including community consultation) required at each stage.

Prospective contractors must be appropriately licensed by the Queensland Building and Construction Commission, and may also need to be appropriately pre-qualified on the Queensland Government’s Prequalification System (for building industry contractors).

As the Australian Government is party to various trade agreements which facilitate the opportunities for foreign companies to bid for tenders in Australia, this will extend to those foreign companies where they can demonstrate they have the necessary financial capability and technical expertise to undertake the projects.

Lamont Project & Construction Lawyers

Our Team have the industry knowledge and experience to assist both Principals and Contractors in all major projects. If you would like to discuss any matters raised in the above article or the forthcoming series as it relates to your specific circumstances, please contact Lamont Project & Construction Lawyers.

The contents of this article is for information purposes only; it does not discuss every important topic or matter of law, and it is not to be relied upon as legal advice. Specialist advice should be sought regarding your specific circumstances.

Contact: Peter Lamont or Lili Hoelscher

Email: [email protected] or [email protected]

Phone: (07) 3248 8500

Address: Suite 1, Level 1, 349 Coronation Drive, Milton Qld 4064

Postal Address: PO Box 1133, Milton Qld 4064