Australia announces plan for Brisbane 2032 Olympics main venue redevelopment

The government of Australia's state of Queensland announced on Friday the plan to demolish and rebuild the Gabba Stadium that will be the home of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The government said the current stadium, located in the heart of Brisbane, is nearing the end of its life and given the complexity of building on a constrained site, completely rebuilding the Gabba Stadium is cheaper than trying to bring it to a truly accessible and modern standard.

The redevelopment plan of 2.7 billion Australian dollars (about 1.86 billion U.S. dollars) will see the stadium fully demolished and rebuilt with improved disability access and better transport connection.

The redevelopment includes changeroom facilities for female athletes, larger entry concourses for general admission, media facilities, and merchandise stores.

The new stadium will also support the long-term professional sport, community and entertainment needs of Brisbane before and after 2032.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games is a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" to accelerate the infrastructure and housing the state needs to support a growing Queensland. The Gabba Stadium has hosted sport for more than a century, and it is time to redevelop it.

"It's no secret that Queensland is losing out on major sporting events already - and the tourism, jobs and investment that come with them because the Gabba is not up to scratch," she said.

"It must be upgraded to maintain our competitiveness for international sport and events."

The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) welcomed Queensland's announcement.

AOC Chief Executive Officer Matt Carroll said the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games are the first Games to benefit from the International Olympic Committee's New Norm arrangements, which focuses on using existing facilities and encourages new venues to demonstrate a lasting community legacy.

"The redevelopment of the Gabba is certainly welcome for the Olympics, but importantly it will be hosting major international and domestic sport long well before the Opening Ceremony, and, of course, for decades after the Games," Carroll said.