News Gabba Upgrade & Olympics News

[Andyz]

Was it with 60,000 other people all going to the same place at the same time?

With the narrow, obstacle ridden & uneven path littered with scooters up Vulture street and the terrible intersections that have to be crossed where you feel like you're about to get pushed onto the road infront of traffic, I'd rather walk 1km through a park with a 100,000 crowd!

Crowd disbursement will be so much better & safer too - it's chaos after games at the moment they have to close all roads around the Gabba to get out - quite a joke really to close busy roads so close to a cbd/hospitals so crowds can get out...really highlights it was built in the wrong place let alone trying to make it bigger.

 

[weevil]

The app is no longer supported or being updated.

Bin it and just use the website on your phone.

I think the app is the least of the problems with his argument.

 

[Johnny Bananas]

Yeah not saying hard up against the corner, somewhere a little further back, vaguely around the location of the CRR Unity building.

Gonna run into issues with heritage listing there. The trees, retaining wall and stairs adjoining Gilchrist Ave all have heritage protection. I don't believe they ought to, as most trees can be replanted elsewhere, and the retaining wall is less than a century old, which is nothing in the history of this country, typical example of privileging European history over First Nations history. But what I believe doesn't matter, the fact is they are heritage listed and that's an issue.

So the stadium would have to be north of those trees. Or maybe in another part of the park. The easiest thing would be just bulldozing the existing bistro, function centre and driving range for the stadium, which has the benefit of having two separate busway stations in opposite directions for dispersing people.

I wonder if the southwestern end of the park would work, closer to Kelvin Grove Urban Village. It is hilly there, but some natural amphitheatres form as a result. Can a natural amphitheatre be a good place for a stadium? Auckland is exploring turning Western Springs Stadium, a natural amphitheatre used for speedway and rugby, into a cricket stadium.

Current:


Proposed:

 

[notliondown]

The Bold proposal makes brilliant use of the topography and will be a reason that it could be the cheaper proposal. Flat ground is 100% not a necessity or even desirable.

 

[Black Panther]

Auckland is exploring turning Western Springs Stadium, a natural amphitheatre used for speedway and rugby, into a cricket stadium.

that proposal died in the arse due to cost

latest one is a new generic soccer stadium for their a-league team

 

[paullions]

Was it with 60,000 other people all going to the same place at the same time?

Have you been to Suncorp when there is 50k+ trying to enter one train station? 60k people over 1km the crowd will thin them selves out.

 

[weevil]

Have you been to Suncorp when there is 50k+ trying to enter one train station? 60k people over 1km the crowd will thin them selves out.

No, I don't think they will be letting people stampede all over the hospital and park. Think it's going to be tightly restricted.

Accessibility and access to transport are fundamental issues. They aren't going to put a stadium a kilometre way up a giant hill when they can put it on flat land near the train and metro stations.

 

[Thomasno]

No, I don't think they will be letting people stampede all over the hospital and park. Think it's going to be tightly restricted.

Accessibility and access to transport are fundamental issues. They aren't going to put a stadium a kilometre way up a giant hill when they can put it on flat land near the train and metro stations.

Have you been there much? You can’t “stampede over the hospital”, it’s on the other side of a road that doesn’t go towards any train stations - and the hospital proper is on the far side of the (very large) campus; the buildings close to Vic Park are all mostly research/admin buildings (which would be empty on weekends/night time).

 

[weevil]

Have you been there much? You can’t “stampede over the hospital”, it’s on the other side of a road that doesn’t go towards any train stations - and the hospital proper is on the far side of the (very large) campus; the buildings close to Vic Park are all mostly research/admin buildings (which would be empty on weekends/night time).

It's not 6 people coming out, it's 60,000 and a bunch of them are going to be fully tanked. Access is going to be very tightly controlled They are not going to let people randomly spill wherever they want around the hospital and Bowen Bridge rd in the hope they don't get themselves into trouble.

Thanks for coming, now get to the station and gtfo of here.

 

[BuntonRules]

Can't upload it, but saw a Fox segment where they said the survey question was "would you support a new stadium if the independant review recommends it". Good politics. Game over.

 

[Black Panther]

Time for Bob to get to work

 

[Section 5]

If the government approve Victoria Park that is just the start of a long process.
The government will put out a very detailed document stating what they want included in the stadium.
That will also include the surround paths, park lighting etc.
Most likely it will be a PPP but not certain until next week's announcement.

Someone will eventually win the procurement, it may be the Brisbane Bold concept people, but it could just as easily be granted to someone else. That's when the Perth Optus consortium and others will get involved.

Logically if your company had constructed something like a 60k stadium before you will be considered more favorably if it is a close decision on who gets the project.

 

[Section 5]

Time for Bob to get to work

Understandable that these issues are there on ageing structures.
Just give Austadiums a better budget to get them fixed over the next 6-7 years.
They are now in government so fix the problem. They say they are better than Labor so prove it.
Except QSAC just retain maintenance on what's being used now.

Just really confirms a new stadium is needed. Maybe that's why this was dropped a week before the announcement

 

[Andyz]

Time for Bob to get to work

Wow that is scathing isn’t it! I really only attend the Gabba & wasn’t aware that basically all our sporting & entertainment infrastructure has been so badly neglected.

No wonder we’re losing so many events & concerts, where on earth is the Gov’t spending all our $$$??! Was only a few years ago we had the biggest surplus in federation history….doesn’t look like any of it went to Brisbane…

 

[Dalions]

Understandable that these issues are there on ageing structures.
Just give Austadiums a better budget to get them fixed over the next 6-7 years.
They are now in government so fix the problem. They say they are better than Labor so prove it.
Except QSAC just retain maintenance on what's being used now.

Just really confirms a new stadium is needed. Maybe that's why this was dropped a week before the announcement

I would imagine this is a good reason for them to suggest replacements.

The bulk of QSAC can get Pulled down and isn’t required for the Olympics anyway.

Boondal will be pulled down once Brisbane Arena is built.
As with the Gabba, once a new Stadium is built.

It’s just the Government setting the scene.
And some reasoning behind the decisions set to be made.

 

[Perrip]

Can't upload it, but saw a Fox segment where they said the survey question was "would you support a new stadium if the independant review recommends it". Good politics. Game over.

Was it this question?

 

[Perrip]

Save Vic Park is doing a protest this weekend in Brisbane lol


Oh wow, the Greens are doing one too. Crazy

 

[The Flying Belgian]

Save Vic Park is doing a protest this weekend in Brisbane lol

But not in Vic Park? Weird. Not even the group trying to "save" the park want to use it.

 

[Section 5]

by Professor Alan Patching.

• Dr Alan Patching was the owners’ Project Director for the design and construction of the Sydney Olympic Stadium and for the redevelopment of Suncorp Stadium. He is a Professor of Construction Management at Bond University.

Someone you would think can give a better incite on how the Authority will be thinking.

A 100-hour review of the 100-day review

The review of Brisbane Olympic infrastructure has been handed to the Queensland Government and will soon be made public. Stadiums expert Professor Alan Patching breaks down the likely findings.

bond.edu.au

After 100 hours of research and discussions with industry experts, I’ve concluded what the 100-day review into Brisbane Olympic infrastructure is likely to recommend.

The experts’ report (and they are unquestionably among the best in their fields) will attract the customary community debate and criticism.

That’s a good thing – but the armchair experts should have submitted their opinions when given the opportunity. We cannot afford to delay progress towards the Games any longer.

The panel’s terms of reference were succinct but potentially difficult to fully achieve, having to balance long-term benefits against budget limitations.

I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall when government representatives presumably met with the panel to discuss the earlier draft report!

So what is the experts’ report likely to say?

They surely would have begun with the fact Brisbane is soon to have one of the world’s best inner city transport systems, with the Cross River Rail and new or upgraded stations at Woolloongabba, Roma Street and Exhibition.

That would have been central to the panel’s major venue location recommendations, simply because the necessary transport integration will largely already be in place.

That’s gold for any Olympics city, and why would we wait until the Games to chase gold?

The panel is likely to have concluded:

• The Gabba is not a realistic stadium for the Games or beyond, and it would cost a bomb to make it viable.
• Part of the cost would be compensation for loss of revenue to cricket and AFL – putting substantial pressure on an already limited budget.
• Brisbane needs a stadium to hold 60-65,000 people to service AFL, cricket and major concerts well beyond the Games as the population of Southeast Queensland doubles. The former Labor government’s plan to upgrade QSAC at Nathan, with a 40-50,000 capacity, is insufficient for a memorable Games.
• The Gabba site is too small to achieve 60,000 seats, and the panel will reject the risk of constructing it in one of the busiest traffic areas in the city.
• An 80,000 capacity or larger stadium is NOT warranted for Brisbane. The additional seats above 60-65,000 are the most expensive to build, and they sell for the cheapest prices.
• The connectivity between the city centre and Woolloongabba, Roma Street and Exhibition stations, and the quality of those new stations, present compelling opportunities.
• The refurbished stadium at Nathan (proposed by former premier Steven Miles) was never a serious option. It ticks none of the transport integration boxes and wastes cash on a second-rate venue.
• The new Kangaroo Point Bridge for pedestrians and cyclists really needs to have a Games-related function.
• Swimming is the standout sport of an Australian Olympics, with the potential to attract massive crowds. That makes a temporary pool within Suncorp Stadium a real option – especially considering Queensland boasts some of the world’s top sports venue architects who would ensure it did not come across as a slapdash solution.
• On the other hand, the Paris Games set a new benchmark with a roofed pool venue that transformed the swimming into an experience akin to a rock concert, complete with giant video displays and music. We can’t afford to go backwards from that, making an arena-based pool experience a likely consideration.
• Venue decisions should be largely based around integration with Brisbane’s new and world-class metro and heavy rail system.
• The main stadium should be in Victoria Park, and the Gabba probably maintained but demolished after AFL and cricket move to the new venue. Part of the Gabba site can be utilised as green space to compensate for the new venue at Victoria Park.
• Consider relocating the athletes’ village, currently planned for Hamilton and intended to be converted into low-cost housing after the Games, to a location with access to major transport corridors – a huge benefit to the long-term residents.
• The best location for a new arena will be near the Gabba.
• The arena should be strongly considered for swimming events, although it is acknowledged that appealing alternatives exist, and the arena can be used for multiple other purposes.

The above is likely to lead to the following recommendations:

Now to the elephant in the room – the cost.

The new Optus Stadium in Perth was delivered under a modern design, build and facilities management arrangement.

The panel will undoubtedly recommend at least investigating various forms of public-private partnerships for the delivery of the main Olympic stadium.

Queensland is currently committed to paying about $3.6 billion of the $7.1 billion cost of Games infrastructure. Let’s presume that’s already in budgets and funded.

But what if to deliver the best possible venues outcome for both the Games and the future of Brisbane cost $5 billion, not $3.6 billion - an additional and unfunded $1.4bn.

Spread over five years, that would cost $280 million per year – a tad over 0.3 percent of the annual state budget. I imagine the panel would have considered such a possibility.

Of course, given we found out in 2021 we were getting the Games, it would have made sense to address broader transport connectivity in SEQ, such as faster rail between Brisbane and the Gold and Sunshine coasts.

I suspect that train has left the station, both time and budget-wise, at least in terms of having these completed by the Games.

However, I have complete confidence if we listen to the experts on the Games infrastructure panel, and act on their recommendations, we can still put on a world-class event that Queensland and Australia can be proud of.

• Dr Alan Patching was the owners’ Project Director for the design and construction of the Sydney Olympic Stadium and for the redevelopment of Suncorp Stadium. He is a Professor of Construction Management at Bond University.

 

[Perrip]

The hidden billion-dollar threat to Victoria Park’s Olympic dream

Victoria Park’s Olympic dream faces hurdles including bedrock five times tougher than concrete, old rubbish dumps, swamps and risks of unexploded World War II artillery which could add billions of dollars to the project.
Just days before the state government unveils its Olympic stadiums blueprint, it is understood Victoria Park has emerged as a clear favourite but serious concerns have been raised over a number of geotechnical issues likely to cause a budget blowout far beyond the estimated $3.4b cost.
Sources close to the 100-day review tasked with evaluating options for the 2032 venues have told The Courier-Mail a number of sites at Victoria Park have been considered, but the precinct presents complex challenges, including the presence of Brisbane Tuff bedrock, a material so tough it prevented tunnel projects in the city for generations.
It generally requires expensive blasting works and can be more than five times stronger than heavy-duty concrete in ratings of megapascal strength.
Other obstacles for an Olympic stadium on the sprawling 64-hectare park include areas where the slope of the ground would require budget-blowing clearing works, old rubbish dumps and a US military base from WWII where the departing Americans buried most of their supplies underground.
“It’s been really difficult,” a source close to the project told The Courier-Mail.
“Victoria Park is really the one they want to go with out of all the options, but it’s not without it’s problems.
“Brisbane Tuff is very hard to excavate so there’s going to be a massive cost to do that.”
Tony Webster, a structural geologist and honorary senior research fellow at the University of Queensland, said Brisbane Tuff was “a very hard rock” which was visible at the Kangaroo Point Cliffs and had been used for the construction of the heritage-listed Commissariat Store near Queen’s Wharf.
“It’s very expensive to quarry, you have to drill and blast it rather than just bulldoze it,” he said.
“That’s going to massively increase the cost of any project.”
While he did not have any personal preference on where the city’s Olympic stadium should be located, he said Victoria Park faced other geological challenges.
“Previously part of Victoria Park was too swampy to put people in which is one of the reasons it wasn’t built on in the early days,” he said.
“And carving flat space for a stadium into what is very hilly terrain, if you can imagine building a house on the slopes of Mount Coot-Tha, you have to install drainage, do clearing, levelling, there’s water pressure issues, you have to cable bolt retaining walls – now imagine doing that with a stadium.
“It’s a lot more challenging than building on a flat block.
“You can find a solution to almost any problem, but it’s going to cost a lot of money.
“They need to take a very careful geotechnical investigation of the whole site.”
Officers involved in the Olympic task-force have also looked at a site which was once home to one of several old garbage dumps scattered across the park.
According to Brisbane City Council, landfill sites at Victoria Park were decommissioned from the early 1930s.
Perth’s Optus Stadium faced similar issues, with the 60,000-seat stadium built over a former sewage farm and industrial waste dump.
Despite reservations, that project was able to overcome those hurdles.
The push for Victoria Park has also faced protests from local residents including former Queensland premier Campbell Newman who fear the loss of public green space in the city.
A final decision on Brisbane’s Olympic venues will be announced on March 25 at The Courier-Mail’s Future Brisbane summit.

 

[Perrip]

More stadium details on 9 tonight.

 

[Black Panther]

Tim just needs to come out and release the whole report

 

[Black Panther]

Rumour has it that Vic Park Stadium is dead and will be a full Gabba rebuild (aka the HAL option)

 

[Perrip]

More stadium details on 9 tonight.

60K stadium proposal for Victoria Park will be taken to cabinet on Monday.

 

[Chucky_23]

by Professor Alan Patching.

• Dr Alan Patching was the owners’ Project Director for the design and construction of the Sydney Olympic Stadium and for the redevelopment of Suncorp Stadium. He is a Professor of Construction Management at Bond University.

Someone you would think can give a better incite on how the Authority will be thinking.

A 100-hour review of the 100-day review

The review of Brisbane Olympic infrastructure has been handed to the Queensland Government and will soon be made public. Stadiums expert Professor Alan Patching breaks down the likely findings.

bond.edu.au

After 100 hours of research and discussions with industry experts, I’ve concluded what the 100-day review into Brisbane Olympic infrastructure is likely to recommend.

The experts’ report (and they are unquestionably among the best in their fields) will attract the customary community debate and criticism.

That’s a good thing – but the armchair experts should have submitted their opinions when given the opportunity. We cannot afford to delay progress towards the Games any longer.

The panel’s terms of reference were succinct but potentially difficult to fully achieve, having to balance long-term benefits against budget limitations.

I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall when government representatives presumably met with the panel to discuss the earlier draft report!

So what is the experts’ report likely to say?

They surely would have begun with the fact Brisbane is soon to have one of the world’s best inner city transport systems, with the Cross River Rail and new or upgraded stations at Woolloongabba, Roma Street and Exhibition.

That would have been central to the panel’s major venue location recommendations, simply because the necessary transport integration will largely already be in place.

That’s gold for any Olympics city, and why would we wait until the Games to chase gold?

The panel is likely to have concluded:

• The Gabba is not a realistic stadium for the Games or beyond, and it would cost a bomb to make it viable.
• Part of the cost would be compensation for loss of revenue to cricket and AFL – putting substantial pressure on an already limited budget.
• Brisbane needs a stadium to hold 60-65,000 people to service AFL, cricket and major concerts well beyond the Games as the population of Southeast Queensland doubles. The former Labor government’s plan to upgrade QSAC at Nathan, with a 40-50,000 capacity, is insufficient for a memorable Games.
• The Gabba site is too small to achieve 60,000 seats, and the panel will reject the risk of constructing it in one of the busiest traffic areas in the city.
• An 80,000 capacity or larger stadium is NOT warranted for Brisbane. The additional seats above 60-65,000 are the most expensive to build, and they sell for the cheapest prices.
• The connectivity between the city centre and Woolloongabba, Roma Street and Exhibition stations, and the quality of those new stations, present compelling opportunities.
• The refurbished stadium at Nathan (proposed by former premier Steven Miles) was never a serious option. It ticks none of the transport integration boxes and wastes cash on a second-rate venue.
• The new Kangaroo Point Bridge for pedestrians and cyclists really needs to have a Games-related function.
• Swimming is the standout sport of an Australian Olympics, with the potential to attract massive crowds. That makes a temporary pool within Suncorp Stadium a real option – especially considering Queensland boasts some of the world’s top sports venue architects who would ensure it did not come across as a slapdash solution.
• On the other hand, the Paris Games set a new benchmark with a roofed pool venue that transformed the swimming into an experience akin to a rock concert, complete with giant video displays and music. We can’t afford to go backwards from that, making an arena-based pool experience a likely consideration.
• Venue decisions should be largely based around integration with Brisbane’s new and world-class metro and heavy rail system.
• The main stadium should be in Victoria Park, and the Gabba probably maintained but demolished after AFL and cricket move to the new venue. Part of the Gabba site can be utilised as green space to compensate for the new venue at Victoria Park.
• Consider relocating the athletes’ village, currently planned for Hamilton and intended to be converted into low-cost housing after the Games, to a location with access to major transport corridors – a huge benefit to the long-term residents.
• The best location for a new arena will be near the Gabba.
• The arena should be strongly considered for swimming events, although it is acknowledged that appealing alternatives exist, and the arena can be used for multiple other purposes.

The above is likely to lead to the following recommendations:

Now to the elephant in the room – the cost.

The new Optus Stadium in Perth was delivered under a modern design, build and facilities management arrangement.

The panel will undoubtedly recommend at least investigating various forms of public-private partnerships for the delivery of the main Olympic stadium.

Queensland is currently committed to paying about $3.6 billion of the $7.1 billion cost of Games infrastructure. Let’s presume that’s already in budgets and funded.

But what if to deliver the best possible venues outcome for both the Games and the future of Brisbane cost $5 billion, not $3.6 billion - an additional and unfunded $1.4bn.

Spread over five years, that would cost $280 million per year – a tad over 0.3 percent of the annual state budget. I imagine the panel would have considered such a possibility.

Of course, given we found out in 2021 we were getting the Games, it would have made sense to address broader transport connectivity in SEQ, such as faster rail between Brisbane and the Gold and Sunshine coasts.

I suspect that train has left the station, both time and budget-wise, at least in terms of having these completed by the Games.

However, I have complete confidence if we listen to the experts on the Games infrastructure panel, and act on their recommendations, we can still put on a world-class event that Queensland and Australia can be proud of.

• Dr Alan Patching was the owners’ Project Director for the design and construction of the Sydney Olympic Stadium and for the redevelopment of Suncorp Stadium. He is a Professor of Construction Management at Bond University.

It’s an interesting point about the extra seats over 60k being the most expensive to build and cheapest selling. I’d never thought of it like that