A frustrating wait over the future of the Gabba has sparked a joint petition for a new Olympic stadium in 2032 by tenants Queensland cricket and AFL club Brisbane Lions.
Sports bodies have sent a letter to Prime Minister David Crisafulli urging him to reconsider his new stadium ban, backing a A$3.4 billion proposal for Victoria Park to host the Brisbane Games.
They now want to meet the Prime Minister to discuss the Gabba’s future, seeking assurances on a hosting plan to ensure both sports survive and “don’t ruin us”.
Crisafulli scrapped Labour’s Olympic hosting plan after winning the Oct. 26 election, and an independent body set to launch a 100-day review and provide a new plan for 2032.
However, the leader of the National Liberal Party has repeatedly ruled out the construction of a new Olympic stadium.
Queensland cricket and the Brisbane Lions are undeterred and say they hope “common sense will prevail” when they speak to the Prime Minister after enduring an anxious wait over the future of the Gabba.
“We look forward to meeting the new premier and his team over the coming weeks,” Queensland cricket chief executive Terry Svenson told reporters on Friday.
“[It is] “Really just to talk about what our expectations are, but I guess more of the frustrations we’ve had over the last 18 months.”
The Gabba was initially due to be torn down and rebuilt for A$2.7 billion under the Labor government for the 2032 Games, before it was scrapped amid a backlash over rising costs.
A $600 million Olympic facelift was then prepared under the Labor government before plans went back to square one under the new LNP government.
Svenson said “everything is on the table” for his government talks but backed the proposed 55,000-capacity Victoria Park stadium pitch.
An independent review of the Olympic venue earlier this year said the Gabba would reach the end of its life in 2030 and was in “poor condition”.
Svenson said Queensland cricket and the Lions wanted a decision on the Gabba’s fate as soon as possible so they could plan for the future.
Both sporting codes would need to find another venue if the Gabba is renovated or replaced, with Queensland cricket alone facing up to A$40 million in travel costs.
“If displacement is back on the table, we really need to have that conversation with the government,” Svenson said. “If this place is torn down and rebuilt, where will the Lions play, where will Australian cricket play? It’s important for us to be confident that it won’t ruin us.”
Deputy Prime Minister Jarrod Bleijie said on Friday he had not seen the letter but was “happy to look at it”.
However, he backed his 100-day review, sticking to the government’s mantra of “don’t build new stadiums”.
