Brisbane Olympics 2032 main stadium gets major funding boost from federal, state governments

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Queensland state officials said Thursday they had secured a deal with the federal government for the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane which commits 50-50 funding for minor venues and 1.2 billion Australian dollars ($788 million) toward a new main stadium at Brisbane’s Victoria Park.

The federal government is set to invest more than 3.4 billion Australian dollars ($2.23 billion) in the Games — the single largest contribution towards sporting infrastructure in Australia’s history, federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine King said.

“It is about ensuring that when we hand the keys back after the closing ceremony, Queensland has the infrastructure it needs to build on this incredible legacy for decades to come,” King said.

The centerpiece of Brisbane 2032 is a proposed 63,000-seat stadium at the inner-city Victoria Park. Investigative works at the site have begun with geotechnical studies and soil sampling ongoing.

Brisbane 2032 chief executive Andrew Liveris welcomed the agreement and said he hopes construction will begin at major venues by the end of 2026.

“Today marks a significant shift in forward momentum following the Queensland government’s announcement in March of its 2032 Delivery Plan,” Liveris said.

The International Olympic Committee has backed the Queensland government’s 2032 venue plan after several false starts, saying the Brisbane Games are “on the right path.”

In May, Kirsty Coventry was in Brisbane for a three-day inspection visit before she took over as IOC president.

AP Olympics at https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games