The Queensland government announced on Tuesday that the venue plan for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics will be revealed at the end of next month, ending years of uncertainty surrounding one of the most critical planning elements for the Summer Games.
Brisbane was awarded the Games in 2021, but political disputes, particularly over the main stadium and the athletics venue, have fueled ongoing confusion over the final plans.
A panel appointed by Queensland Premier David Crisafulli last November to conduct a second review of the venue options will present its findings on March 8, with the public release scheduled for March 25, along with the government’s response.
"Our delivery plan will provide a new way forward and get the Games back on track," Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie told state parliament on Tuesday.
"Queenslanders no longer want to be embarrassed on the world stage. We will deliver a 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games our state can be proud of and showcase what makes us a great state on the world stage."
Australian Olympic Committee Chief Executive Matt Carroll warned earlier this month that a final decision on the main venues needed to be made before the end of June.
Crisafulli's predecessor, Steven Miles, had rejected a plan for an AU$2.7 billion ($1.72 billion) revamp of Brisbane's Gabba cricket ground as well as a proposed new AU$3.4 billion Olympic stadium in Victoria Park in the city's inner suburbs.
Miles’ solution was to use Lang Park Rugby Stadium to host the opening and closing ceremonies, with athletics taking place in the aging QSAC venue in the southern suburbs.
That plan was described as an "embarrassment" by a group of local Olympic champions, while Australian athletics great Raelene Boyle feared it would make Brisbane 2032 look like a "cheapskate" Olympics.
Crisafulli is also on record as being against the construction of a brand-new showpiece stadium, but he softened his position in an interview over the weekend.
