A new proposal for an Olympic stadium in Brisbane has emerged, promising not to come at a cost to taxpayers.
The plan is turning the attention from the city of light back to the river city, with a new stadium proposed for the North Shore.
It would boast waterfront views with the city as a backdrop in time for Brisbane 2032, as well as being a new home for the Brisbane Lions.
“What we want to suggest is there’s a different way,” HKS director Andrew Colling said.
“We think it’s an opportunity to give a bit of tender love and care to the side of the city we’ve maybe neglected over the last 20 to 30 years.”
The 60,000-seat stadium would be privately funded and will include warm-up facilities, a 2500-apartment athletes’ village, a hotel, aquatic centre and hospitality zone.
It is hoped to be designed by a collective of the world’s top architectural firms behind some of the best stadiums around the globe.
“In all of the stadiums that we’ve designed around the world, they’ve always been part of a much wider precinct, much wider master plan,” Colling said.
The stadium would be opened by 2031 but, in order for that to happen, works would need to begin in the next two years.
“Where we would need the support of the state is investing in that transport infrastructure,” Colling said.
But the state government isn’t convinced, adamant that the current plan is the best way forward.
“One of the underlying principles between the state and Commonwealth governments and the IOC that all venues should be publicly owned,” Labor minister Di Farmer said.
“I think that the dye has been set, tenders are out as we speak and and so we want to move forward. We are going to have the best Games ever.”
