AOC CEO Matthew Carroll says final decisions on Brisbane Olympic venues needed by July

The Australian Olympic Committee chief executive has issued a stark new deadline for the fast-approaching Brisbane Olympics, warning key decisions on infrastructure need to be made within months for the Games to be a success.

Matthew Carroll said the Queensland and federal governments would need to make their final decisions on venues for the sporting extravaganza by July.

“I think it is time to finalise anymore reviews and settle on exactly what the two governments want to fund in terms of venues,” he said at a senate hearing into preparations for the Games on Friday.

“I think that’s the first half of this year … for two reasons.

“One, the sports program will be start to be fleshed out the following year, in 2026, and importantly also, to start the construction process or whatever work needs to be done, which will take a bit of time.”

Queensland’s preparations for the 2032 event have been marred by paralysed decision-making on which venues in the city should host which events and whether new stadiums and transport infrastructure need to be built.

The state government has oscillated for years over whether to pursue a $2.7bn upgrade of Brisbane’s iconic Gabba Stadium in inner-city Woolloongabba or build an entirely new stadium at Victoria Park at an estimated cost of $3.4bn as part of the city’s Olympics legacy.

In March this year, former premier Steven Miles rejected both options and instead opted to funnel $1.6bn to upgrade QSAC to host 40,000 spectators and then hold the opening and closing ceremonies at Suncorp Stadium.

QSAC’s full capacity is 48,500 seats and the stadium is also located about 12km from the CBD.

Premier David Crisafulli, who took power from Mr Miles at the state election in October last year, is working through a 100-day review of infrastructure for the Games.

He has repeatedly slammed the QSAC proposal, which he has called a “thought bubble” and an “embarrassment”.

He has also previously said he would not commit to a new stadium, which means a Gabba rebuild could be on the cards.

The federal and Queensland governments have agreed to a $7.1bn “funding envelope” for the Games.

The federal government will finance a new $2bn Brisbane Arena at the Roma Street Station precinct.

Earlier in the year, former Brisbane mayor Graham Quirk led a review of infrastructure for the Games and ultimately recommended a new stadium at Victoria Park to replace an “end of life” Gabba.

At the Senate’s Friday hearing, Greens senator Penny Allman-Payne flagged concerns around building sporting infrastructure at Victoria Park, intimating she didn’t want to see the vast inner-city parkland “concreted” over with new construction.

She said any attempt to build new stadiums in the parkland could potentially threaten Brisbane’s contract to host a “climate-positive” Olympics.

Mr Carroll stressed decisions on venues were for the government and not the AOC.

“The decision of the venues … is one for government and where they are going to locate them and how they are going to adapt to meet the positive green part of the host city contract,” he said.

Swimming Australia chief executive Rob Woodhouse also appeared before the committee and reiterated his call for a new national aquatic centre at Victoria Park.

He said consultants had assessed “multiple sites” across Brisbane and selected Victoria Park as the best location.