The 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane was supposed to be a celebration of Australia, its sporting culture and athletes. Instead, preparations for the event, most notably the controversial Gabba redevelopment, have descended into a political standoff and widespread frustration.
Here's what we know and where things stand:
Why is the 2032 Olympic Games in the spotlight nine years out from the event?
Last week, Brisbane's lord mayor, Adrian Schrinner, withdrew his support for the planned AU$2.7 billion rebuild of the Gabba, insisting there must be a better option than demolishing and rebuilding the iconic, albeit ageing, venue. Schrinner also resigned from the Olympic Games intergovernmental delivery forum, which had been designed to allow all levels of government to be represented and consulted on in regards to major issues in the lead up to the event.
Schrinner's announcement came in the wake of the Queensland government pledging just a third of the funds required for the AU$137 million redevelopment of Brisbane Showgrounds. This soon-to-be 20,000 capacity venue would play temporary home to AFL club Brisbane Lions as well as Test cricket, Big Bash League team Brisbane Heat, and the Queensland Bulls, while the Gabba works are completed between 2025 and 2029. The Queensland state government expects the AFL and Cricket Australia, along with the Royal Agricultural Society, to cover the remaining AU$91 million, which has become a sticking point and source of tension.
Schrinner, who labeled the situation a "dysfunctional farce," is of the belief the state government isn't coming to the party from a financial perspective, is misusing funds and neglecting other vital infrastructure, such as road and public transport upgrades.
"It's clear the Games have become more about overpriced stadiums rather than the promise of vital transport solutions," the Liberal National said in a lengthy statement. "The state government's ham-fisted and foolish attempt to extort Brisbane ratepayers for tens of millions of dollars for a new RNA stadium was the final straw."
What would a Gabba redevelopment look like?
The initial plan for the Gabba redevelopment involves demolishing the current venue and constructing a brand new stadium. The seating capacity of the new stadium would increase from 42,000 to 50,000, though the number is likely to be in excess of 70,000 for concerts and other events where floor standing is permitted.
The new stadium will be better connected to Brisbane's CBD and include a larger entry concourse, improved dining and member spaces, world class media facilities, as well as change rooms for female athletes. It would also offer improved viewing through an enhanced design to provide a 360-degree fan experience.
"This isn't just about a stadium upgrade. This is about anchoring an urban renewal project that will see Woolloongabba transformed like South Bank was transformed for Expo 88," said Deputy Premier Steven Miles.
The works are planned to begin in late 2025, after the Ashes Test match, and are expected to take four years to complete. The Lions, Heat and Bulls, along with Test cricket, would be able to return in 2030, two and a half years out from the beginning of the Olympic Games.
Does the Gabba have to be rebuilt?
The short answer is no. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) does not require the current iteration of the Gabba to be redeveloped in order to be the primary stadium for the Games. In fact, Matt Carroll, chief executive of the IOC, said its view was that infrastructure should not be built "just for the Olympics" and only funded by local governments if "you really need them."
Governments around the world have come under fire for tipping in billions of dollars for the construction or redevelopment of Olympic Games and World Cup stadia, only for the venues to be abandoned or rarely used after the major event had been completed. While this wouldn't be the case with the Gabba, the issue is more around the immediate impact it would have.
Australian Test batsman Usman Khawaja believes Queensland Cricket would go "broke" and lose upwards of AU$45 million if the sport cannot be played at the Gabba for four years. It's also likely to set the Lions back, given the men's team averaged over 30,000 fans per game during the 2023 season -- 50% more than what would be available at the revamped Brisbane Showgrounds -- while the women's team has contested three of the last four Grand Finals and continues to grow in popularity.
The additional land the new stadium requires would also force the relocation of the 123-year-old, heritage-listed East Brisbane state school, something which has angered local residents.
"We had kids crying at the school when the Olympics was announced," said Daniel Angus, who has two children enrolled at EBSS, and whose wife, Kath, is a former Greens lord mayoral candidate.
"We cannot get excited about the Olympics when we feel that a bunch of other people are coming in ripping up our community for the sake of a two-week party."
Does this have anything to do with the recent news around the 2026 Commonwealth Games?
Yes and no. While there's no clear and obvious answer to this question, there's a general feeling amongst Queenslanders that Gold Coast abandoning plans to rescue the 2026 Commonwealth Games, citing a lack of government support, is collateral damage to the Olympic Games furore. It's clear that in the current climate, there's hesitancy for the state government to be spending taxpayer funds on multiple major sporting events, and the Commonwealth Games, which faces its own relevance issues, was thrown to the scrap heap.
Victoria had originally won the rights to host the event, however the southern state withdrew earlier this year out of fears of a budget blow out. It was a move that led to widespread criticism from both active and retired Australian athletes.
"For many of our athletes, coaches and support staff, Victoria 2026 was going to be an important stepping stone ahead of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and for others it was to be the pinnacle of their careers," said Australian Sports Commission chief executive, Kieren Perkins.
Gold Coast, which hosted the event in 2018, agreed to pick up the slack, but its recent U-turn has left the event without a host city. It's now increasingly likely the 2026 Commonwealth Games will not be staged in Australia.
Is the current plan likely to change? And what happens next?
Given the planned Gabba and Brisbane Showgrounds redevelopment works will not commence for over two years, there is scope for them to be changed, at least in some capacity. Key to that will be next year's state election.
Over the weekend, long-time state premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced she would be stepping down from her post as early as this week. Palaszczuk had been a great advocate of the Games and her resignation, at a time when many aspects surrounding it are being called into question, is concerning.
Several polls conducted this year had highlighted the decline in public support for Palaszczuk and her Labor government. It's becoming increasingly likely a new government will come into power, which could lead to change. The Brisbane Greens have already vowed to oppose the staging of the Games, unless organisers abandon the plan to inject AU$2.7 billion into the Gabba upgrades. Elsewhere, the Liberal party hasn't delved into great detail on how it would approach the situation if it was to come into power.
There is also serious pressure coming from locals to scrap the Gabba plans. Thousands have already begun petitioning for the funds to be spent in other areas, including health, road infrastructure and the housing crisis.
No matter how the state government proceeds in its Olympic Games preparations, it's clear it will need the support of the Brisbane City Council. If the two aren't aligned in their vision and goals, the event will suffer.