Plans for Olympic venues on the Sunshine Coast will be re-assessed after it emerged that at least two of them will cost significantly more than expected.
A cloud hovers over the new Sunshine Coast Indoor Sports Centre and the upgraded Sunshine Coast Stadium after new Deputy Premier and Minister for Infrastructure Jarrod Bleijie revealed the projects could cost a combined $120 million extra.
Those projects, the planned Olympic Sunshine Coast Mountain Bike and possibly the proposed Sunshine Coast Athletes Village will be put under the microscope as part of a 100-day review of 2032 Games venues.
The increased costs and the time associated with the review sparked concern from Sunshine Coast mayor Rosanna Natoli, who said the “Sunshine Coast community cannot miss out on what we have been promised”.
Mr Bleijie detailed the expenses.
“The Sunshine Coast Indoor Sports Centre: Labor were telling Queenslanders it was going to cost $142 million. It’s now going to cost over $214 million. That’s a $72 million budget blowout,” he said.
“The Sunshine Coast outdoor stadium: Labor were telling Queenslanders, during the election, it was going to cost $148 million. It’s now estimated to cost $196 million. That’s a $48 million budget blowout.”
He also said the planned Olympic aquatic centre in Brisbane would cost $61 million more than anticipated.
Former Premier Steven Miles said the tender process for the venues closed during a caretaker government period, amid the state election, and that rising building costs had contributed to the blowouts.
“This is how tender processes work, you have cost estimates, you go to market, the market comes back (with more detailed costings),” he said.
“There is cost escalation in our construction market.”
Mr Miles said Labor would still have committed to building the Sunshine Coast Olympic venues if it was still in government.
“There are contingencies built into the budget and we would have ensured that those projects could be delivered,” he said.
“But we wouldn’t have told Queenslanders that there’s some magical way of holding projects to their original budgeted costs, before you’ve gone to market to see what construction companies are willing to build them for.”
He said regional sports facilities were crucial.
“Those minor venues should be allowed to progress,” he said.
“We (Labor) want to see communities like Moreton Bay and Logan and the Sunshine Coast get their new facilities as soon as possible, and I’d hate to see those projects cancelled just so that the LNP could deliver a big new stadium in town (Brisbane).
“Those projects in the suburbs and the regions are really important component of the legacy of the Games.”
Meanwhile, Mr Bleijie said the 100-day review was “vitally important” to “get things back under control, within budget and delivered on time”.
An independent coordination authority will conduct the review.
Mr Bleijie is the Member for Kawana, where venues would be located.
“The reality is we want the investment on the Sunshine Coast and that’s why we’ve backed those, particularly the outdoor stadium,” he said.
“I did have issues with the indoor stadium in terms of location … but it’s going to be up to the independent coordination authority.”
He said the authority would work with council and he was confident the Sunshine Coast would be ready for the Games in 2032.
“Absolutely. We’ve got time to get this right,” he said.
Council issued a media release stating that the 100-day delay could put the region’s venues at risk, after they had previously received some funding and been given the green light.
Mayor Natoli said the facilities would be of immense benefit.
“These venues are important for our community and long overdue, and the Sunshine Coast cannot lose these facilities,” she said.
“They will provide high-quality competition and training facilities for our local athletes and increase participation in sports and recreation across the region.”
“It is disappointing the tender was not signed before the caretaker period began, it is disappointing to hear the budget has blown out and it is disappointing that this will be held up in a review.
“The Sunshine Coast community cannot miss out on what we have been promised.”
Mayor Natoli said the venues could host Olympic events and other major sports events, attract tourism dollars and benefit local businesses.
A previous 60-day independent review found that the Sunshine Coast venues should go ahead.
“The validation process these three projects have gone through has been rigorous and extensive,” she said.
“That process also demonstrated the importance of these venues for our region and the important role they will play before, during and long after the Games.
“In May, the Queensland Government and Australian Government announced close to $300 million to fund the three venues and progress to delivery by 2027.
“Sunshine Coast Council has worked extremely hard for the past three years to ensure all three venues could be delivered as soon as possible for our community.
“As a result of these approvals, work done to date has included significant investment of Sunshine Coast Council ratepayer funds.”
Mayor Natoli said significant capital works were underway at Meridan Fields to ensure the site at the Kawana Sports Precinct was ready for construction of the new indoor sports centre, set to start in 2025.
In September, council was informed that the tender for the Sunshine Coast Stadium expansion project could not be awarded prior to the state election.
“This delay, and the delays caused by the previous Queensland Government independent reviews, have again been costly and disappointing,” Mayor Natoli said.
“Will Sunshine Coast miss out on community infrastructure again?
“We ask that the review of our venues is finalised quickly, so our community is given the infrastructure they need and were promised.”
Meanwhile, Mr Miles said Premier David Crisafulli and the state government had some decisions to make.
“For the first time – and there’ll be many more of these – there are cost escalations on projects that the government is committed to, and he’ll need to explain whether he’ll meet those costs or whether he’ll cut them back.”
Do you have an opinion to share? Submit a Letter to the Editor at Sunshine Coast News via news@sunshinecoastnews.com.au. You must include your name and suburb.
