Political row spills into Games athlete village costing
Queensland’s former government is expected to refute claims of a $3 billion black hole in construction costs for villages to house athletes competing at the 2032 Olympics.
Finger-pointing continues over Brisbane Olympics planning with the former Labor government to defend its record against claims of a billion-dollar funding hole for athlete villages.
The new Liberal National Party government says construction of accommodation for the world’s best athletes is set to cost $3.5 billion.
After winning government in October 2024, the government is deep into a 100-day independent infrastructure review slated to finally decide on a venue blueprint, now seven years out from the 2032 Games.
But construction costs for athletes’ villages across Brisbane, Kooralbyn, the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast are now expected to cost half of the total Games funding envelope, according to the state government.
It says the review indicates only $155 million has been allocated to build streets and paths for the proposed villages, leaving a $3.345 billion funding shortfall.
The former Labor government budgeted $410 million across the forward estimates for a village at Brisbane’s Northshore Hamilton, with business cases not yet complete for other locations.
“Labor must come clean with Queenslanders and explain whether they either forgot that more than 22,000 athletes needed accommodation or if they deliberately misled Queenslanders before the election,” Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie said.
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An opposition spokesperson said the villages were under planning, with Economic Development Queensland and the Olympics delivery team exploring options for private investment to deliver legacy infrastructure.
“This is a similar model to the delivery of the Commonwealth Games village on the Gold Coast, which went on to become permanent housing,” the spokesperson said.
“Money was allocated in the budget for the first and most progressed project at Northshore Hamilton, with additional funding to be budgeted as planning continued for villages on the Sunshine and Gold Coasts.”
Opposition deputy leader Cameron Dick will address the alleged funding shortfall at a press conference on Wednesday.
