New infrastructure boss keen to get digging at Victoria Park

13 hours ago 2

Construction of Brisbane’s new Olympic stadium could begin earlier than first thought, with the man tasked with delivering Games infrastructure keen to get excavators into Victoria Park sooner rather than later.

Simon Crooks, who previously headed the Queen’s Wharf construction for Destination Brisbane, was announced as the Games Independent Infrastructure and Coordination Authority’s new chief executive on Wednesday, with a starting date of August 1.

And the former project manager was keen to get shovels in the ground as soon as possible.

Incoming GIICA chief Simon Crooks said he was keen to get cracking with preliminary excavation in Victoria Park.

Crooks said work could start on the Olympic stadium in Victoria Park well before procurement, to accelerate the process once the stadium’s location was determined.

“There’s about a 300,000 cubic metre mass fill – that can be done early and done quickly,” he said.

“That allows the time procurement for the main stadium, and if there are things that need to be adjusted, you’ll get that done in the detailed excavation.”

Crooks would not put a firm date on when the works would begin.

“I will know once I’ve got in the seat and had a look at it – but my view is, you try and procure all of these things early and get those risks out of it,” he said.

Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie said expressions of interest were being sought for a new master plan for Victoria Park, which would host both the main Olympic stadium and the planned National Aquatic Centre.

“You look at the amazing opportunity with the National Aquatic Centre, the RNA upgrade, and then also the Victoria Park, a 63,000-seat stadium – what a sport, cultural and entertainment precinct to have in the state’s capital,” he said.

A conceptual render of the Victoria Park stadium released by the government in March.

But it would not come cheap. GIICA estimated the stadium would cost almost $3.8 billion.

Bleijie said the government would extract “as much as we can” from cricket and AFL, the sports that will ultimately benefit from the stadium’s construction.

Crooks said he was “pretty positive” about meeting delivery deadlines, noting that working with unions, such as the CFMEU, had been “part of the fabric of construction” for many years.

“My understanding is, the existing productivity levels have been catered for,” he said.

“Pretty well everybody’s going to focus on increasing those and giving ourselves every chance to better those dates.”

GIICA chairman Stephen Conry’s told News Corp the cost of the National Aquatic Centre would be close to $1.2 billion, after initially being costed by its proponents at $650 million.

Bleijie, who led the charge against Labor over the Gabba’s cost blowouts, said nothing had changed in the government’s calculations.

“We’ve actually funded it fully, and the federal government, only three weeks ago, have signed up and funded it as well,” he said.

For Labor, which came under intense scrutiny from the LNP over its plans for the Gabba, it was a case of barely disguised schadenfreude.

“Now remember, their handpicked committee on Games infrastructure, GIICA, did not even recommend an aquatic centre – and now we’re $550 million blown over budget,” opposition treasury spokeswoman Shannon Fentiman said.

“It is so important that Queenslanders can understand how much the other venues are going to cost and if there are other blowouts on Olympics infrastructure.”

Bleijie said Labor was “misleading” Queenslanders with talk of blowouts.

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