The Brisbane 2032 Olympic Organising Committee has released new images showing a new Chandler Sports Precinct, set to undergo an AU $257 million redevelopment in preparation to host gymnastics, diving, water polo, track cycling, BMX racing, and wheelchair basketball.
A key part of the Game’s $1.87 billion Minor Venues Program, the refurbished Centre will have 10,000 seats and feature two halls—one for ten multi-sport courts and the other a 2,400m2 gymnastics facility—which will host a range of sports, including basketball, volleyball, netball, badminton, and gymnastics, before and after the Games.
In addition, construction works will include site improvements throughout the Precinct, including improved accessibility and lighting, a new green hub with gathering and meeting spaces, and inter-building connectivity.
According to Queensland Premier Steven Miles, the new plans follow a busy few weeks for the state, which yesterday quashed a renewed push to revive the debate over the AU $3.5 billion main stadium in Victoria Park.
“In the past few weeks, we have put details of more than a quarter of a billion dollars of tenders supporting 1,000 jobs in the market, passed legislation to establish an independent delivery authority, and appointed Emma Thomas as its interim CEO,” Premier Miles said. “We are going to put on a great Games, under the IOC New Norms, that will leave a lasting legacy in communities across the state.”
The IOC’s New Norms and their impact on Brisbane’s Olympic Venues
The “New Norms” include more than 100 measures to make the Games more affordable, beneficial, and sustainable. Importantly, they include using more sustainable building materials, like mass timber, green steel, and recycled concrete, and, where feasible, upcycling venues.
Last year, Premier Miles pledged to build greener, cleaner, and more sustainable venues as part of an AU $7 billion infrastructure commitment for the Brisbane games. As a result, organisers are now targeting a 6-Star Green Star rating for all new or significantly upgraded venues.
As the first games to be delivered under the “New Norms,” the eyes of the Olympic World are now on Brisbane to build on the legacy of Paris, dubbed the Timber Games, Milan, and Los Angeles—which are the first to align with the Paris Climate Agreement.
According to Toby Hodsdon, Associate Principal at Arup, these new norms create opportunities to build Brisbane’s venues out of timber. In a presentation on the Timber Queensland website, Mr Hodsdon said that timber-led venues not only help organisers meet sustainability targets but are also lightweight – and therefore assist with future alteration, increase the speed of construction, and manage supply risk.
Whilst timber solutions have constraints, namely durability and water egress in exposed locations, lack of knowledge among specifiers, and insurance concerns, timber-led solutions, like a long-span timber roof at Chandler, are proven and nothing new for the Olympic movement.
About the $1.87 billion Minor Venues Program
Wood Central understands that more than a quarter of the Minor Venues Program will come to market over the coming months, and almost half are due out by the end of 2024 – with this work to transfer to the new independent Games Venue and Legacy Delivery Authority. Many of these venues, like the Chandler Sports Precinct, will break ground several years before the Games and open five or more years before the 2032 Games.
Whilst the larger venues, including the new Aquatic Centre, slated for the Brisbane Roma Street Parklands, are expected to go out for tender next year after the Queensland State Election.
The Queensland and Australian Governments have committed to sourcing at least 30% of procurement from Queensland SMEs for the Minor Venues Program and to targets for 10-15% of all the hours on the projects to be undertaken by apprentices or trainees—helping to deliver the pipeline of construction workers our growing state needs.
For more information about the Brisbane 2032 Minor Venues Program, click here, and for renders and footage of the new Chandler venue are available from the Queensland Government website.
