The Queensland Government has selected the Gather Brisbane consortium as the successful proponent to deliver the Gabba Entertainment and Housing Precinct, centred on a new $1.4 billion, 17,000-seat indoor arena at Woolloongabba, Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie announced on Sunday (15 November) in a ministerial statement.
Gather Brisbane brings together Plenary, Live Nation, Oak View Group and Webuild, and will design, build, finance, maintain and operate the arena, the statement says. Mr Bleijie said the commercial arrangement would be locked in before the end of the year, with construction expected to start in January, ABC News reported.
The arena will have capacity for up to 18,700 people in concert mode and is to be delivered by 2031, beside the new Woolloongabba Cross River Rail station. It will replace the 40-year-old Brisbane Entertainment Centre at Boondall, the statement says.
"To get the acts to come to Queensland, to get the sporting events, to get the music events, the concerts to come to Queensland, you need a venue that rivals the rest of the venues around the world," Mr Bleijie said.
The consortium beat Ignite, formerly the Brisbane Entertainment Alliance, after both were shortlisted earlier this year, Brisbane Times reported. The precinct comprises two pieces of land totalling nine hectares, the outlet said.
Gabba Stadium Land and Homes
The government will make a one-off $600 million capital investment after the arena is completed, which the statement says will be offset by a staged release of the Gabba Stadium's land to the consortium for around 4,000 new homes. The stadium will be decommissioned following the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Under the deal's conditions, the state will not pay its share until the arena opens in 2031, the operator will be responsible for all maintenance and future refurbishments, and the state will continue to own the arena's land until at least 2071, the statement says. A new pedestrian bridge will link the precinct to Stanley Street, and East Brisbane State School will remain.
"We're not giving away the land, it's a commercial transaction and the commercial transaction that we've entered into is over a 40-year period," Mr Bleijie said.
Plenary Group head of development Sergio Calcarao said: "This precinct development will redefine how city precincts in Australia and abroad are designed, developed and delivered." Live Nation's Guy Ngata said the arena "will attract more touring artists to Brisbane, give Queensland talent a bigger stage and bring fans closer to the moments they love".
Queensland music icons The Veronicas backed the project. "That is why this is so fantastic — I think this is a dream coming true," Lisa Origliasso told the ABC.
Opposition Calls for Contract Details
Deputy opposition leader Cameron Dick urged the government to release the details of the deal. "I think every Queenslander welcomes that this arena's going to go ahead, it's always been part of the Olympics plan," he said.
"But now Queenslanders are paying $600 million for an arena they're not even going to own, with no guarantees — until the government releases the contract details — that they're not going to be the subject of price gouging," Mr Dick said.
Brisbane Times reported the $600 million is not part of the $7.1 billion venue infrastructure budget for the 2032 Olympics, while Mr Dick said the Olympics budget "has already blown out by $600 million".