News Gabba Upgrade & Olympics News

[Section 5]

I will say it. Swimming at Lang Park will not happen.
Gymnastics and swimming are usually the two most watched Olympic events.
But that does not transfer to total attendance numbers.

Below from a couple of articles regarding Paris attendance numbers.
They are hard to find even from the IOCs official report on Paris

Key sports like football, athletics, and basketball were particularly popular, as is customary.

Football led the way with 1.5 million spectators,

• More than one million tickets were sold to athletics events – the highest number ever for the sport at an Olympic Games.
• Basketball - nearly 1.08 million spectators
• Rugby 7s – over 530,000 spectators
• Handball – nearly 500,000 spectators
• Beach volleyball – nearly 450,000 spectators

 

[mighty_lions]

The issue with using Suncorp for the swimming is that Suncorp is also needed for other sports ie soccer

that's not really an issue you can play soccer anywhere in Australia and they will be spreading soccer anyway

 

[mighty_lions]

I will say it. Swimming at Lang Park will not happen.
Gymnastics and swimming are usually the two most watched Olympic events.
But that does not transfer to total attendance numbers.

Below from a couple of articles regarding Paris attendance numbers.
They are hard to find even from the IOCs official report on Paris

Key sports like football, athletics, and basketball were particularly popular, as is customary.

Football led the way with 1.5 million spectators,

• More than one million tickets were sold to athletics events – the highest number ever for the sport at an Olympic Games.
• Basketball - nearly 1.08 million spectators
• Rugby 7s – over 530,000 spectators
• Handball – nearly 500,000 spectators
• Beach volleyball – nearly 450,000 spectators

I don't really understand your point about attendance, attendance is less for swimming because its in a smaller capacity stadium so its always going to be smaller no matter where it is and there's only 17 sessions vs the 64 matches of soccer which you can play in any large venue anywhere, attendance for swimming was about 280,000

Its also unfair to use that at as comparison because the soccer was played at multiple venues and multiple cities with 4 times the amount of games as opposed to swimming in 1 venue

You are suggesting swimming isn't as popular based on attendance is not a fair comparison that would be like saying mens Australian open final at RLA is less popular because it only holds 15,000 people

Not to mention the fact that for soccer/basketball the ticketing pricing structure allows more people to access it, with more games across multiple cities

I also went to the rugby 7's I did not have a ticket on the day, I used the resale site which was available and was able to purchase Category C ticket which was like $180 which was prime seating so obviously they were selling large parts of stade de France for certain events at a cheaper price point, the swimming was sold out with 0 resale available, category A was $980 euro

The swimming needs to be in the largest venue possible to allow more people to access it unless you want everyone to spend $1000+ on a ticket that they are highly unlikely to get anyway

I don't think Suncorp will happen but for me its the best option, the US 2024 swimming trials were in Indianapolis in a football stadium, Paris 24 football stadium, LA28 football stadium

The 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Swimming, held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, achieved record-breaking attendance numbers. On June 15, 20,689 attendees set a new record for the largest gathering at a swim meet. The event continued to break records with 17,697 fans attending the prelims session and a peak of 22,209 attendees later in the week. Overall, the trials welcomed over 285,000 fans, marking a significant increase from previous events.

 

[Billy ray]

Make it happen

 

[Section 5]

I don't really understand your point about attendance, attendance is less for swimming because its in a smaller capacity stadium so its always going to be smaller no matter where it is and there's only 17 sessions vs the 64 matches of soccer which you can play in any large venue anywhere, attendance for swimming was about 280,000

You are suggesting swimming isn't as popular based on attendance is not a fair comparison that would be like saying mens Australian open final at RLA is less popular because it only holds 15,000 people

Not to mention the fact that for soccer/basketball the ticketing pricing structure allows more people to access it, with more games across multiple cities

I also went to the rugby 7's I did not have a ticket on the day, I used the resale site which was available and was able to purchase Category C ticket which was like $180 which was prime seating so obviously they were selling large parts of stade de France for certain events at a cheaper price point, the swimming was sold out with 0 resale available, category A was $980 euro

The swimming needs to be in the largest venue possible to allow more people to access it unless you want everyone to spend $1000+ on a ticket that they are highly unlikely to get anyway

I don't think Suncorp will happen but for me its the best option, the US 2024 swimming trials were in Indianapolis in a football stadium, Paris 24 football stadium, LA28 football stadium

The 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Swimming, held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, achieved record-breaking attendance numbers. On June 15, 20,689 attendees set a new record for the largest gathering at a swim meet. The event continued to break records with 17,697 fans attending the prelims session and a peak of 22,209 attendees later in the week. Overall, the trials welcomed over 285,000 fans, marking a significant increase from previous events.

(A) I am saying a 52k full venue will easily make more money for Brisbane than a 25k full swimming venue no matter the pricing structure. There will be comparable high end ticket prices for both sports. The smaller the venue for popular sports, the higher the ticket average. That's just supply and demand working. Although the IOC will ensure prices are reasonable

(B) I said Swimming is in fact very popular being the number 2 watched sport during the Paris Olympics.

(C) Swimming may need a larger venue but we're back to where do you suggest Football and Rugby 7's be played in Brisbane. Not just say "soccer which you can play in any large venue anywhere,"
The soccer final was set for Suncorp and other venues being Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Townsville, Cairns, Melbourne and Sydney.
Rugby 7's all games and finals at Suncorp
Ballymore is the next biggest stadium in Brisbane with 10k capacity and that is a hockey venue at present
.....................................................................................
I know you don't think it will happen but seem keen to suggest it should.

I would be astounded if the government spent big money on a roof and the costs of drop in pools to only end up with a 26k swimming capacity. Then you have to remove the pools, replace the grass, and fix up anything else before the Broncos can use the field in the middle of their season which will have similar disruption to their home ground as the Lions.

Football and or rugby will fill Suncorp (52K) a lot of the time, with very little investment, and a big revenue increase over a smaller 26k swimming venue.

Makes no commercial sense to me.

 

[mighty_lions]

(A) I am saying a 52k full venue will easily make more money for Brisbane than a 25k full swimming venue no matter the pricing structure. There will be comparable high end ticket prices for both sports. The smaller the venue for popular sports, the higher the ticket average. That's just supply and demand working. Although the IOC will ensure prices are reasonable

(B) I said Swimming is in fact very popular being the number 2 watched sport during the Paris Olympics.

(C) Swimming may need a larger venue but we're back to where do you suggest Football and Rugby 7's be played in Brisbane. Not just say "soccer which you can play in any large venue anywhere,"
The soccer final was set for Suncorp and other venues being Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Townsville, Cairns, Melbourne and Sydney.
Rugby 7's all games and finals at Suncorp
Ballymore is the next biggest stadium in Brisbane with 10k capacity and that is a hockey venue at present
.....................................................................................
I know you don't think it will happen but seem keen to suggest it should.

I would be astounded if the government spent big money on a roof and the costs of drop in pools to only end up with a 26k swimming capacity. Then you have to remove the pools, replace the grass, and fix up anything else before the Broncos can use the field in the middle of their season which will have similar disruption to their home ground as the Lions.

Football and or rugby will fill Suncorp (52K) a lot of the time, with very little investment, and a big revenue increase over a smaller 26k swimming venue.

Makes no commercial sense to me.

yeah but you aren't factoring in the saving cost of the Brisbane live arena being cancelled in my proposal which I thought you wanted, and the cost of the drop in pool is the same because the Brisbane live arena would be getting it anyway

The point im making is there's only 2 options for the swimming, its either going at Suncorp or its going at the 2.5billion Brisbane live arena at Roma street unless they have it all in Victoria Park

Either way wherever you put the swimming its going to cost a lot of money

 

[Tassie4ever]

There's also a lot of disingenuous BS about Optus Stadium itself. Idiots claim it covers 30 hectares, but that includes all the lawns, parkland (gee whiz), bars, restaurants, huge bus station, playground and minigolf course around it. I went and measure on satellite maps, the pitch and stands together are 6 hectares and if you allow a pretty generous amount of space around it for access, it comes to 9 hectares. Which is between 10-15% of the 64 hectares of Victoria Park.

If you want a direct comparison you should look at the FB stuff written about the proposed new stadium in Hobart. Same NIMBY crap. The sole saving grace in Tassie's case is that because the ground is to be built on reclaimed land there is zero chance of a late discovery of an aboriginal sacred site.

Sent from my SM-A115F using Tapatalk

 

[Perrip]

Apparently the Australian have some more details about the GIICA draft report this weekend

Feeding the Chooks: Secret review recommends new Olympic stadium for Brisbane 2032

David Crisafulli has an Olympics-sized problem.
His hand-picked panel of experts – appointed to deliver a 100-day review of Brisbane 2032 infrastructure – has sent over their secret draft report with an uncomfortable recommendation for the new Liberal National Party Premier.
The top bit of advice? Hurry up and build a new stadium at Victoria Park, for goodness’ sake. Awkwardly for Crisafulli he told Queensland voters – over and over again – that an LNP government would not build a new stadium, under any circumstances.
But what does he expect? Brisbane’s initial 11-year runway to 2032 Olympics has been whittled down to just seven short years. As most people in this town now accept, the time’s run out on rebuilding the ageing Gabba, and we can’t kick out our Premiership-winning Lions for the interminable construction time.
And Crisafulli and his deputy, Jarrod Bleijie, purposefully picked a panel of people with property development in their blood. The chair is Stephen Conry, a good mate of former LNP Premier Campbell Newman, an LNP donor, and the ex-chief executive officer of commercial real estate group Jones Lang LaSalle Australia.
In fact, Bleijie boasted to a Property Council Christmas lunch in December that he’d headhunted three of the seven-member board straight out of the property industry, telling the industry he’d picked a board that knew how to build things.
“Let me tell you exactly how the panel was chosen to get this job done and build the infrastructure of the future,” Bleijie said at the time.
“The government headhunted the best of the best to get the job done.”
It’s surely not surprising then that the panel that’s expert in building things is recommending the government build a really big new Olympics stadium.
Chooks hears Crisafulli and Co were positively furious after receiving the draft last Saturday afternoon, and have been scrambling ever since, trying to work out how to respect the recommendations of the panel, and somehow keep their no-stadium election promise to voters.
We’ve got more details of the secret report in the pages of The Weekend Australian – you’ll never guess where the Brisbane Arena’s Olympic swimming could be moved to – but Crisafulli is staying mum on the government’s plans until March 25.
“I know there’s a lot of excitement, but March 25 isn’t that far away. And on March 25, after over 1000 days of missed opportunities and no clarity, Queenslanders are going to have a way forward,” he said on the Gold Coast.

 

[Johnny Bananas]

Apparently the Australian have some more details about the GIICA draft report this weekend

Feeding the Chooks: Secret review recommends new Olympic stadium for Brisbane 2032

If this report is accurate, good grief, is Crisafulli such a blithering idiot that he's angry about the obvious advice he was handed and is now scrambling? I mean yes, he probably is, given nobody held a gun to his head and demanded he make the no new stadiums promise over and over again, yet he's created this spectacular unforced error for himself. And it seems everyone except him could see what was coming a mile away.

What do you do if both major parties refuse to follow the advice of studies because of political reasons?

 

[mighty_lions]

If this report is accurate, good grief, is Crisafulli such a blithering idiot that he's angry about the obvious advice he was handed and is now scrambling? I mean yes, he probably is, given nobody held a gun to his head and demanded he make the no new stadiums promise over and over again, yet he's created this spectacular unforced error for himself. And it seems everyone except him could see what was coming a mile away.

What do you do if both major parties refuse to follow the advice of studies because of political reasons?

sounds like clickbait to me

 

[Perrip]

If this report is accurate, good grief, is Crisafulli such a blithering idiot that he's angry about the obvious advice he was handed and is now scrambling?

It's not the strangest idea. We've known for a while that senior government sources preferred a Gabba rebuild to a Vic Park stadium. But, if the report came back saying there's a lot of issues with a Gabba rebuild, which it sounds like the draft report did, he'll have to balance a realistic solution with what his cabinet supports & suffering minimal political damage.

 

[Section 5]

Apparently the Australian have some more details about the GIICA draft report this weekend

Feeding the Chooks: Secret review recommends new Olympic stadium for Brisbane 2032

I got the vibe that Crisafulli would be all for Victoria Park. He just wanted it out of his hands, so experts make the decision.
However, i am sure some of his ministers and backbench may differ.
He made stupid promises, some he may not keep, and one was "no new stadiums".
He said and matched Labor on everything to make sure he won the unlosable election.

Depending on the Authority suggestions he may be able to say, "after the games, Brisbane will have net new stadiums."
"That being Lang Park a rectangle venue & Victoria park an oval venue."
Then add "The Gabba comes down to help pay for the VP new stadium."

Tenders will be called after the games. Possibly for housing, unit towers, mixed retail, parks or any number of things.
Spin it anyway he wants.
He can then say, "I always believed two big stadiums is all Brisbane needed and that's what we eventually delivered."

By the end of his term the Olympics could be a bigger issue, or it will be all positive with only a few years to go.
Also, no way to know which way the world or local political issues will be at the forefront then.

 

[Johnny Bananas]

It's not the strangest idea. We've known for a while that senior government sources preferred a Gabba rebuild to a Vic Park stadium. But, if the report came back saying there's a lot of issues with a Gabba rebuild, which it sounds like the draft report did, he'll have to balance a realistic solution with what his cabinet supports & suffering minimal political damage.

A competent politician would have war gamed for this possibility before making a commitment to no new stadiums.

 

[Thomasno]

I highly doubt he or his party room are “furious”. Literally the best time to make an unpopular decision (if it even is unpopular) is right after winning the election.

By the time it matters (ie the next election), people will have forgotten about it.

And the anti-Vic Park NIMBYs were never going to vote for an LNP government anyway, so much for muchness.

 

[Zacs_Magic_Tooth]

Suspect he’s leaked to the press that he’s ‘furious’ to position his broken promise as a reluctant one rather than willing

 

[Black Panther]

Apparently the Australian have some more details about the GIICA draft report this weekend

Interesting tidbit from that is that the panel report recommends moving Brisbane Arena to next to the Gabba

 

[Black Panther]

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/secret-brisbane-olympics-report-recommends-new-victoria-park-stadium/news-story/001e97c936f74bc83cc6fa427011c5e3?amp

 

[Perrip]

Interesting tidbit from that is that the panel report recommends moving Brisbane Arena to next to the Gabba

Thanks, just reading it now.
Secret Brisbane Olympics report recommends new Victoria Park stadium

A new stadium at Brisbane’s Victoria Park has been recommended by a draft secret report reviewing plans for the city’s 2032 Olympics, sparking fury in the top ranks of the new Queensland government after David Crisafulli repeatedly promised voters there would be no new stadium.
The LNP Premier and his top ministers are scrambling to work out how to respond to the 100-day review of Olympic infrastructure, which is also understood to recommend shifting the $2.5bn Brisbane Arena swimming venue from the Roma Street parklands across the river to a state-owned site adjacent to the Gabba.
A source with knowledge of the review – conducted by a panel hand-picked by Mr Crisafulli and his deputy Jarrod Bleijie – has warned it will put pressure on the Premier’s repeated insistence the joint state and federal infrastructure budget for the main Games venues will not exceed $7.1bn.
“With a new stadium and all the infrastructure surrounding it like walkways and station upgrades, you’re looking at $4bn to $5bn (for that venue alone), and the Brisbane Arena is going to cost at least $3bn, and then on top of that, you’ve got the regional venues which will add a couple of billion,” the source said.
“Along with the still increasing costs of construction worldwide, you could be looking at a cost envelope of $12bn instead of the planned $7bn.”
The panel handed its draft report to Mr Crisafulli, Mr Bleijie, Treasurer David Janetzki and a select few other key lieutenants last weekend, and the plans were then discussed at a cabinet budget review committee meeting.
Several sources said Mr Crisafulli and his team were “furious” about the recommendations which, if followed, would mean the government would have to break a major election promise not to build a new stadium.
“They are between a rock and a hard place,” one source said.
In 2021, the International Olympic Committee awarded Brisbane the 2032 Olympics. And despite the 11-year head start, a location for the Games’ main track and field stadium has still not been decided.
Former premier Annastacia Palaszczuk had originally proposed to rebuild the Gabba. Her successor Steven Miles scrapped that idea in favour of redeveloping the Queensland Sports and Athletics Centre, home to the 1982 Commonwealth Games, and Mr Crisafulli went to the election promising “we’re not embarking on new stadiums” and handballing the planning to an independent panel.
At a press conference on the Gold Coast on Friday, Mr Crisafulli said he “absolutely, categorically” wanted the private sector to chip in funding for Games venues.
The former Labor government investigated possible public-private partnerships for Olympic venues and it was found not to be realistic or viable.
Mr Crisafulli dodged questions about whether he had read the draft report, and said Queenslanders would finally know the government’s plan on March 25, the day after cabinet was due to ratify it.
“I know there’s a lot of excitement, but March 25 isn’t that far away. And on March 25, after over 1000 days of missed opportunities and no clarity, Queenslanders are going to have a way forward,” he said.
Asked whether he had outsourced his leadership to the panel, led by former chief executive of commercial real estate group Jones Lang LaSalle Australia Stephen Conry, Mr Crisafulli said he had not.
“The decision’s mine and the Deputy Premier’s,” he said.
The Australian understands the panel’s preferred option for the Brisbane Arena is to shift it to the old state-owned GoPrint site near the Gabba stadium from the current proposal at the Roma Street parklands. It was originally to be built on top of the Roma Street railway station, an option axed because of the expense, and Mr Miles shifted it to the nearby parklands.
It is understood the parklands site was still considered too tricky because it would cause major disruption to the train network.

Brisbane Live being built at the Gabba, instead of Roma Street, would be another reason why the GIICA is reportedly recommending Victoria Park in their report.

 

[notliondown]

It's better to ask for forgiveness than permission if you really need to get something done.

These guys aren't idiots... they knew the outcome was most likely this. Crisafulli is wearing the angry hat so he can defend his line that helped him get elected but resign himself to the reviews outcome as the best way forward for Queensland. This anger and frustration is a show and dance. A long practiced and calculated one to.

And, really, I'm happy to let them do what they have to get this thing started. If we stare into the sun for much longer the opening ceremony will be on the new runway at the airport.

Also really glad to hear BA might end up at the Gabba... that's the get out of jail card for no new arena and utilises the transport links already being developed.

My guess is the real frustration lies in the size of the bill - not where the stadium is.

 

[Billy ray]

100% the response will be no new stadiums in a net sense. Post olympics there will be an oval stadium and a rectangular stadium and an indoor arena, exactly as there is now (with gabba and boondall torn down).

 

[dlanod]

Suspect he’s leaked to the press that he’s ‘furious’ to position his broken promise as a reluctant one rather than willing

Exactly my thought too. "I'm furious... but my hands are tied, it's clearly the best option."

 

[Perrip]

Also really glad to hear BA might end up at the Gabba... that's the get out of jail card for no new arena and utilises the transport links already being developed.

Exactly. If they are proceding with Vic Park as the new stadium, there really should be Brisbane Arena at the Gabba as the centrepiece of the precinct that'll get built once the Gabba is demolished post-2032.

 

[Johnny Bananas]

These guys aren't idiots... they knew the outcome was most likely this. Crisafulli is wearing the angry hat so he can defend his line that helped him get elected but resign himself to the reviews outcome as the best way forward for Queensland. This anger and frustration is a show and dance. A long practiced and calculated one to.

Are you absolutely sure of that? I'm a little tired of people claiming politicians are secretly playing 5D underwater chess when Occam's Razor would tell us they're just not very competent.

 

[Section 5]

Thanks, just reading it now.
Secret Brisbane Olympics report recommends new Victoria Park stadium

Brisbane Live being built at the Gabba, instead of Roma Street, would be another reason why the GIICA is reportedly recommending Victoria Park in their report.

Thanks for adding the extra bits of the article
Maybe use above CRR site instead of The Gabba to avoid confusion. We don't want The Gabba pulled down yet.

"The Australian understands the panel’s preferred option for the Brisbane Arena is to shift it to the old state-owned GoPrint site near the Gabba stadium from the current proposal at the Roma Street parklands."

I hope this is correct but strange. Why you might say.
Well, Crisafulli specifically stated in the "terms of reference" not to look at Brisbane Arena. Protected species as i keep saying.
Maybe that is why he is so furious.

Everyone knows i am/was against the Brisbane Arena for a number of reasons.
A few paragraphs from different sections about Brisbane Arena from my 13-page submission.
.........................................................

My preference has always been to drop Brisbane Arena altogether and all your budget problems are solved. But that looks like it is not going to happen but i can dream.
The cost of Brisbane Arena is astronomical for what it is. A different location is needed in my opinion to reduce those costs.
I do agree that Brisbane does need a new Entertainment Centre close to the CBD.
My issue apart from the costs is Brisbane Arena has been favored over a new oval Olympic Stadium for some time now and that just does not make sense to me. That’s how we ended up with the horrible QSAC proposal.
......
One or both of Brisbane Arena or a new Stadium has to have private involvement.
......
Brisbane Arena to new site at Wooloongabba. The CRR Rail Station site. Site reports from CRR should be available to see if site suitable. Anywhere else is fine except the Roma Street Parklands depot/carpark site suggested in the Quirk report.
Brisbane Arena to be used for Basketball not swimming. The design/construction costs possibly drop considerably without having to allow for the 3 drop-in -pools. No need for the two new basketball sites that are planned in Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast.
.......
The IOC suggested 7 changes and as far as i know none have been implemented.
The original submission had two big ticket items both new, a stadium and Brisbane Arena.
Brisbane Arena was put forward to be privately owned and operated. See page 27.
The IOC suggested moving swimming from Brisbane Arena to the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre. Recently Tom Tate stated he will put $75 million towards upgrading the venue for the Olympics if the State matches it.
The IOC also suggested using Brisbane Arena for Basketball page 25
............

Brisbane Arena
I am against the costly Brisbane Arena (BA) capacity 15k as i don’t believe it is needed for the Olympics. For some reason the proposed venue appears to be a protected species for some time now. No scrutiny on this project by the media.
All the scrutiny has been on The Gabba and any new stadium costs. Also, it is the only venue the LNPs new terms of reference have excluded of the 35 venues.
However, if it has to be built the Brisbane Bold Arcadis costs of $880 million is far cheaper than the validation report of $4 billion at Roma Street Station that's now cancelled. The Quirk report suggested a new site at Roma Street Parklands and he thinks it will fall within the $2.5 billion Commonwealth funding price. If Brisbane Arena has to be built, we need to find a better and vastly cheaper site. Possibly Victoria Park, the CRR site over Wooloongabba station if feasible when completed and maybe Riverstage. See link and my amateur drawings below. Or on the Gabba site after the Olympics. All these sites are close to bus, rail and the CBD.
Brisbane Arena is an extremely expensive project for what it may be used for at the Olympics and as a legacy. Swimming Australia does not want swimming at Brisbane Arena as there is no legacy for swimming going down that path.
Roma Street Parklands (new site) depot/carpark Possibly $2,500,000,000 plus.
Anything more than that and the State will have to pay for the excess.
No validation report back to my knowledge. But Catherine King MP Federal Labor has stated it is too far advanced to stop. How is that possible without knowing the costs.
Other similar structure venues costs compared to Brisbane Arena $2,500,000,000.
Gold Coast Council proposed Entertainment Centre 12k capacity $480 million
......

Also, the new Brisbane Arena proposed site goes against the present CRR PDA for the area.
The Quirk review should not have suggested the new site at all in my opinion. It is planned for social and affordable housing plus greenspace that most Queenslanders would prefer happen. Can pretty much guarantee protest up to the Federal election on this venues location as the Commonwealth are funding it. That’s the last thing the Brisbane Olympic Organizing Committee need.
Roma Street Parkland is one of five locations in Australia to hold the 2022/2023 Green Flag Award, an international accreditation given to the world’s best green spaces. That’s nine years in a row together with Southbank Brisbane.
Victoria park is different, being a large under used greenspace having great potential when integrated with the BCC Master Plan and a world class stadium.
The businesses at the highest point of Victoria Park look like they do a good trade and i doubt a stadium some distance away would affect them financially. Those being a restaurant various function arears/wedding venues and the golf range.
Roma Street Parklands protected and expanded - Cross River Rail
A few images from the PDA and one render showing the proposed Brisbane Arena
...........

My preferred site for Brisbane Arena if it has to be built at all is at Wooloongabba.
I don’t have any software to make things look great but if Brisbane Arena has to be built maybe consider above CRR Wooloongabba Station.
Woolloongabba Station - Cross River Rail
My color additions to the CRR images of the site.
Blue - Brisbane Arena should fit on the site and is not over any underground rail line or station.
Green dots/dash - This is where people will enter and exit the station
Brown – Clem 7 underground toll road. I believe its lowest point is 60 meters below the Brisbane River. This site should have the tunnel deep enough for construction over the tunnel
Everything else on the images below were taken from the Cross River Rail site


.................

 

[notliondown]

Are you absolutely sure of that? I'm a little tired of people claiming politicians are secretly playing 5D underwater chess when Occam's Razor would tell us they're just not very competent.

Oh I get it... and you are 100% right... but surely... surely, this is the one time where the light at the end of the tunnel really is a train???