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Geotechnical drilling has started at Woolloongabba for Brisbane’s new privately delivered 17,000-seat arena, despite its final design and builder still to be confirmed.
Speaking at the site of the planned Gabba Arena, adjacent to the unopened Woolloongabba Cross River Rail station, Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie said two consortiums had been shortlisted from a field of eight to deliver the venue.
Those two consortiums were the Brisbane Entertainment Alliance, featuring Capella Capital, Lendlease, AEG and Legends Global, and Gather Brisbane, including Plenary Group, Live Nation and OVG.
Both would be required to provide detailed design proposals, with the successful proponent to be announced this year and construction proper starting in the first half of 2027.
The winning consortium would also deliver housing at the site of the current Gabba stadium, which would be demolished after the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Bleijie said geotechnical drilling started on Wednesday, to test ground conditions throughout the site and support foundation designs, giving the winning consortium a head-start before construction began.
“I guarantee you, when this opens, it’s going to be used a lot,” he said.
“[State envoy for major events] Tony [Cochrane] and I have talked often about the type of events that will come here.
“The premier would more likely, I might say, respectfully, go to a sporting event in the arena. I might more likely go to a Dolly Parton concert.”
Bleijie said while it was not needed as part of the 2032 Games delivery plan, it was a “nice-to-have” as a venue option.
“It wasn’t needed for the Games, [but] we’re going to deliver it before the Games,” he said.
The arena will be built right next to the Cross River Rail station – a location that offers convenience and challenges, given the need to disperse crowds to avoid crushes and choke-points after events.
The longer the walk between a venue and transport hub, the more the crowd thins out.
Cochrane, who was part of the Games Independent Infrastructure and Coordination Authority board that undertook the 100-day venue review that recommended the Gabba Arena, said that was considered.
“We did quite a bit of modelling on this, obviously, to make sure that the site was fit for purpose,” he said.
“One of the obviously huge advantages of the site is that Cross River Rail can handle circa 42,000 people an hour. The stadium seats a total of 17 [thousand] so the modelling works really effectively.
“Around here, we’re going to develop a very strong entertainment precinct. So what often happens, if you can come out of a venue and you’ve got somewhere to enjoy yourself, that helps to also disperse the crowd.”
A consortium, also including Gather Brisbane members Live Nation and Plenary, was awarded delivery rights earlier this month for the planned Gold Coast Arena at Southport.
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said the plan for that privately built and operated arena was for it to be handed back at the end of a negotiated concession term of between 30 and 50 years.
Asked if a similar hand-back was on the cards for the Gabba Arena, Bleijie was non-committal.
“We’re looking at the methods of delivery at the moment with the private sector, and that will now be in commercial negotiation with the two consortia,” he said.
“That will take place now, as it always does with these sorts of arrangements, but the private sector will build and construct and pay for the arena.”
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