Cycling Park on Track, Olympics Housing Legacy Still in the Blocks

Let the Brisbane Olympic legacy projects begin.

Dirt has been turned on a $35-million international-standard cycling facility at Murarrie on the city’s southside and only 8km from The Gabba—the home of the 2032 Games.

Part of what is to be known as the Brisbane International Cycle Park, the major revamp of the existing 1.4km Murarrie Recreation Reserve cycling track and clubhouse will provide a key training facility in the lead-up to, during and after the world’s largest sporting event.

Meanwhile, the planning wheels are still turning on a much-needed and anticipated Olympics legacy—housing supply.

“We must have the sustainable delivery of housing as a key pillar in the Olympic legacy,” said PRD Real Estate chief economist Dr Diaswati Mardiasmo, who last year was appointed to the Queensland government’s 12-member Olympic legacy committee.

“At the moment, we know that there is a housing shortage and we know that there’s people who are finding it really difficult to find a rental place. 

“That has been recognised in all of the meetings and in all of the discussions.

“But, of course, the legacy plan is not just about housing and it’s still in the works from a conceptual sort of perspective.

▲ Render of the planned Brisbane International Cycle Park.

“The one thing that we have to be careful of is once you bed down a strategy and an action plan, it’s much harder to change things than to get it right in the first place,” Mardiasmo said.

“And the last thing that we want to do is to create something and then people say to us, ‘Well, we haven’t been consulted—no one’s asked for our opinion’ … Yes, we’ve kind of got all the ingredients we need to establish a plan but it’s a matter of going through all of the processes.”

About 500 community and business leaders will gather on March 22 to help shape the Brisbane 2032 Legacy Plan.

From a housing supply legacy perspective, Mardiasmo said “there’s more complexities … and a little bit more intricacy than for a cycling park”.

“Like, what is the diversity of houses that we actually need and what is doable? Do we need more townhouses? Do we need more social housing? Do we need more affordable housing? As people always say, the devil is in the details.

“Past Olympics have been able to deliver amazing things for the housing market, some better than others. And so we kind of want to get this legacy right and not waste this opportunity.”

The first stage of the Brisbane International Cycle Park project will include a Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) standard criterium cycling track, 500m speed skating track, a multi-purpose clubhouse and an upgraded carpark.

▲ The Queensland and federal governments reached a $7-billion-plus funding agreement to supercharge preparations for the Brisbane 2032 Olympics.

Planned future stages include a learn-to-ride facility, BMX track, special track lighting and public amenities, including picnic shelters, barbecues, and a dog off-leash area.

The project is expected to be completed by 2024.

“As a future host city it’s important that we prepare for the Games however it’s also vital that our investments in sporting venues and facilities deliver a legacy that can be enjoyed by the 1.2 million people who call Brisbane home,” Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said.

“Council has consulted with AusCycling, local cycling and speed skating clubs to ensure the facility is world class. We expect this venue to be a major drawcard for Brisbane in the future, attracting cycling groups and visitors.”

In February, the Queensland and federal governments reached a $7-billion-plus funding agreement to supercharge preparations for the Brisbane 2032 Olympics.

Under the co-funding agreement, the Queensland government will stump up $2.7 billion for the revitalisation of inner-city Woolloongabba and The Gabba stadium, including the creation of an active travel corridor to South Brisbane and the CBD.

The federal government will contribute just over $3.4 billion, including $2.5 billion for the new Brisbane Live entertainment arena at Roma Street that will seat 17,000 to 18,000 people. It will be the venue for the Olympic swimming events to be staged in a temporary “drop-in swimming pool”.