Brisbane Olympics procurement accelerates as delivery risks rise

GIICA currently anticipates that successful contractors will be notified by 6 March, followed by an invitation to offer process, set to be released towards the end of the month and closing later this year.

An early contractor involvement phase will then follow with early works currently anticipated to commence before the end of the year. Although substantive construction has not yet commenced, GIICA’s procurement drive in late 2025 and early 2026 reflects an intention to get project delivery underway.

While the procurement process for the Olympics is now accelerating, emerging delivery risks, such as a shortfall of workers and ballooning budgets, are creating challenges to existing timeframes and budgets.

Procurement milestones

In late December 2025, GIICA appointed Unite32, a consortium comprised of Laing O’Rourke and AECOM, as delivery partner, tasked with ensuring the delivery of key infrastructure projects under the A$7.1 billion Games venues infrastructure program.

In early January, GIICA awarded the role of principal architect for the Games’ flagship venue, Victoria Park Stadium, to a joint venture between Cox, Hassell and Azusa Sekkei. Australian firms Cox and Hassell designed Optus Stadium in Perth, the redeveloped Adelaide Oval and the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

The shortlisted candidates to be the delivery contractor for the Victoria Park Stadium are BesixWatpac, Built, CPB, Samsung C&T and WeBuild, according to media reports. GIICA will shortly select two of these candidates to continue to an early contractor involvement phase. Early site works for Victoria Park Stadium will commence following the engagement of a contractor in Q2 of 2026.

The Queensland government’s Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning recently concluded the expression of interest process for the Gabba Entertainment Precinct, involving the construction of a new indoor arena next to the Woolloongabba Cross River Rail station and the post-Games decommissioning and redevelopment of the current Brisbane Cricket Ground into a mixed-use precinct. Shortlisted applicants will now take part in a request for detailed proposal process. The successful applicant is expected to be chosen by Q3 of 2026, with early works planned to commence before the end of the year.

Next phase of procurement

GIICA has indicated that it intends to award several key tenders in the first half of 2026, including, notably, the principal architect for the National Aquatic Centre in Spring Hill. GIICA also currently expects to appoint the principal design consultants for Barlow Park Stadium in Cairns, Sunshine Coast Stadium, Logan and Moreton Bay Indoor Sport Centres and Redland Whitewater Centre before the middle of 2026.

The appointment of principal design consultants follows the completion of feasibility studies for the Redland Whitewater Centre, with early works projected to commence in 2027. GIICA has also committed to awarding tenders for several smaller venues, including the Queensland Tennis Centre, Chandler Sports Precinct, Rockhampton Flatwater Facility, Toowoomba Showgrounds and the Brisbane International Shooting Centre.

Emerging delivery challenges

Given that Queensland is Australia’s most decentralised state, with more than half of its population living outside of greater Brisbane, it is unsurprising that its Olympic venues are dispersed throughout several regions.

With venues spanning Rockhampton, Toowoomba, Cairns and the Gold Coast, geographical dispersion is one of the main reasons that Organising Committee chair Andrew Liveris is revisiting the A$4.1 billion operational budget, which he believes no longer bears “resemblance to reality”.

Although the infrastructure budget, which covers venue development rather than operational costs such as staffing and transport, will be less affected by geography, substantial budgetary amendments this early in the delivery timeline do not bode well.

Infrastructure Australia has forecast a shortfall of 54,000 workers required to deliver key projects on time. While Liveris has expressed optimism about attracting skilled workers from other states, labour capacity will undoubtedly have a significant impact on procurement considerations.

Delays to local infrastructure projects are already creating concern. The business case for the expansion of the Brisbane Metro Bus-Rapid transit system is now expected to take two years to complete, prompting warnings from Jared Cassidy, Brisbane City Council’s opposition leader, that further delays could create planning risks for the Olympic Games.

To address some of these delivery issues, the Queensland government has recently announced legislative amendments to the Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games Arrangements Act 2021 (Qld), which will:

• formally recognise the Brisbane Athletes’ Village in the Act to accelerate planning;
• transfer the land tenure at Victoria Park to GIICA to allow works to begin on Victoria Park Stadium;
• add the Gabba Arena to the legislated works schedule; and
• add Games-related transport infrastructure to the legislated works schedule.

Weeks after being elected to office, the Crisafulli government suspended the state’s best practice industry conditions policy, a move which it claims will continue to reduce infrastructure spending and increase productivity. The perceived success of this removal suggests the government may turn to further deregulation to achieve its delivery goals.

In addition to removing the BPICs, the State Government has recently released the Queensland Procurement Policy 2026 which, amongst other things, will require agencies to consider the most appropriate procurement strategy, adopt template documentation, and dedicate resources to procurement planning which are commensurate to the size of a project.

Procurement outlook

With momentum finally beginning to build, GIICA and its delivery partners must be alert to the mounting delivery risks as they progress through the next tranche of tenders, particularly for those involving major contractors for flagship projects like Victoria Park Stadium and the National Aquatic Centre.

For contractors, although the Games present a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, those entering bids in the first half of 2026 should be prepared for increased commercial and public scrutiny, as the government seeks to demonstrate value and ensure timely delivery.

The next few months will be a pivotal period for the Olympic development and will determine whether the current delivery timeline and budget can realistically be maintained. With increasingly compressed timeframes, mounting delivery pressures and increased public scrutiny, procurement opportunities are going to increasingly favour experienced, productive and established contractors with a low tolerance for risk.
Co-written by Matthew Gowlett of Pinsent Masons.