The rapid pace continues into 2026 for Brisbane’s 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games preparation.

Australian-founded firms COX and Hassell, partnering with Japan’s Azusa Sekkei, have been selected as the Stadium’s principal architects following a three-month selection process led by the Games Independent Infrastructure and Coordination Authority (GIICA).

The team has previous experience in designing Perth’s Optus Stadium, the redeveloped Adelaide Oval, and were part of the consortia for the 2006 redevelopment of the MCG’s Northern Stand. Azusa Sekkei has delivered 120 stadiums globally, including the Japan National Stadium in Tokyo for the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The principal architects are supported by engineering firms Arup and sbp, who both bring significant experience to the design of the stadium’s roof, with the new venue also notably embedding Victoria Park’s topography into its design.

The new stadium will host the opening and closing ceremonies and athletics, before serving as the city’s main stadium in legacy mode with 63,000 seats.

On Thursday 29 January 2026, the Committee for Brisbane launched the Great Aussie Athlete BBQ Movement in Post Office Square, bringing together Brisbane’s business community for a lunchtime BBQ with heart.

The smell of sausages on the grill, live music in the square, and plenty of smiling faces set the tone for a feel-good afternoon. The event marked the first activation of the 2026 initiative and raised awareness of the financial challenges faced by emerging elite athletes on their pathway to national and international competition.

We loved seeing members and guests connect with Green and Gold athletes, including Olympian Nat Cook OLY, who brought her trademark energy and passion to the launch. A special visit from the Lord Mayor added to the buzz, following his recent announcement of seed funding to establish the Brisbane Towards 32 program — a targeted initiative designed to support Brisbane’s future Olympic and Paralympic sport stars.

The Lord Mayor’s commitment includes an initial $100,000 grant, to be matched by corporate donations in partnership with the Aussie Athlete Fund, creating a pooled funding model to help local athletes cover the rising costs of training, competition, equipment, coaching and travel. The announcement reinforced the importance of backing our homegrown talent as Brisbane builds momentum towards hosting the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Thank you to those who volunteered and to our members for stepping out for a shared lunch break in support of a great cause.

Get involved

The BBQ might be over, but the movement is just getting started. We’re calling on individuals, workplaces, and corporates to fire up their own Great Aussie Athlete BBQs — big or small — and help keep the momentum going. Every BBQ sold helps support the next generation of Aussie sporting stars.

Let’s keep the BBQs coming and back our athletes all the way to Brisbane 2032.

To donate to the cause:

• • Great Aussie Athlete BBQ – Donations Here

To host your own BBQ:

• • Backyard BBQ Kit $99 – order here
  • Business BBQ Kit $999 – order here

Check out photos from the event here! 

The Lord Mayor’s Australia Day Awards have been awarded for 2026.

The awards recognise local individuals, organisations and events that make a significant contribution to our Brisbane city-region community.

Australia Day is a great opportunity to celebrate our city-region’s volunteers who go above and beyond and make Brisbane a better place.

For more information on the Award and this year’s recipients please visit Brisbane City Council here.

The Committee for Brisbane’s Digital Advocacy Plan is in its final stages of development.

Ahead of this, Evinact’s Jon O’Brien- a member of our Games Legacy and Growth sub-committee- has written a timely piece on the benefits of up-front and immediate digital infrastructure investment. This is particularly important ahead of the Brisbane city-region’s forecast growth and the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

In addition to the need for immediate investment, our digital plan re-emphasises the need for digital leadership across the areas of data, services, planning and inclusion. Be sure to watch this space!

The Committee for Brisbane is proudly working with Brisbane City Council as its Knowledge Partner as part of the prestigious Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize (LKYWCP) Network.

Launched in 2024, the Network brings together urban leaders and practitioners from LKYWCP prize-winning cities (like Brisbane, New York, Mexico City, Seoul, Vienna and Bilbao), to create and exchange ideas on building liveable and sustainable cities.

Further back in 2012, the City of Brisbane’s Urban Renewal Brisbane Agency was runner-up for the LKYWCP, placing second to New York City’s reinvention and rejuvenation blueprint. Brisbane’s efforts at the time earned a Special Mention from the judges.

Through various initiatives, member cities can continue to explore topics of mutual interest with the intention of:

·        sharing best-in-class practices

·        collaborating to find solutions for common urban challenges of the future

·        supporting each other’s knowledge efforts

·        leveraging each other’s knowledge networks.

The Committee for Brisbane’s first project as Knowledge Partner will be a Research Fellowship project with partner cities New York and Antwerp.

For more information on the LKYWCP please visit here.

The Queensland Government has released its official response to the Queensland Productivity Commission’s final report into the State’s construction industry.

A total of 64 recommendations were put forward, with 51 recommendations being agreed to or supported.

The consultation process took over six months, and included more than 250 public submissions, 86 stakeholder meetings, four regional visits across the State and six roundtables.

Its key measures will have multiple implications for sector productivity in the Brisbane city-region, from skills recognition and procurement enhancement to improving land use and a range of digital processes in the construction industry.

For more information please visit the Queensland Productivity Commission here.

In late January, members of our #Brisbane Idea Generators (#BIG) sub-committee hit the ground investigating Breakfast Creek and its surrounds.

Our #BIG sub-committee is composed of our city-region’s future leaders (25-40 year olds), who have been eagerly looking at economic, tourism and other activation opportunities to enliven parts of our inner city. Breakfast Creek, and its waterways and adjacent parks, offers the perfect opportunity for a first project.

The site visit explored the creek’s opening at Newstead Park, and parts of adjacent Ross Street and Yowoggerra Parks. While momentum is growing on improved activation of the Brisbane River, #BIG and the Committee for Brisbane look forward to sharing ideas on better and sensible use of our city’s Breakfast Creek waterways.

Brisbane continues its growth as a global and regional gateway. Since Christmas, a new direct entry from the domestic terminal’s Skywalk has opened for passengers with carry-on luggage.

The new entrance is a small but significant milestone for Brisbane Airport as part of the $5 billion Future BNE transformation. The project was completed while the terminal remained open and operational, catering up to 60,000 passengers every day.

The new screening point delivers both new technology and an improved screening experience, permitting allowing passengers to keep laptops, secured drink bottles and aerosols inside bags for a smoother passenger experience.

The Brisbane Airport’s Domestic Terminal is the most connected domestic network in Australia with services to 62 destinations.

On Friday 9 January, the Committee for Brisbane was pleased to partner with Tennis Australia to host an exclusive, behind-the-scenes experience at the Brisbane International.

Guests enjoyed rare access to Pat Rafter Arena, a hosted breakfast, and valuable insights into the planning, innovation and storytelling behind one of Brisbane’s most significant global sporting events. A highlight was a behind the scenes tour of the precinct hosted by Matt Richards and the Tennis Australia team, who generously shared their perspectives on player services and the tournament’s continued growth.

It was exciting to see the Brisbane International and its precinct continue to go from strength to strength, reinforcing Brisbane’s position as a world-class sporting and cultural destination and aligning with the Delivering for 2032 and Beyond vision.

Thank you to Tennis Australia, Tennis Queensland, Matt Richards and Elia Hill, and to all who joined us for a standout morning.

Check out photos from the day here.