“At the moment,they are embarrassed by their state government and I want Queenslanders to know that it doesn’t have to be that way,” Crisafulli said.

“We’re committed to making sure that as part of the Olympic and Paralympic Games,we do have a plan for generational infrastructure,and that looks like road and rail,but it also looks like having stadiums that Queenslanders can be proud of.”

Two months ago,this mastheadexclusively revealed the initial QSAC design concepts,which would include just 14,000 permanent seats and be expanded to 40,000 during the Games through temporary seating. That revelationprompted national ridicule of the plan.

QSAC was proposed as a venue after Miles rejected the findings of a review he commissioned into Olympic venues. That review,led by former Brisbane lord mayor Graham Quirk,recommended a new stadium at Victoria Park with an estimated price tag of $3.5 billion.

In selecting QSAC,Miles said he had relied heavily on the advice of Australian Olympic supremo John Coates.

The same venues review estimated the cost of QSAC to be $1.6 billion,with a further $1 billion requited to be spent to bring the Gabba up to code. In addition,Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner has estimated a further $400 million would need to be spent on public transport links to QSAC.

Miles said Queensland would have “many great venues” come 2032,including the $2.5 billion Brisbane Arena at the Roma Street Parklands.

“What we don’t need is another $3 billion gold-plated venue,just because David Crisafulli is too weak to stand up to those few people in the inner-city of Brisbane who want to see it,” he said.

Crisafulli,who previously rejected the Victoria Park proposal and is yet to suggest an alternative to QSAC,cited public-private partnerships as one way government could deliver major infrastructure projects while keeping costs down.

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