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AAP
AAP
Politics
Laine Clark

'Divisive' Oly portfolio axed in new-look state cabinet

The Olympics portfolio has been axed in a revamped Queensland cabinet after it became "divisive", new state premier Steven Miles says.

A frontbench with five new ministers was officially sworn in on Monday barely a week after Annastacia Palaszczuk's shock resignation as premier.

Ms Palaszczuk was also the Olympics minister with two others assisting her in the cabinet ahead of the 2032 Brisbane Games.

Grace Grace
Grace Grace will assume responsibility for the Olympics in Steven Miles' new Queensland cabinet. (Jono Searle/AAP PHOTOS)

However, the Olympics does not appear in any job title in the new ministry under Mr Miles, although Grace Grace will assume responsibility.

Mr Miles said he did not want the Olympics to become a distraction for his new frontbenchers as they hit the ground running ahead of the October 2024 state election.

"The whole point of having the Games was to unite Queensland and I have seen how divisive it had been," he told reporters on Monday.

"By not having a portfolio but still having a minister responsible we can demonstrate that we're committed to using the Games as a catalyst to bring forward venues and infrastructure - but without the sense that government is distracted by it, that it's taken us from our priorities."

A controversial Gabba rebuild will be reconsidered along with other Brisbane Olympic infrastructure projects under Mr Miles' new-look Queensland government.

An independent authority is set to be established to look over 2032 infrastructure plans, with the $2.7 billion Gabba reconstruction on the list.

Rivals have called for the rebuild to be scrapped due to its escalating costs after the plan's initial $1 billion price tag blew out to almost three times that estimate.

The Gabba
An independent authority will review 2032 Olympic infrastructure plans, including the Gabba project. (Darren England/AAP PHOTOS)

Mr Miles was asked if he was referring to the Gabba rebuild when he was talking about the Olympics being "divisive".

"Probably, but there's been wider conversations," he said.

"We will put on a fantastic Games in 2032, I have no fear about that, but in the meantime, Queenslanders want us to focus in on their priorities.

"When it comes to the Olympic and Paralympic Games our priorities are delivering the right venues at value for money."

Olympics responsibility will fall to Ms Grace who has moved out of education, adding state development and infrastructure to her industrial relations and racing responsibilities.

"We got the Olympics and we will make them fantastic," she said.

"The Olympics is a fantastic opportunity for this state's development and infrastructure."

The Australian Olympic Committee said it looked forward to working with the new-look Queensland government.

"Portfolio decisions and infrastructure arrangements are a matter for the Queensland government," it said in a statement.

"The AOC looks forward to continuing its very productive relationship with the Queensland government as partners in the organising committee for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games."

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