“How on earth could we possibly hold the mantle as the greatest swimmers in the world and not deliver a pool?”

Coates said, whatever Brisbane decided, he did not want the Olympic movement to take the blame for any costs not absolutely necessary for the delivery of the Games.

“You can go ahead and build Victoria Park, if that’s what the city needs, and you can afford that, but that’s not to be ticked off as an Olympic cost,” he said.

Coates said he was pleased Premier Steven Miles took his advice to instead utilise QSAC at Nathan.

Edwards told the inquiry a “desktop analysis” of the existing Victoria Park masterplan showed, with the removal of the car park and golf driving range, available open space would be 56 hectares. With Brisbane Bold, he said, that would rise to 60 hectares.

“I believe you could, hand on heart, say no net loss of open space for Victoria Park with the addition of all of this amenity,” he said.

Several other witnesses, including former lord mayors, were incredulous with that assessment.

“It’s all playing at the edges,” former lord mayor Jim Soorley said.

“… Pete has been running that plan for several years, and no one has accepted it at all.

“I’m not a planner and I’m not an architect, but it’s over the top in terms of the consequences for Victoria Park.”

Brisbane Residents United president Elizabeth Handley said she wanted to “dispel the myth” that when a stadium was built in parkland, it would only take a small portion of available space.

“It is a city of ridges and valleys and when you put something on the top of a ridge line, it automatically becomes much bigger and much bolder than it would be otherwise,” she said.

For now, at least, the argument is moot.

Miles has decided to proceed with QSAC, while Opposition Leader David Crisafulli has promised a 100-day review into Olympic venues if he becomes premier in October, but said his party would not consider new stadiums – ruling out Victoria Park.

But former LNP lord mayor and premier Campbell Newman said he was “concerned” Crisafulli’s review would still come back with a Victoria Park recommendation.

“We want this dealt with right now. Ruled out. Dead, buried and cremated, as a former leader once said,” he said, citing former prime minister Tony Abbott.

“We want it gone. We want the alternatives looked at, but not this one.”

Another former lord mayor, Sallyanne Atkinson, said her opposition to Victoria Park had cooled since she joined four other erstwhile city leaders in opposing a stadium there.

“If that stadium … can be built and not destroy parkland, I’ve got an open mind on it all,” she said.

Inquiry chairman Senator Matt Canavan took a particular interest in a “shadow” review undertaken by the Miles government once it became clear the Quirk review was heading in the direction of recommending Victoria Park.

State Development director-general Graham Fraine was asked what information the government relied on to decide on QSAC.

Fraine revealed the Miles government came to that conclusion without undertaking a proper study into its viability.

“That is the work we are now commencing in a project validation report,” he said.

Canavan asked Fraine whether that was a case of “shooting first and asking questions later”.

“The purpose of the project validation report is to inform that final investment decision,” Fraine responded.

Fraine said that report was due in the “fourth quarter of this year”.