Brisbane's Commonwealth Games stadium gathers dust

It was once the crowded centrepiece of Brisbane's most revered sporting moment – the 1982 Commonwealth Games.

Now, the 49,000-seat Queensland Sports and Athletics Centre, as the old QEII Stadium is now known, is on average more than 97 per cent empty when it hosts events.

The huge stands at the Queensland Sports and Athletics Centre went virtually unused in 2013-14.Credit: Harrison Saragossi

But it was not all such dire news for the state's venues in the Stadiums Queensland 2013-14 annual report, recently tabled in Parliament last month, which revealed a 5.86 per cent increase in patronage over the nine state government-owned facilities.

QSAC, at Nathan, was built for the Commonwealth Games with a permanent grandstand on the western side and a series of 13 aluminium stands completing the circumference around the running track.

QSAC's empty stands.Credit: Harrison Saragossi

The vast majority of its 49,000 seats gathered dust in 2013-14, with the joint top attractions – the AIC Track and Field Championships, the 2013 GPS Track and Field Championships and the 2013 Fitness and Dance Inter Studio Carnival – only attracting 5000 people each.

A paltry average of 1449 people attended 160 events at the cavernous QSAC – just 2.96 per cent of its capacity.

Last month's monster truck exhibition, Monster Jam, was the first event to draw a five-figure crowd since Pearl Jam in 2009, attracting "just under 25,000 patrons", according to a Stadiums Queensland spokesman.

Monster Jam was not included in the annual report's statistics.

Suncorp Stadium was the most popular Queensland venue in 2013-14, helped along by events such as the A-League grand final.Credit: Harrison Saragossi

"Community groups like schools, junior and senior sporting associations and members of the public make up the majority of the over 230,000 who use QSAC, and this is also the case with other venues Sleeman Sports Complex and the BEC Sports Centre," the SQ spokesman said.

"This is in keeping with current Queensland government priorities, to promote sport at the grassroots."

Despite the low numbers, QSAC's patronage was still up 18.17 per cent from 2012-13, up from 196,102 to 231,784 in 2013-14.

Opposition sports spokesman Bill Byrne said Labor supported the continued maintenance of the underused southside stadium, but accused the LNP of waging a "political war" against the facility when it was in opposition.

In 2009, then-shadow sports minister and now Police Minister Jack Dempsey told Fairfax Media the stadium was a "bottomless pit" of expenditure and called for a "proper feasibility study" into the venue.

"While Labor has long been upfront about its commitment to maintaining QEII, it must be pointed out that the LNP waged a political war against the facility when in opposition," Mr Byrne said.

"Just like in so many areas, their rhetoric in opposition hasn't come close to being honoured when faced with the realities of government.

"At the very least, the current Sports Minister should have the guts to say his ministerial colleague Mr Dempsey was wrong, and fully state his government's plans for the venue."

Sports Minister Steve Dickson was not available for comment, but the Stadiums Queensland spokesman said the ageing stands provided a back-up to the higher profile venues in Brisbane.

"The benefits of keeping the stands to ensure Brisbane doesn't miss out on concerts and other major events far outweigh the very minimal maintenance costs of the aluminium stands and the costs involved to remove them," he said.

There was mixed news for other Queensland stadiums in the annual report, with the 5.86 per cent rise in patronage largely on the back of increased crowds at Metricon Stadium on the Gold Coast and the maligned Brisbane Entertainment Centre at Boondall.

The Entertainment Centre, which has drawn consistent criticism over its car park, traffic issues and a lack of public transport, still managed to attract 865,051 people to its facilities, including its community indoor sports hall, up 22.51 per cent from its 2012-13 total of 681,382.

Sixty-seven major events in the main 13,500-seat arena attracted 625,051 people, for an average crowd of 9329.

Metricon Stadium, the home of the Gold Coast Suns AFL team, had a 39.78 per cent increase in patronage to an average 18,664, helped in no small part by the Big Day Out music festival in January.

Across town, the Gold Coast Titans' poor NRL form affected Cbus Super Stadium's attendances, which were down 27.3 per cent from the previous financial year with an average of 11,348.

The Ashes helped crowds at The Gabba increase by 22.51 per cent to an average of 14,358, but its 502,523 total, gained over 35 event days, was less than half the number of attendees across town at Queensland's largest venue.

Suncorp Stadium – the home of the A-League's Brisbane Roar, the NRL's Brisbane Broncos and the Queensland Reds rugby team – remained Queensland's biggest-drawing stadium, with an average crowd of 26,770.

But the 1,151,091 people who went through the Milton turnstiles over 43 event days, was down 10.6 per cent from 2012-13's total of 1,287,533.

Patronage was also down at Townsville's 1300 Smiles Stadium (4.38 per cent), home of the NRL's North Queensland Cowboys, but down by 0.4 per cent at the Sleeman Sports Complex at Chandler.

How Queensland's stadiums performed in 2013-14

The Gabba

• Capacity: 42,000
• Events: 35
• Total patronage: 502,523
• Average: 14,358
• Percentage of capacity: 34.19 per cent

Suncorp Stadium

• Capacity: 52,500
• Events: 43
• Total patronage: 1,151,091
• Average: 26,770
• Percentage of capacity: 50.99 per cent

Cbus Super Stadium (Robina)

• Capacity: 27,400
• Events: 17
• Total patronage: 192,918
• Average: 11,348
• Percentage of capacity: 41.42 per cent

Brisbane Entertainment Centre

• Capacity: 13,500
• Events (main arena only): 67
• Total patronage (community events and sports hall use): 240,000
• Total patronage (main arena only): 625,051
• Average (main arena only): 9329
• Percentage of capacity: 69.10 per cent

Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre

• Capacity: 49,000
• Events: 160
• Total patronage: 231,784
• Average: 1449
• Percentage of capacity: 2.96 per cent

1300 Smiles Stadium (Townsville)

• Capacity: 26,500
• Events: 17
• Total patronage: 210,508
• Average: 12,383
• Percentage: 46.73 per cent

Metricon Stadium

• Capacity: 25,000
• Events: 13
• Total crowd: 242,631
• Average: 18,664
• Percentage of capacity: 74.66 per cent

Sleeman Sports Complex

• Capacity: N/A (various venues)
• Events: 104
• Total patronage (including community use and training): 850,593
• Total event patronage: 227,700
• Average: 2189

Queensland Tennis Centre

• Capacity (Pat Rafter Arena only): 5500
• Event days: 10
• Total patronage: 214,549
• Elite event patronage: 113,249
• Daily average (elite sporting events only and including outdoor courts and multiple sessions): 11,325