By Tony Moore
Queensland's newest mega-sports stadium could go to the Sunshine Coast with their council asking for expressions of interest to prepare a feasibility study for the construction a new 1300 Smiles-type stadium at Caloundra, Nambour or Maroochydore.
This year the Melbourne Storm – which has a feeder-club relationship with the Sunshine Coast Falcons - the West Tigers and several Australian Rules teams including St Kilda, all played trial games on the Sunshine Coast.
Sunshine Coast mayor Mark Jamieson with Melbourne Storm under 20s at the Sunshine Coast Stadium at Kawana.
Melbourne Storm has already established a rugby league academy at Sunshine Coast Stadium at Bokarina and has begun an under 20s team.
Melbourne Storm in July 2016 also announced plans to back a Sunshine Coast netball team in the new Australia-wide national championships to begin in 2017.
Sunshine Coast Council begins look for new super stadium.Credit: Google Street View
This new netball franchise – backed by the University of the Sunshine Coast – has already secured New Zealand's most successful netball coach, Noeline Taura, as the inaugural head coach.
The Sunshine Coast is one of the fast-growing regions in Queensland, their bid document says.
"The Sunshine Coast is the fourth largest local government area in Queensland (after Brisbane) with a population of 298,000 people," it reads.
"The region has the second highest forecast population growth rate in Queensland through to 2036, by which time it will be home to an equivalent number of residents to the Gold Coast today."
"A major sports facility with the capability to stage national sport events is a 'missing piece' of the core economic and community infrastructure mix for a region of this size and its projected growth," the council tender argues.
Sunshine Coast Council said on Friday it was only "very early days" in its investigation.
Submissions close on September 6.
The four potential sites are;
- The existing Sunshine Coast Stadium at Bokarina;
- A site on Honeyfarm Road at Caloundra where the council owns 74 hectares;
- Diddillibah Road at Nambour where council owns 100 hectares, where 40 hectares could be used;
- An "as yet" unidentified 30 to 40 hectares north of the Maroochy River.
Sunshine Coast Council said it was only very early stages of looking at the need for a big regional stadium as the region grew.
"Sunshine Coast Council has ambitions to develop a major sports facility that has the capacity to stage national sporting, recreational and entertainment events," a spokesman for Sunshine Coast Mayor Mark Jamieson said.
"The study is only the first step in the process and will cover topics such as demand, site assessments, management options,financial feasibility and funding.
Initially, we have invited consultancies to assist with its development."
Former Sydney Roosters lock Chris Flannery, now the chief executive of the Sunshine Coast Falcons, was unavailable for comment on Friday.
The Sunshine Coast Falcons play in the Queensland Cup, but have long held long-term aspirations for a future senior NRL bid like the Gold Coast Titans, the Brisbane Broncos, or the North Queensland Cowboys, based in Townsville.
They are running sixth in the 14-team competition.
What we know about the four potential sites:
Bokarina's Sunshine Coast Stadium
- Opened in June 2011.
- Close to Kawana Lakes, the Kawana Town Centre and the Sunshine Coast University Hospital;
- Undercover grandstand seating for 1,050 spectators (up to 8,000 in temporary seating);
- Used by 14 groups including soccer, rugby league, gridiron, rugby union and touch football;
- Used by the Melbourne Storm Rugby League Club Academy and its under 20's program.
Caloundra's Honeyfarm Road.
- Opposite Caloundra's Corbould Park Racecourse. 74 hectares was bought by the council is available. Still being planned.
Nambour's Diddillibah Road
- 100 hectares of land has been bought by the council, with the option of becoming the Nambour and Districts Sports Ground. About 40 hectares could be used for sports.
Maroochy River
- The council is investigating buying around 30 to 40 hectares of land north of the Maroochy River close to the fast-growing residential areas near Maroochydore. No site yet identified.