Tenders opened for showground and Victoria Park master plan

A proposed redevelopment of the Rockhampton Showgrounds and nearby Victoria Park could transform the precinct into a “high-quality venue” for large exhibitions, entertainment events and national and international sporting competitions.

The sub-precincts of the Showgrounds Master Plan.

Master planning is set to begin for the redevelopment of the Rockhampton Showgrounds and nearby Victoria Park with a goal to transform the precinct into a “high-quality venue” for large exhibitions, entertainment events and national and international sporting competitions.

According to an AFL Queensland Facilities Plan 2020-25 document published online, the state entity ‘will work with Rockhampton Regional Council, Beef Australia and Queensland Cricket to masterplan an upgrade of the Rockhampton Showgrounds to deliver an improved sport and event space outside of the flood zone’, however RRC has not confirmed this.

Rockhampton Regional Council opened tenders earlier this month for a consultancy team to produce a detailed and staged master plan for the sites.

The tender documents note the master plan must feature facilities and infrastructure that are multipurpose and multi-user, consider the current uses and potential new use, support use as a regional disaster evacuation centre, consider heritage significance and consider the capital, operating and whole of life costs.

The Rockhampton Showgrounds viewed from the air during Beef Australia 2012 showing the scale of the event. Photo Chris Ison / The Morning Bulletin.

“Rockhampton is the regional centre for Central Queensland and already supports major sporting, exhibition and entertainment events to Central Queensland,” the tender documents state.

“There is, however, a community and regional desire for Rockhampton to attract and hold more major events.

“This has led to the increasing need to improve the city’s ageing community infrastructure.”

This project will look at bringing the showgrounds and Victoria Park across the road together, to create a “cohesive precinct” for national and international levels of competition and premier events.

Volunteers filling sandbags at the Rockhampton Showgrounds in the 2011 floods. Photo Chris Ison / The Morning Bulletin.

As a background, the document notes the site has been operating as a showground for about 150 years and has 9400 sqm of enclosed pavilions, 7000 sqm of open pavilions, 70,000 sqm of open space and a speedway track.

Victoria Park, between Graeme Acton Way and Huish Drive, includes a gymnasium, cricket fields, bowls club, tennis courts, sports fields, aquatic centre, playground, bridge club, skate park and off leash dog park.

RRC is the owner and operator of the showgrounds and trustee of most of the land at Victoria Park, excluding the basketball stadium and Rocky Sports Club.

The Rockhampton State High School across from the showgrounds is mentioned for the use of the ovals for event parking and overflow.

The planned developments of the $23 million-dollar stadium at Rocky Sports Club, Browne Park upgrades and the redevelopment of the Pilbeam Theatre are mentioned, with the showgrounds master plan to complement them.

The Showgrounds Master Plan project area boundaries.

Council has identified eight project elements for the master plan.

• Centre Arena: The centre arena offers an opportunity to be developed into a high-quality venue that attracts and facilitates state, national and international levels of sports, major trade and entertainment events.

• Indoor Exhibition Space: The development of indoor exhibition space will need to consider using both existing and new infrastructure in a staged and sustainable manner that delivers and achieves the outcomes of the overall site.

• Outdoor Exhibition and Open Space: Seek opportunities to enhance the regions capabilities to host major events while also creating a better overall user experience for the precinct.

• Community Spaces and Facilities: Community space and facilities are an important function within this precinct and consideration will need to be made to existing and desired uses within the precinct, as well as all year-round functionality of these spaces.

• Whole of Site Access and Parking: The precinct being a regional attractor and being located within close proximity to the Rockhampton CBD, open space and walking tracks; strategic consideration to the development of both access and thoroughfare and vehicle access and parking are an important consideration to the overall success of the precinct.

• Victoria Park: Consideration will need to be made to the facilities and their current and proposed usage encouraging engagement and collaboration with the entire precinct to provide a better user experience.

• Rocky Sports Arena: Consideration needs to made to the proposed major developments within the precinct and how the site can best engage and collaborate with these.

• Overflow and Major Event Usage: Investigate opportunities to allow expansion of the major events held within the precinct while also offering field areas for sports and carnivals within spaces that already exist in the precinct.

Plans were announced in 2019 for a $180 million motorsports complex in the region and RRC entered in a $1.3 million contract to purchase a block of land at Bouldercombe.

These plans were scrapped in May 2021 as council dealt with the financial fallouts of COVID-19.

Another $30 million motorsports complex to be built at Midgee was spruiked during the 2022 Federal Government Election with $10 million committed by the LNP if elected, but it never came to be.

A master plan for The Common on the north side of the Fitzroy River was tabled by council in late 2022, with an outdoor amphitheatre, playground, pathway along the foreshore, picnic and fishing spaces on the banks and amenities.

A draft master plan for the Ski Gardens at the southside boat ramp is also expected shortly.

Rockhampton Showgrounds in 2010.

Rockhampton region mayor Tony Williams said this was the first step in a long-term project for the showgrounds precinct.

“Rockhampton already supports major sporting, exhibition and entertainment events, but if we are to attract more major events in the future, we need to improve the precinct’s infrastructure,” he said.

“We must ensure that any improvements to the precinct meet the needs of our community while delivering a high-quality venue that will attract large exhibitions, world class entertainment events and national and international sporting competitions.”

Communities and Heritage councillor Drew Wickerson said RRC had been talking with current users of the site and would continue to do so throughout the master planning process.

“It is really important that we work with all of the stakeholders who currently use the site,” he said.

“This is about creating a vision and plan for the precinct that works for everyone.”

Beef Expo 1997 at the Rockhampton Showgrounds.

Sport Parks and Public Spaces councillor Cherie Rutherford said the redevelopment would not affect the events that currently used the space, but would support them into the future.

“Council is committed to ensuring that the showgrounds continue to be the home for major events, such as Beef Australia – the largest celebration of the beef industry in the southern hemisphere – as well as other key events that will benefit our community for generations to come,” she said.

The finalised master plan will be used by the council to lobby for state and federal government funding.

The tenders will close on March 8.