Stoush erupts as Roar threatens to give Logan City the boot

The state’s premier league football club is threatening to quit its Logan base after an extraordinary dispute with the local council.

Brisbane Roar at the Heritage Park training ground in Logan.

Brisbane Roar could quit its Logan headquarters after the council put the bite on it for thousands of dollars in water charges.

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The three-times A-League football champions were enticed to a new base at Heritage Park in Logan in 2017.

It was understood that councillors offered to drop a host of normal municipal charges to snare the club and increase Logan City’s profile across the state and the nation.

But the club has now been hit with council bills amounting to more than $150,000, two years after moving in at Logan Metro Sports Precinct.

The Roar headquarters at Logan.

Roar chief executive David Pourre said the council officers lured the club to Logan offering an annual peppercorn lease along with waiving water charges and other council fees.

Brisbane Roar CEO David Pourre disputes the council’s bill claim.

The club disputed the bills in meetings with top-level council officials late last year where it was also pointed out the council-owned water meter at the Browns Plains Rd site was broken.

“The deal was that we didn’t have to pay anything at all to come to Logan but in exchange we would offer prestige branding and a range of community services.

“We also invested in the premises and spent more than $300,000 building and renovating council-owned office buildings on site.

“This all started when the council went into administration in May last year – we would never have agreed to come here if were going to have to pay as much as $100,000 in water bills while also providing sponsorship benefits to the council.

“We are hoping this will be solved because we love the premises, but we do have a backup plan in another area.”

Mr Pourre said along with a broken water meter, the council had failed to install water-saving tanks and efficiency devices.

Brisbane Roar CEO David Pourre.

He said due diligence documents, produced when the council was initially assessing the deal, showed there would be no outgoing payments to the council.

The final straw came the week before the local government election in March after the coronavirus lockdown had started when the council rang the club to notify it of outstanding bills.

The club’s requests for a meeting with officers to discuss the issue have yet to be upheld.

The council refused to reveal details of the lease arrangements but stood by its request for the bills to be paid.

“Logan continues to enjoy a partnership with the Brisbane Roar FC,” a statement said.

“Logan City Council has an obligation to Logan ratepayers to follow up with lessees in regards to any outstanding charges, including Brisbane Roar FC, as a commercial business.”

The club gained international attention in January when it won the right to host two friendly matches between West Ham United and Crystal Palace which were scheduled to be played in Townsville and at the Gold Coast in July, before the coronavirus.