Pony club offered new home with two-year wait

A north Brisbane pony club displaced by a netball precinct has been offered a new home close by, but will have to wait at least two years before they can move in.

Cr Amanda Cooper, Bramble Bay Pony Club member Keely Surman, secretary Amy Jenkinson and president Maree Surman at the new site for the club at Fitzgibbon. Picture: Michelle Smith

A NORTH Brisbane pony club displaced by a netball precinct has been offered a new home close by, but will have to wait at least two years before they can move in.

The Bramble Bay Pony Club had to move from its council-leased site on Telegraph Rd, Fitzgibbon earlier this year to make way for a $7 million netball precinct.

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On Friday, several pony club members met with Cr Amanda Cooper (Bracken Ridge) to look over their new premises just up the road within the Bill Brown Sports Reserve.

Horses agisted on the former Bramble Bay Pony Club site on Telegraph Rd, Fitzgibbon. Picture: Michelle Smith

The site already has driveway access and a small carpark, which Council will upgrade.

Council will also need to cap half the site, connect electricity and sewerage, grow suitable pasture grass and install facilities such as a clubhouse, toilet block and fencing.

Pony club secretary Amy Jenkinson said the new site was a couple acres smaller than their old one, but would be a lot quieter.

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“At our previous site we were able to agist 14 horses. On the new site we will be able to agist six, but six is better than nothing,” Ms Jenkinson said.

“On the plus side, we will be further away from the kids (at the pool, skate park and BMX track). We had to put a sign up to stop people parking on our driveway.

“It will be a lot quieter here. We will also have safer, direct access for the horse floats and will probably be more visible because we will be up higher.”

Cr Amanda Cooper, Bramble Bay Pony Club member Keely Surman, secretary Amy Jenkinson and president Maree Surman at the new site for the club at Fitzgibbon. Telegraph Rd is on the left. Picture: Michelle Smith

Club president Maree Surman said pony club wasn’t just about agistment.

“Having a smaller site doesn’t stop us from holding events,” she said.

“The new site gives us an opportunity to be more about lessons and events. Hopefully with the new purpose-built facilities we will be able to bring more people and horses here.”

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Cr Cooper said it would be a minimum of two years before the site would be available.

“All of this land is former landfill and we can’t build new facilities on land without it being properly capped; it’s a safety issue,” she said.

“We also really want the grass to be strongly attached before the horses are brought in, otherwise they will just rip it out.”

The former Bramble Bay Pony Club site on Telegraph Rd, Fitzgibbon has been fenced off. Picture: Michelle Smith

Ms Jenkinson said it took her one hour twice a day to get to her horses “but I’m happy to do this for two years knowing we’ll have a new home at the end of that time”.

Mrs Surman said they were grateful council was able to find them a new location in the same area.

“So many people wanted us to come back into the area and loved the fact they could walk past and see the horses and see what we were doing.

“One of our requirements was to find a location that was visible.

“Two months ago we had nothing; this is 100 per cent better than that.”

Most of the Bramble Bay horses and gear were moved to Redcliffe Pony Club and Mrs Surman said they were very grateful to the club for helping them.

An artist’s impression of the new netball courts and carparking to be built at Bill Brown Reserve, Fitzgibbon — on the site of the former Bramble Bay Pony Club. Supplied: Brisbane City Council

Mrs Surman said although the pony club had been at their previous site for about 40 years, it was always only meant to be temporary.

Cr Cooper said council had been looking for a proper location for the club for the past five years “and now we all agree this is the best option”.

The former pony club site, adjacent to the Emily Seebohm Aquatic Centre, has been fenced off and council has started clearing the site.

Council will build four hard courts, lighting and a new carpark as part of the initial stage of the netball precinct.