TotalFusion to open in Morningside next year after ACC court win

One of Australia’s biggest and most hi-tech gyms will finally open in Brisbane after its richlister owner defeated a billionaire beef baron in a two-year court stoush.

TotalFusion at Morningside will now open in February after a mammoth court case.

TotalFusion gym will open one of Australia’s biggest and most hi-tech gyms in Morningside on February 1 after the richlister owner of the site defeated billionaire beef baron Trevor Lee in a bitter two-year court stoush.

The gym has begun advertising for about 100 staff, including managers, trainers, PT staff, receptionists, cleaners and more, following a court judgment on Friday, December 2.

The gym equipment is ready to go, with advertising for staff already under way.

The battle pitted multi-millionaire waste recycling mogul Balfour Irvine, who owns the sprawling Rivermakers industrial site, against his neighbour Australian Country Choice, a cattle and abattoir business owned by Mr Lee.

In August, Judge Nicole Kefford dismissed ACC’s appeal against an earlier Council approval of the 5577 sqm gym and indoor bouldering (climbing) centre.

Friday morning’s Supreme Court judgment effectively upheld that ruling after rejecting Mr

BMI Group owner Balfour Irvine leaving court last year during the legal battle. Picture: Liam Kidston.

Lee’s appeal, which was partially based on the grounds that Judge Kefford failed, he claimed, to find that TotalFusion gym would be Australia’s largest gym.

ACC’s appeal also raised questions about whether the gym could try to operate beyond a two-year limit imposed by Judge Kefford and exceed a 300-patron limit.

ACC also raised concerns it would be exposed to complaints from gym patrons about odour and noise from the meatworks.

But TotalFusion boss Leon McNiece argued from the beginning that his patrons would not be able to hear or smell the meatworks inside the gym and could not even see it from their carpark.

He had fitted out the building and employed 100 staff, who were ready to start work when the matter became bogged down in the courts.

“We are absolutely overjoyed with the positive news that we have successfully won our court case against ACC to permit the opening of our state-of-the-art health and wellness facility, TotalFusion Morningside,’’ Mr McNiece said.

“It has been a challenging two years for us and, as unfortunate as the whole experience has been, we have been blown away by the remarkable show of support, excitement and positivity we have received from the local community from the very start.

“This reaffirms to us just how much this community wants and needs a premium health and wellness facility in Morningside.

Trevor Lee, chairman of the Australian Country Choice group

“We are beyond excited to open our doors from February 1 and look forward to welcoming the public through for tours from next week onwards.’’

The gym will include wellness as well as fitness facilities including saunas, hot and cold pools, on-site nutritionists, cryotherapy (cold temperature therapy), compression booths (essentially massage boots) and recovery tools.

There would also be six boutique group fitness studios offering reformer pilates, a run club, yoga club, fusion classes and functional classes.

It would operate seven days a week from 5am until late.

The area around the Rivermakers site is undergoing a transformation with new residential and other uses springing up in recent years.