Brisbane City Council reveals plan to move old Albion Park Raceway to build Breakfast Creek Sports Precinct

Old Albion Park Raceway is set for an Olympic transformation into a new inner-city sports precinct, complete with indoor stadium. USE THE INTERACTIVE, VOTE IN OUR POLL

Brisbane’s old Albion Park Raceway will be moved and the precinct around it will undergo a revolutionary transformation, with plans for a new indoor sports stadium, playing fields and community space.

Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner will on Friday unveil plans for the “Breakfast Creek Sports Precinct” that would be built as part of the infrastructure needed for the Olympics and Paralympics in 2032.

Under the proposal, Albion Park, the home to metropolitan harness and greyhound racing, would move to different venues and Brothers Rugby Union Club and its two playing fields would shift south from Crosby Park and have three new fields where the raceway is now.

A series of multi-use sporting fields and a baseball field would also be located there.

A new indoor sports centre would then be built at Brothers’ current fields on Crosby Road that would host Olympic and Paralympic basketball – and then be home to a variety of community sports after 2032, including netball, volleyball and badminton.

Queensland Cricket’s Allan Border Field would remain in its current location but be boosted by additional seating.

Cr Schrinner said he wanted to ensure the once in a lifetime opportunity of hosting the Games would be seized to transform the “unique” 29ha inner-city site.

“This plan can be part of that legacy by transforming an under-utilised and tired area of our city into a thriving precinct that would stage local, national and international sports events all year round,” he said.

Albion Park has been the home of metro harness racing since 1968 and greyhounds since the early 1990s.

A spokesman for Racing Queensland confirmed plans were under way to move the raceway, with development approvals being sought for the Greater Brisbane Greyhound Centre near Ipswich – and a new home for harness racing “being finalised”.

Brothers Rugby Union president Geoff Rodgers said the move would help set the club up for the next 50 years.

Queensland Cricket has a long-term vision for Allan Border Field, just reopened after $19m upgrades to lighting, irrigation and training facilities.

Chief executive Terry Svenson said it would host international teams preparing ahead of the ICC World T20 Cup, as well as the Queensland Bulls and Queensland Fire team playing Marsh Sheffield Shield, Marsh One Day Cup, Women’s National Cricket League and the WBBL Brisbane Heat returning to the venue for the first time in three years for the Weber Women’s Big Bash League that will be played under lights.

“Looking ahead, Allan Border Field should play a significant role in ensuring cricket is able to stage matches like the ones just mentioned once the Gabba is unavailable,” he said.

“If cricket was included in the Olympics by 2032, then Allan Border Field could certainly play a role, for training or playing purposes.”

Cr Schrinner said a “green spine” walkway that could host community events would run through the centre of the precinct, connecting Crosby Road to Breakfast Creek.

“This is a really exciting proposal and we’ve already been working closely with the Queensland Government, Brothers Rugby and Queensland Cricket on these plans,” Cr Schrinner said.

“I’m confident that this could be a sports and recreation precinct we can all be proud of, one that incorporates dedicated accessible facilities at the outset while offering expanded facilities for sports that are aiming to grow their participation among women.”

Council’s economic development and Games committee chair Krista Adams said the precinct plan included an innovative water harvesting and reclamation system to help maintain the fields.