Gold Coast Development: Fears of flooding could scuttle Gold Coast Showground proposal for Mudgeeraba

GRAND plans for a $25 million Gold Coast showground on a prominent site have divided the community. Civic leaders have revealed whether they support the project and what could halt it.

POLITICAL leaders have united against a bold $25 million plan to create a Gold Coast showground on a floodplain at Mudgeeraba.

The plans, revealed in the Gold Coast Bulletin yesterday, would see a 54ha site between Firth Park and the M1 transformed into a home for the Gold Coast Show, harness and greyhound racing and a showground.

The proposed site of the showgrounds. Picture Mike Batterham

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But opponents of the project and planning experts say the low-lying floodplain would be extremely difficult to redevelop because of its proximity to Mudgeeraba Creek.

“Anything is possible from an engineering point of view but whether it could be achieved would take significant analysis of the flooding constraints on the site,” an engineering expert told the Bulletin said last night.

“You are probably looking at 24 months of analysis just on that.”

Matthew Schneider, director of town planning firm Urbis, said that while it was important for the Gold Coast Show and other former Parklands tenants to have a permanent home, the Mudgeeraba site posed a hydrological “challenge”.

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Layout of proposed Gold Coast Showground in Mudgeeraba.

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“The site is a large and well-located property but it has challenges, particularly flooding, that make many forms of urban development difficult,” he said.

“A development proposal such as this could well be uniquely placed to overcome those challenges and provide a permanent solution for the Gold Coast Show and Racing Queensland.

“The project would need to go through the standard development approval process, which would ensure the development is safe and well designed, but it would be great to see both this under-utilised property put to good use and to find a home for these important community and racing facilities in the city.”

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The land is next to Firth Park Picture Mike Batterham

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The plan was developed by the Gold Coast Harness Racing Club and Gold Coast Show, both of which were booted out of Parklands five years ago to make way for the Commonwealth Games athletes’ village.

The Mudgeeraba land is owned by Turner’s Engineering, which bought it last month for $1.2 million.

Company boss Peter Turner said he had no immediate plans for the site beyond tidying it up.

He said investigations into the showgrounds proposal had begun while it was under contract with its former owners, Nifsan Group.

“We have had the land for just seven weeks, not even two months,” he said.

“We have no future plans of any sort for it right now.”

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)

Gold Coast Harness Racing Club president Barry Grimsey said he had received positive feedback after the Bulletin revealed the plans yesterday.

But a who’s who of prominent political leaders say they don’t support it, including Mayor Tom Tate, LNP racing spokesman and Surfers Paradise MP John-Paul Langbroek and area councillor Glenn Tozer.

Cr Tate said he supported the city’s racing industry but did not back installing it at the controversial location.

“Advice from the local councillor is that the site has considerable flooding constraints that would not be overcome,” he said.

“It is best the site remains public recreational open space.”

John-Paul Langbroek MP. Picture: Jerad Williams

Mr Langbroek said the proposal was a “cruel hoax” and did not believe it would eventuate.

The long-serving MP said he believed there was little enthusiasm from Brisbane political leaders.

“It appears to be someone claiming to have come up with a magic answer for Racing Queensland,” he said.

“We have been minus trots down here for (half a) decade and the local councillor also has concerns about it.

“There would have to be close consideration with the council on this and it would be terrible to (give false hope) to the harness racing people.”

The harness racing club has long sought compensation for the loss of Parklands.

In the past five years it held some stand-alone meetings at Albion Park in Brisbane but this has since stopped.

In 2013, the State Government promised the harness racing club $10.2 million in compensation. It was never paid.

Cr Glenn Tozer. Photo: Jerad Williams

The club last year withdrew its bid for that compensation as talks for a new site began.

Cr Tozer, a supporter of the nearby Mudgeeraba Show and a member of its show society, said he was not philosophically opposed to gambling.

However, he said other locations were more appropriate such as an Alberton site which is currently zoned for harness racing.

“Bringing ‘the dogs and trots’ to a floodplain south of Mudgeeraba, adjacent our existing sporting fields, is not a good idea,” he said.

“I have already stated as much to representatives of the concept in February this year. Other locations in the city would be better.”