Gold Coast Development: Plans for $25m Gold Coast Showground at Mudgeeraba for harness racing, greyhounds and concerts
PLANS for an incredible $25m Gold Coast showgrounds have been unveiled for a site which will be transformed to create a new home for the Gold Coast Show, harness racing, greyhound racing and a concert venue to host music festivals.
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RACING Queensland is investigating whether to transform 54 hectares of floodplain next to the M1 into the new home for greyhounds, harness racing, concerts and the Gold Coast Show.
All were booted out of Parklands five years ago to make way for the Commonwealth Games athletes village and are lobbying the State Government to back a bold $25 million plan at Mudgeeraba.
GOLD COAST SHOW RETURNS TO OWEN PARK FOR 2018
The land, between the Gold Coast City Council’s Firth Park sports complex and the Pacific Motorway at Mudgeeraba, was bought from developer Nifsan Group last month for $1.2 million.
Its new owner, the Nerang-based Turner’s Engineering, has agreed for Racing Queensland and the State Government to investigate the site.
The proposal, developed in the past two years by the harness racing club in consultation with other displaced Parklands groups, would include:
* Show main ring.
* A harness racing track.
* One-turn and straight greyhound tracks.
* Race stables.
* Pavilion building.
* Dual grandstand.
* A sideshow alley.
* Polocrosse fields.
* A showground capable of hosting large-scale rock concerts such as the defunct Big Day Out, which was once an annual mainstay at Parklands.
HARNESS RACING CLUB DEMANDS COMPENSATION
Itemised accounts for the project show acquiring the land would cost $3m. The harness racing track ($2.46m), race day stables ($2.38 million), earthworks ($3 million), lighting ($2 million), grandstand ($4.5 million), greyhound tracks ($2 million), drainage ($1.5 million) and car park ($1.5 million) are other big-ticket items.
Harness racing will cough up $15.3 million, including the money for the land, and the greyhounds $9.1 million.
The Gold Coast Greyhound Club became defunct after the closure of Parklands but the Gold Coast Bulletin has been told a new one would be established.
If approved, the Mudgeeraba site could be transformed within 18 months.
The project’s backers recently met with Racing Queensland, Mayor Tom Tate and Racing Minister Stirling Hinchliffe in the hope of securing the necessary government and funding support.
Harness racing club president Barry Grimsey said the site presented many opportunities.
“Racing Queensland showed some interest and we will come back to them on the hydrological status of the site,’’ he said.
“They are keen to find a good location and this is a great site.
“It would create a lot of employment and opportunities and would bring life back to the industry.”
Racing Minister Stirling Hinchliffe last night said: “I’ve met with the club and am aware of their proposal, which is now being considered by Racing Queensland.”
Cr Tate did not want to comment, but has previously expressed support for the revival of harness racing on the Coast.
The Mudgeeraba land is one of several sites that have been looked at as a possible site for a showground. Another is a site in the city’s far north on the corner of Zipfs and Alberton roads.
Its status as a floodplain is seen as a potential deterrent to its suitability as a home for the show.
The cost of raising the land’s level is understood to be significant and a hydrological study of its suitability will be critical to the bid.
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.
The club last year withdrew its bid for that compensation as talks for a new site began.
However, not everyone is in favour of the Mudgeeraba proposal.
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Hinterland councillor Glenn Tozer said he was worried about the impact it would have on the nearby Mudgeeraba Show and felt other locations were more suitable.
“The Turner family have long supported the Mudgeeraba Show Society and I am confident they would not want to do anything which would endanger the long-term future of the event, especially with 2018 being its 90th anniversary,” he said.
Mudgeeraba Show did not respond to requests for comment by The Bulletin.
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Turner’s Engineering was founded by Mick Turner when he moved to the Gold Coast in 1954.
It is based in Nerang and remains a family business.
A Racing Queensland spokesman said no final decision had been made on a site.
“Racing Queensland sought expressions of interest for the provision of up to two sites for both greyhound and harness racing some time ago,” he said.
“We have had some sites identified and due diligence is continuing.
“No final decision has been made.”
WHAT WE THINK OF SHOWGROUND PLAN
Leanne Kellett — Gold Coast Show Society president
“The show society is actively looking for another home for the show.
There have been lots of spots suggested but of course you need funds from the local and state government.
Since we moved to our new location at the Gold Coast Turf Club it has not worked the way we would have hoped.
Our funds are depleted and it is not working there.
Both the local and state governments supported us financially with one-off financial contributions to put the show together this year.
While it is not a long-term situation, we are hoping they will help us find a new location and a new home.
It is not just for us but for all the other groups which were displaced when Parklands closed.
It would be good for the Gold Coast and it seems crazy that we are Australia’s sixth-largest city and yet we do not have a showground.”
Barry Grimsey — Gold Coast Harness Racing Club president
“It has been the biggest forward in some time.
The Government says the Gold Coast needs more sporting facilities and there is $84 million left over from the Commonwealth Games so they could use some of that to help make this a reality.
Racing Queensland tell us they want us to have on-call stables and this would mean having international players on the table as well as help us service locals who do not have any themselves.
It would create a lot of opportunities and (the Mudgeeraba land) is a great site.
It already has sporting facilities there and is ideally situated.
This would allow us the chance to finally go forward and it will bring the industry back to life here, while also creating jobs for young people.
Let’s get it up and running.”
WHY THE LONG FACE
1901: The Southport Show first held at Woodroffe Park near what is now the Broadwater.
1920: The show relocates to Owen Park.
1970s: The Gold Coast Harness Racing Club buys site at Queen St. It was valued at $5 million.
1986: The show is determined to have outgrown Owen Park and the search begins for a new site.
1988: The final show held at Owen Park. The State Government acquired the harness club’s site and resumed it to create the new Southport State School site.
1989: The first Gold Coast Show is held at Parklands.
1990: The harness racing club relocates to Parklands and are given a 40-year lease.
2003: The Beattie Government reviewed the future of the Parklands site, leaving the option open to redevelop it in the future.
2008: Bid announced for the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
2011: Gold Coast wins rights to host 2018 Games.
2013: Final show and races held at Parklands. The harness racing club demands compensation from the Newman Government.
2014: Parklands demolished to make way for Commonwealth Games athletes village. First Gold Coast Show held at the Gold Coast Turf Club.
2017: Last Gold Coast Show held at the turf club. Following a decline in attendance numbers, it is revealed the Show was in financial trouble.
2018: A scaled-back Gold Coast Show will be held at Southport’s Broadwater Parklands as bid for new showgrounds at Mudgeeraba made.
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