Queensland Harness Racing: First look at giant new Gold Coast facility
The Gold Coast will become the home of the state’s harness racing headquarters with a new multimillion-dollar state-of-the-art facility to be built at an unexpected location.
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The Gold Coast will become the home of Queensland harness racing headquarters with a new multimillion-dollar state-of-the-art facility to be built.
In a move hailed as the sector’s biggest in 50 years, the Queensland Government has spent more than $8 million on a 72ha greenfield site at Norwell to build the racing complex.
The construction, opposite the old Holden Performance Centre on the corner of Norwell and Fischers roads, is scheduled to be completed by 2025. The first races will be staged in early 2026 - and industry consultation will begin in coming weeks.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the racing precinct would deliver significant financial benefits for the region.
“This world-class harness racing facility is expected to host more than 200 meetings a year and will include training and stabling facilities currently unavailable in Queensland,” she said, adding harness racing pumped $185 million into the state economy annual.
It also supports 1300 jobs.
“It also contributes to the magnificent Gold Coast tourism economy.”
It will replace the existing harness racing facility at Brisbane’s Albion Park and the original Gold Coast Harness Racing complex at Parklands. The latter was demolished nine years ago for the 2018 Commonwealth Games athlete’s village at Parklands.
The new Queensland Harness Centre is the first major project announced for the Norwell precinct in decades, with many area residents hoping to sell their rural properties for redevelopment amid the decline of farming in the area.
The new Gold Coast complex, to be officially announced on Saturday, will have racing and training facilities and is being described as “world-class”.
Racing Minister Grace Grace said the site was chosen after a Racing Queensland-commissioned independent report found the northern Gold Coast was the most suitable.
It found one third of the state’s harness racing participates were based there, she said.
“The Queensland Harness Centre will have easy access to the M1 and future Coomera Connector,” Ms Grace said.
“Racing Queensland will work to ensure this is a state-of-the-art facility designed with animal welfare as its highest priority.
“The new homes for Queensland harness racing at Norwell and greyhound racing at Purga pave the way for the Albion Park site to become part of a key precinct for the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
It has been welcomed by the Breeders, Owners, Trainers, Reinspersons Association and Albion Park Harness Racing Club Chairman Brad Steele.
Racing Queensland Chairman Steve Wilson AM said the new complex was an opportunity to revitalise the sport with new participants.
“We will get one opportunity to do this right and that includes optimising SEQ’s subtropical climate for both participants and patrons,” he said.
“As a purpose-built harness racing facility, the code will boast unprecedented opportunity to use the venue for training and racing purposes.
“Metropolitan programming is heavily reliant on Albion Park availability, with the construction of the Queensland Harness Centre ensuring greater emphasis can be placed on maximising wagering performance and returns to participants.”
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Originally published as Queensland Harness Racing: First look at giant new Gold Coast facility
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