Brisbane Lions banking on Queensland government funding for AFLW boutique stadium
BRISBANE is banking on a $15 million chunk of Queensland State Government funding for a new boutique stadium for their women’s AFL team.
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BRISBANE are banking on a $15 million chunk of State Government funding for sport from today’s budget to be warehoused for a new boutique stadium for their women’s AFL team.
The Lions also made a pitch to Federal Sports minister Greg Hunt in Brisbane on Friday in the hope the Turnbull Government would match any contributions made by the Palaszczuk Government.
The Lions have commitments from Ipswich City Council for $10m and a peppercorn lease from the Springfield Land Corporation for the block of land to build a new training and administration base at Springfield.
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It is understood the AFL has also recently increased its funding commitment from $5m to $10m towards the Springfield proposal.
The recent resignation of Ipswich mayor Paul Pisasale amid health problems and a Crime and Corruption Commission probe is not expected to affect the agreement between the Lions, the AFL and the City Council.
However, Brisbane needs a State Government contribution to turn the training oval into an AFL standard playing venue for the women’s team with lights, a small grand stand and corporate hospitality area plus hills and terraces that could house 15,000.
Although there is no expectation of a direct budget allocation towards the Lions being announced today, the club is hopeful there is enough in the kitty for women’s sport for an election promise to be made for women’s AFL in the coming months.
The Lions could build a training base without the State Government’s contribution but are unlikely to proceed if they can’t house their women’s team there.
The AFL has been involved in lobbying the State Government on behalf of the Lions and CEO Gillon McLachlan met with sports minister Mick de Brenni last month.
The AFL is desperate to get a venue suitable for the successful AFLW competition and also pre-season JLT matches.
Brisbane’s long-term agreement with the Gabba restricts its access to its home ground until the first AFL premiership match of the season.
The Lions have taken home pre-season games to regional Queensland and Burpengary in recent years and the women’s side played their home-and-away fixtures at Brendale.
If Brisbane can secure State funding of $15m and get the Federal Government to match it, they would have more than $50 million to spend on a sporting and cultural precinct in Springfield.
Lions CEO Greg Swann said his meeting with minister Greg Hunt, an AFL fan from the Mornington Peninsular, was a positive one.
“We’ve put a proposal to them and it was well received,’’ he said.
Originally published as Brisbane Lions banking on Queensland government funding for AFLW boutique stadium
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