Carrara Sports Precinct to boast new stadium and future hotels along with pedestrian bridges

The Gold Coast’s sports base at Carrara is to become a “world class sporting precinct” with future upgrades to include a new outdoor stadium, a potential hotel and pedestrian bridges. Take a sneak peek at what’s planned.

The Gold Coast’s sports base at Carrara is to become a “world class sporting precinct” with future upgrades to include a new outdoor stadium, a potential hotel and pedestrian bridges.

A 20-year masterplan, including stunning graphics, was ticked off by City councillors at a closed session of the lifestyle committee at the Evandale Chambers on Thursday.

The 20-year plan will upgrade the major work in the lead-up before the 2018 Commonwealth Games and put the City in a strategic position to host more sports at the 2032 Olympics.

Exclusive graphics and a report on Carrara obtained by the Bulletin show:

* Additional indoor and outdoor courts along with playing fields.

* More high performance training, administration and health facilities.

* Opportunities for accommodation on the site including hotels by the lake.

* Improved transport with pedestrian bridges crossing the Nerang River and Nerang-Broadbeach Road.

* A new outdoor stadium on the second field next to the main stadium.

* Removal of the old basketball stadium to make way for new facilities.

New designs as part of a master plan for the Gold Coast Sports Precinct at Carrara.

Mayor Tom Tate described the opportunities for growth at the Precinct as “very exciting” as it positioned the City for the future Olympics. A submission by council to an Olympic venue review says it can save organisers $5 billion by providing sites here rather than in Brisbane.

“We already have a fantastic anchor tenant in the Gold Coast Suns and the versatility of the venue for indoor sports like volleyball and basketball and major concerts, as we have seen with Queen, Harry Styles, McCartney, Pink, Pearl Jam it is a great asset for the city,” he said.

“Unlike a lot of the major venues in Brisbane, Carrara does not have the same land capacity constraints so we can look at a second high quality outdoor oval on the precinct for AFLW, VFL and men’s and women’s cricket.

“Clearly we need to address the traffic and transport issues to and from the site and an overhead bridge would support better ingress and egress options for pedestrians and public transport.

Pedestrian bridges are part of the new designs in a master plan for the Gold Coast Sports Precinct at Carrara.

“Whilst the Nerang Station is a comfortable walk for some, we need to get the east west electric buses happening to connect light rail at Broadbeach to the heavy rail and our western population centres, via Carrara Sports Precinct.”

Mr Tate said he had early discussions with the Government about transport upgrades.

The Mayor had also alerted the Olympics 100 Day Review Authority about the upgrades as part of Council’s recent submission.

Lifestyle committee chair Glenn Tozer, who presented the plans to his committee, said talks would continue with the State Government which owned land in the precinct.

He said Carrara would provide a sporting space for everyone, “whether you’re a

weekend warrior, a rising star, elite athlete, or just love being part of the action”.

Mayor Tom Tate with Brisbane Bullets star Casey Prather at the Carrara indoor stadium. Picture: Glenn Hampson.

“The Concept Master Plan has been shaped through consultation with key users and stakeholders to balance the needs of community sports and high-performance athletes,” he said.

“We are soon to commence the next crucial step – broader community consultation. We want to hear from local clubs, families and everyday users to ensure the precinct reflects what matters most to you.

“Next, we’ll develop a detailed business case with staged plans to bring this vision to life. We’re committed to working closely with the State Government, which manages the People First Stadium, to make sure the precinct grows with the city’s needs.”

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Originally published as Carrara Sports Precinct to boast new stadium and future hotels along with pedestrian bridges