Bye bye Ballymore? Stadium taskforce recommends demolition

Ballymore’s stands should be demolished and Queensland’s spiritual home of rugby should become a training centre for club rugby, a 12-month review of the state's sports stadiums has found.

The report recommends Ballymore not be developed as major sports venue, that stands be removed from the former Commonwealth Games stadium at Nathan and notes a new western grandstand may be required at Suncorp Stadium in the next five to 10 years.

The Queensland stadiums taskforce wants the stadium's stands demolished to make way for a community facility.Credit: Darren England/AAP

It has also poured cold water on hopes for a new boutique stadium in Brisbane, which has long been touted as a requirement for events that would not justify the use of the 52,500-capacity Suncorp Stadium.

These findings, plus the decision to take commercial naming rights for the Gabba to the market in early 2019, are the major features of the Stadiums Taskforce Report, released on Wednesday.

The report found Ballymore should not be expanded because maintenance costs are running an annual loss of $1.5 million.

“The Ballymore venue is not ideal as a location for a major stadium facility as it does not meet contemporary standards for a major stadium facility,” the report finds.

“(It has) limited road access to the site, close proximity to the residential neighbourhood and no access to scheduled high-frequency and multi-modal public transport.

“The Ballymore venue is more aligned to being a training, club participation and administrative hub for rugby and compatible sports as opposed to being a location for a major stadium.”

It points out that while Queensland Rugby Union has lodged a development approval to build a 24,000-seat stadium, the venue was running at a loss.

“The Ballymore venue maintenance and operational costs are increasing and the asset is continuing to degrade with an annual net loss of $1.5 million,” it finds.

The taskforce recommended "that the current Ballymore grandstands be demolished and a community facility be constructed that caters to training and local community rugby union matches".

Queensland Rugby also has preliminary plans for a bridge connecting through to nearby Wilston Station, but does not have funding from either the state or federal governments for its redevelopment plans.

The report finds a new western stand would be needed at Suncorp Stadium, now rated as Queensland’s premier sports venue, within the next 10 years.

“Redevelopment of this stand would significantly modernise the venue and elevate the corporate and premium seating offerings to a new level comparable with new southern venues,” the report finds.

But football's hopes for a new boutique stadium in Brisbane found no ally in the report.

"There is no current need for additional stadiums, either major or boutique, in Brisbane because there is current capacity for additional content within the existing venues that are managed by Stadiums Queensland and other existing operators," the report finds.

Queensland Rugby said the Stadiums Queensland report recognised its view that Ballymore should become a national training centre and not a stadium.

“We are pleased that the report has acknowledged the issues around Ballymore and we look forward to talking to the state government about its future,” a Queensland Rugby spokesman said on Wednesday.

Queensland Rugby has previously proposed that Ballymore become a national rugby training centre and the headquarters for Australian women’s rugby, the Wallaroos.

In April 2018 it lodged plans which included removing the old McLean Stand and replacing it with a wing which included an elite training centre. It is seeking $15 million to redevelop the centre.

Expressions of interests for the naming rights to the Gabba will go out to the market early in 2019, Sports Minister Mick de Brenni confirmed on Wednesday morning.

The other major changes, discussed in the interim report released earlier in 2018, are improvements to public transport to the two Gold Coast venues, Metricon Stadium (oval) and Cbus Super Stadium (rectangular).

TransLink will take over the management of bus fleets to both stadiums in early 2019.

At Metricon Stadium agreement has been reached to lower the lease payments for the Gold Coast Suns AFL team, as the anchor tenant of the stadium, into the sinking fund for maintenance.

The report also notes that the Brisbane Entertainment Centre at Boondall is nearing the end of its life.

"The location of the Brisbane Entertainment Centre does not meet contemporary standards for a major entertainment facility, including limited access to scheduled high-frequency and multi-modal public transport," it finds.

The Queensland government and BEC managers AEG Ogden have also planned the 17,000 seat Brisbane Live complex at the redeveloped Roma Street Station, now part of the Cross River Rail development.

Cross River Rail was also identified as a catalyst for a much-needed upgrade to the Gabba.

The report has also recommended the radical downsize of the Queensland Sports and Athletics Centre, which hosted the 1982 Commonwealth Games.

The 48,000-capacity stadium at Nathan still has the aluminium stands that were installed as a temporary measure for the Games.

Since then, the venue has largely gathered dust.

"The number of major events that use all stands in the main stadium at the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre are reducing over time as a result of better options being available at Suncorp Stadium and the expanding of the Gabba for one-off major events," the report finds.

QSAC's empty stands.Credit: Harrison Saragossi

"The temporary aluminium grandstands at either end of the main stadium were built for the 1982 Commonwealth Games. The cost of maintaining these stands is inconsistent with the amount of use they receive for one-off major events."