Gold Coast council approves deal for new Titans headquarters at Carrara
Council’s unanimous approval of the Titans’ training hub creates an unprecedented sporting precinct linking the NRL team with grassroots community facilities at Carrara.
The Titans will develop their own High Performance Training Centre in a deal with the Gold Coast City Council which also delivers much-needed new public sporting facilities.
City officers had recommended approval the Gold Coast NRL team’s new headquarters at Carrara at Lakeside Drive.
The vote by councillors was unanimous at a full council meeting on Tuesday.
The public sporting facilities will include a full adult and junior sized fields for shared use between the Titans and local clubs.
The fields will be open from 7am to 10pm with the indoor facilities, including a netball court, starting an hour earlier in the morning.
Deputy Mayor Mark Hammel said the project began with CEO Tim Baker pushing to expand high performance centres across the City.
He said one of the key areas was supporting both the Titans and the Suns, the city’s national sporting teams.
“We look forward to seeing the blue and yellow on the building soon, this being a great addition to the high performance sporting sector on the Gold Coast,” he said.
Councillor Bob La Castra said it was important for the City to support its national team.
“The Titans have led a very good community process. I’ve actually attended community addresses to locals in the area, they have been very upfront with everybody and prepared to answer any questions,” he said.
“What I’ve seen has been very positive, and very appreciative that the Titans have been so upfront. This will be a great facility.”
Officers said the project would be delivered as an integrated facility and an infrastructure agreement would be entered into to detail the City’s financial contribution.
“It is anticipated the public sporting facilities will be delivered within the 2026-27 financial year,” officers said.
The development application received only six objections with concerns raised about lighting and flooding on the Carrara-Merrimac flood plain.
Supporters of the project said it would be an asset to the Emerald Lakes sporting precinct.
The Carrara Stadium, home to the Gold Coast Suns, is immediately west and north at Royal Pines will be the Olympic athletes village.
The High Performance Training Centre building, to be used exclusively by the NRL team, includes a gym, recovery areas, locker rooms, exclusive player dining facilities and offices.
A small cafe will be available to both the players and public.
City officers found the project, in raising the height of playing fields, would result in a net loss of flood storage.
But the development would not create “actionable damage impacts on surrounding areas”.
The Titans had to find a new home training centre after their current base at Parkwood needed to be redeveloped for a wave pool.
In September last year, council flagged that the Coast would be rebranded as a hub geared for high performance sport, with city leaders working to sell the Glitter Strip as a place for athletes and teams to train, work and play.
The rebranding was kicked off by tender documents for the high performance centre.
Proponents were asked to create a vision which included co-location options for other sports bodies, codes or organisations, support for grass root talent pathways and include the health and education sectors. The City nominated the Titans as the best tender.
Mayor Tom Tate at the launch of the tenders said sport had become “serious business” for the city.
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Originally published as Gold Coast council approves deal for new Titans headquarters at Carrara
