New facilities at Springfield - update: Federal funding under review

Remove this Banner Ad

Status
Not open for further replies.
Sep 24, 2009
8,345
4,151
Right here
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
Other Teams
Australian International Sides
So FP, do you reckon part of the problem is that the club were never wholeheartedly committed to the Linen House move?
Because if that's the case then that undercuts my argument a little bit. If we are genuinely committed to moving the club to the Ipswich region then hopefully we'd deal with it better than the Saints.


Absolutely Tom, the gripes from players and administrators on how far it was to drive was deafening....If I can find the article on players being critical of it, I will post it.... Peak hour bumper to bumper on 2 lane Mornington Penisula Freeway.. great way to start training...Established players had purchased houses in surrounding suburbs of Moorabbin training base ...

Even though Moorabbin was in the back blocks, had a bit of a carnival feel about it..Made no sense to get rid of it. My mates like many other Saint supporters would make the pilgrimage to watch the boys train...Like many others they'd put their order in at the local fish & chips to pick up on the way home and six pack from the bottle shop next door for the traveller on the walk down & back Linton St or eat at the Club reastaurant...Mates have dropped right off..Sad.. hardly any interest...Most Saints supporters said at the time it's too far to Seaford/ Frankston and the most given reason..Why would you aggrevate yourself in peak hour to watch the lads train?..
 
Last edited:
I can think of no coherent reason to put the facility at Springfield other than the ex-chairman had a personal interest in it going through. And I live in the western suburbs. You have a whole lot of young guys who need to attend uni training, probably don't want to live in the Ipswich area, why make it even more unattractive to come here.

Surely a redevelopment of Coorparoo would have to be looked at.

I think we all need to give up on this ever happening. There are several issues with Coorparoo. The first is while the school is there there just isn't any room to build facilities of the size and scale needed. I'm aware there was talk of it closing or becoming a second BSHS campus but I see them as unlikely to happen for a number of reasons. The second is that the site is under a number of waterway classifications that would render it extremely difficult to get council permission to build on and also cost a massive amount to engineer and develop in order to comply with the minimum height restrictions. If there is any change in facilities location down the track I would safely think that Coorparoo will never be one of them.
 

winged1

Norm Smith Medallist
Aug 30, 2013
5,281
6,529
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
I think we all need to give up on this ever happening. There are several issues with Coorparoo. The first is while the school is there there just isn't any room to build facilities of the size and scale needed. I'm aware there was talk of it closing or becoming a second BSHS campus but I see them as unlikely to happen for a number of reasons. The second is that the site is under a number of waterway classifications that would render it extremely difficult to get council permission to build on and also cost a massive amount to engineer and develop in order to comply with the minimum height restrictions. If there is any change in facilities location down the track I would safely think that Coorparoo will never be one of them.
No site is going to be ideal as a redevelopment. Given the waterway restrictions, wouldn't an oval/gym/ indoor training facility be fairly ideal since they would be easier to clean out than say a school. And school schmool, what's more important edumacation or footy?
 

Log in to remove this ad.

No site is going to be ideal as a redevelopment. Given the waterway restrictions, wouldn't an oval/gym/ indoor training facility be fairly ideal since they would be easier to clean out than say a school. And school schmool, what's more important edumacation or footy?

You're talking about offices etc as well. Whether its easier to clean doesn't really come into it the fact is that its going to be extremely difficult to get approval and any design will have to have severe compromises in order to meet the regulations. Existing buildings can remain, getting approval for new ones is the hard part. Also I think that some of the people who call for coorparoo to be an option haven't necessarily been there and see how little space there is to work with. I'm not saying thats yourself but there simply isn't a lot of space to put in place the sort of facilities that we need to be competitive medium to long term.
 

winged1

Norm Smith Medallist
Aug 30, 2013
5,281
6,529
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
You're talking about offices etc as well. Whether its easier to clean doesn't really come into it the fact is that its going to be extremely difficult to get approval and any design will have to have severe compromises in order to meet the regulations. Existing buildings can remain, getting approval for new ones is the hard part. Also I think that some of the people who call for coorparoo to be an option haven't necessarily been there and see how little space there is to work with. I'm not saying thats yourself but there simply isn't a lot of space to put in place the sort of facilities that we need to be competitive medium to long term.
The offices you can put up the top of the building, just like you can get approval to build a house as long as "habitable" areas are above the flood level. So while a bit of a stuff around - doable. That is what architects are for. That and driving saabs.

My concern would be moving it out of an area relatively central to the city and a long way from the gabba. Burpengary not the answer, Springfield not the answer, another possibility would be Yeronga, certainly has a bit more space, still floods but would tick a lot of boxes.
 
May 3, 2005
96,313
106,197
Brisbane
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
Other Teams
Scuderia Ferrari, Dallas Cowboys
Coorparoo is unworkable. Any development application you put in on a place with that many question marks would be tied up in approval red tape for half a decade before eventually getting knocked on the head altogether.

And that's not even factoring in the commercial and practical challenges of it all. Can we move on from even entertaining Giffin Park as an option? It's folly.
 
Last edited:

Tassie4ever

Premiership Player
Dec 7, 2007
3,317
2,412
Brisbane
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
Other Teams
Hawthorn
Trust me when I say the BCC will NEVER allow Coorparoo to be developed as speculated. Never.

The reasons why have all been identified above.

If it was as easy as some say, it would have been done. It ain't.

Last point- it is very tiresome to continue reading innuendo about the commercial interests of individual committee members influencing the intent to relocate to Springfield. Why not just come right out and call those identified fraudsters.

As I understand it, the whole Springfield idea encompasses two administrations and hence different participants. Anyway, call me naive, but I prefer to start from the standpoint that Committee members take up their non-paying role with the best interests of our Club at heart.

Very last point- to limit any new location to suit current players' travelling preferences is ridiculous. If last weekend's effort [sic] is anything to go on, by the time any new facility is built most of them will be long gone.
 
Last edited:
The offices you can put up the top of the building, just like you can get approval to build a house as long as "habitable" areas are above the flood level.

Why don't we just build our training facility in the clouds then??

101097_1228881734957_400_300.jpg
 
May 3, 2005
96,313
106,197
Brisbane
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
Other Teams
Scuderia Ferrari, Dallas Cowboys
Last point- it is very tiresome to continue reading innuendo about the commercial interests of individual committee members influencing the intent to relocate to Springfield. Why not just come right out and call those identified fraudsters.

Not sure how goading people into making libelous statements is helpful.

It's not something I am totally caught up in (and I find Archie Butterfly's rantings a bit embarrassing) but I can see how quite a few people have concerns over conflict of interest.

You say that the Springfield project spans multiple administrations which is technically correct, but the people with perceived links to Springfield also span multiple administrations. You can't really blame people for the raising of their eyebrows at the seamless the transition of the Chairmanship directly from Johnson to the Chairman of the Springfield Land Corporation. Especially the way the AFL's machinations seemed to be heavily at play in such a process.

You're a big fan of the Lions staking a claim in the western corridor and I respect that, but I don't think people with concerns over some of the backroom politics and players behind the scenes deserve to put on the same page at moon landing conspiracy theorists.

Let's just say you owned shares in a company that was currently seeking tenders from a range of construction firms on a major development project. Suddenly the chairman steps down and is replaced by a new chairman (who is not a current director) who is also chairman of the construction company that coincidentally won the tender. Would you not consider voting for a motion that the tender process be independently audited?

The project has been plagued by delays and strategic missteps, and with the accompanying lack of transparency and communication by the club, it's only natural that people are going to be asking questions. Frankly, considering the track record of the club in recent times, I'd be much more concerned if people weren't asking questions. Those in charge haven't come close to earning blind trust.
 
Last edited:
Who is going to give us a site at Coorparoo? As I understand it, the Crown owns all the land. Some will be administered by Ed Qld. A helpful state government might give us some of that land (as they did for the Broncos and the Ithaca TAFE campus).

But that is assuming:

1. That they decide to close the site down as an education facility altogether (which will be an incredibly unpopular decision - as evidenced by the public response to the recent restructure proposal).
2. That they decide not to realise the value of the land through a sale, which would maximise the financial returns for a broke government.
3. That they decide that the best use of the land (if they don't sell it) is as a community/sporting facility.
4. That they decide that the Lions are the most appropriate recipient of the benefit of that land ("Oh, and can we throw in some pokies while we're there?")
5. That they decide to give it to us at a price we can afford (a pepppercorn may be too steep for us, given our financial situation)
6. That we can come up with alternative funding sources to build the type of facilities we need to keep pace with the rest of the comp ("Come on Bob - surely Springfield is still willing to fund us! What about you, Mayor Pisasale?")
7. That the site and the relevant development approvals allows for future expansion and growth.
8. That the Council (which I believe holds Giffin Park on a deed of grant in trust) is prepared to allow us to continue to lease the football oval under revised conditions (potentially with development thrown in).
9. That the Deed of Grant actually allows for this type of development to occur (or alternatively, that the State Govt is prepared to amend the Deed).
10. That the site won't be uninsurable due to its flood propensity.

Other than the above, I see no reason why Coorparoo is not the prime option for us! ;)
 
It's been awhile since I cruised the streets of Bris Vegas and alternated between the Cacko and Paddo pubs whilst staying at my late Granny's. What are they doing with Corbett Park these days?

Didn't that get sold off for a housing development?
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

Tassie4ever

Premiership Player
Dec 7, 2007
3,317
2,412
Brisbane
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
Other Teams
Hawthorn
Not sure how goading people into making libelous statements is helpful.

It's not something I am totally caught up in (and I find Archie Butterfly's rantings a bit embarrassing) but I can see how quite a few people have concerns over conflict of interest.

You say that the Springfield project spans multiple administrations which is technically correct, but the people with perceived links to Springfield also span multiple administrations. You can't really blame people for the raising of their eyebrows at the seamless the transition of the Chairmanship directly from Johnson to the Chairman of the Springfield Land Corporation. Especially the way the AFL's machinations seemed to be heavily at play in such a process.

You're a big fan of the Lions staking a claim in the western corridor and I respect that, but I don't think people with concerns over some of the backroom politics and players behind the scenes deserve to put on the same page at moon landing conspiracy theorists.

The project has been plagued by delays and strategic missteps, and with the accompanying lack of transparency and communication by the club, it's only natural that people are going to be asking questions. Frankly, considering the track record of the club in recent times, I'd be much more concerned if people weren't asking questions. Those in charge haven't come close to earning blind trust.


It isn't me "goading" anyone into saying some of this stuff. As you know, it has been going on for months on this board. Quite honestly, from an admittedly non-legal viewpoint I would have thought that some posts already would have gone very close to being actionable.

I am aware that not all Board members exited/ entered at the last changeover, but you would have to admit that different eyes would have looked at the Springfield concept with a different perspective at least.

FWIW, I am not a great fan of the Springfield idea- it would be almost as easy for me to get to Coorparoo. I just think we need to move forward as a Club. Coorparoo is holding us back.

I would admit, however, that I would be dead against any move to Burpen-f***ing-Gary.
 
Who is going to give us a site at Coorparoo? As I understand it, the Crown owns all the land. Some will be administered by Ed Qld. A helpful state government might give us some of that land (as they did for the Broncos and the Ithaca TAFE campus).

But that is assuming:

1. That they decide to close the site down as an education facility altogether (which will be an incredibly unpopular decision - as evidenced by the public response to the recent restructure proposal).
2. That they decide not to realise the value of the land through a sale, which would maximise the financial returns for a broke government.
3. That they decide that the best use of the land (if they don't sell it) is as a community/sporting facility.
4. That they decide that the Lions are the most appropriate recipient of the benefit of that land ("Oh, and can we throw in some pokies while we're there?")
5. That they decide to give it to us at a price we can afford (a pepppercorn may be too steep for us, given our financial situation)
6. That we can come up with alternative funding sources to build the type of facilities we need to keep pace with the rest of the comp ("Come on Bob - surely Springfield is still willing to fund us! What about you, Mayor Pisasale?")
7. That the site and the relevant development approvals allows for future expansion and growth.
8. That the Council (which I believe holds Giffin Park on a deed of grant in trust) is prepared to allow us to continue to lease the football oval under revised conditions (potentially with development thrown in).
9. That the Deed of Grant actually allows for this type of development to occur (or alternatively, that the State Govt is prepared to amend the Deed).
10. That the site won't be uninsurable due to its flood propensity.

Other than the above, I see no reason why Coorparoo is not the prime option for us! ;)

You've convinced me, Coorparoo it is!! :thumbsu:
 
I am aware that not all Board members exited/ entered at the last changeover, but you would have to admit that different eyes would have looked at the Springfield concept with a different perspective at least.
Only Lethal & Sharpless are new to the board, and Sharpless was hardly independent from the original process, while Lethal's focus is on the footy. Reportedly Bob has no interest in expanding the board either. Why the closed shop?
 

patfullfankezz

Puhuhuhuhu!
Jul 28, 2011
9,808
7,519
Brisbane!
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
Other Teams
Brisbane Heat, Wigan Athletic
Coorparoo is unworkable. Any development application you put in on a place with that many question marks would be tied up in approval red tape for half a decade before eventually getting knocked on the head altogether.

And that's not even factoring in the commercial and practical challenges of it all. Can we move on from even entertaining Giffin Park as an option? It's folly.

One day I WILL be a millionare and I WILL redevelop the place, so I will entertain it all I like.

The place has so much charm that it would be a sin not to improve it as a community centre at least.
 
May 3, 2005
96,313
106,197
Brisbane
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
Other Teams
Scuderia Ferrari, Dallas Cowboys
One day I WILL be a millionare and I WILL redevelop the place, so I will entertain it all I like.

The place has so much charm that it would be a sin not to improve it as a community centre at least.

Charm? It backs onto a smelly creek channel on one side and an industrial estate on the other.
 
If you want a local ground with charm, look no further than Yeronga.
Nothing beats O'Callaghan Park. Stinky creek - check. Industrial estate - check. Houso neighbours - check.

It should be the home of Qld footy.
 
I drove past Murarrie Recreation Reserve the other day and it again struck me that it would be a good site. There's not much there except for some partially-maintained soccer fields and a small skate bowl. I haven't seen it on weekends, but it seems very underutilised. More than enough space for two ovals and other facilities, close to train, main roads/freeways and where the players currently live. I wonder why it wasn't considered seriously.
 
May 3, 2005
96,313
106,197
Brisbane
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
Other Teams
Scuderia Ferrari, Dallas Cowboys
I drove past Murarrie Recreation Reserve the other day and it again struck me that it would be a good site .

Yep, it's fricken huge. Always wondered why that wasn't considered.
 
Yeah I went past it when the said they were looking and threw it up as an option. Guess bcc weren't keen on giving it up perhaps? Never see anyone using it and has the size and location that's for sure. Can't imagine the facilities for the public would be worse if we moved there
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Remove this Banner Ad

Back