News PeopleFirst (Bank) Stadium and Precinct

[Matchu]

Yes let's go back to flood cover ups, health care pay debacles and massive debt

As opposed to job cuts, selling off public assets and building new casinos? They said they were going to rebuild the Queensland economy. I'm no economist but I would have thought cutting jobs and raising the unemployment rate would have an adverse effect on the economy. Yes, Queensland is in debt but surely there is a less damaging way to pay off that debt than building three new casinos and selling off public assets. Think about the long term effects those decisions are going to have on Queenslanders.

Neither party is perfect but a landslide victory is never a good outcome for anyone.

 

[shaqsuns]

I read in the bully today there is a push to extend the light rail on the gold before 2018? Is that fact Matchu and if so should the light rail have a route to nerang?


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[Corkie]

I read in the bully today there is a push to extend the light rail on the gold before 2018? Is that fact Matchu and if so should the light rail have a route to nerang?


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Saw a bit on the news about it aswell, but they seem to be talking more about extending it from the current "end of the line" in Parkwood, and continuing it up to Helensvale train station. So you would be able to catch a train/tram combination from Brissy direct to the GC. Nothing about a new line heading west or past Metricon unfortunately from what I saw.

 

[Matchu]

I read in the bully today there is a push to extend the light rail on the gold before 2018? Is that fact Matchu and if so should the light rail have a route to nerang?

Corkie's right. At this stage the plan is to extend it to Helensvale/Parkwood. However, if the idea is purely to connect the light rail to the train line then it shouldn't matter if you connect it to Helensvale, Parkwood or Nerang. Something tells me the owners of a large shopping centre up that way are trying to get involved.

You'd think they would make the Metricon route a priority considering the Commonwealth Games is less than four years away.

 

[holybishop]

Please see the light QLD, get rid of this Current government

You're not from Qld so you're not best equipped to say that. It's like people over east calling for Barnett's head a few months back because all they heard was 'shark cull' and 'buswell' but the reality is he is still popular over here and would win if an election was held today. Of course everything I hear about Newman suggests he's crap beyond belief, but living in WA they'd only cherry pick the newsworthy stories for me to hear which is almost always negative.

 

[nutstar]

You're not from Qld so you're not best equipped to say that. It's like people over east calling for Barnett's head a few months back because all they heard was 'shark cull' and 'buswell' but the reality is he is still popular over here and would win if an election was held today. Of course everything I hear about Newman suggests he's crap beyond belief, but living in WA they'd only cherry pick the newsworthy stories for me to hear which is almost always negative.

Fair call, the media we see here is SA only shows the Negative to the Newman government, that and there are more important things for QLD'ers to consider than what's going to happen around the metricon stadium precinct.

 

[Iva Bigun]

As opposed to job cuts, selling off public assets and building new casinos? They said they were going to rebuild the Queensland economy. I'm no economist but I would have thought cutting jobs and raising the unemployment rate would have an adverse effect on the economy. Yes, Queensland is in debt but surely there is a less damaging way to pay off that debt than building three new casinos and selling off public assets. Think about the long term effects those decisions are going to have on Queenslanders.

Neither party is perfect but a landslide victory is never a good outcome for anyone.

I agree about the landslide not being an ideal, balance is always the best outcome but as discussed before you and I have different views on politics so I have to argue a couple of other points

• job cut, selling public assets and casinos would not be required if Labor could manage a budget, the $80 BILLION debt (mindblowing) is labors legacy not the liberals. Why are you not waving your fist at the them for the mess they have made?
• "Less damaging ways to pay of the debt" you ask, heres one. Don't elect the incompetent labor party to put us in the situation in the first place.The $4 BILLION in annual interest we are paying on Captain Blighs debt has crippled this governments ability to do anything else but make hard and unpopular decisions.

The reason I have to argue the comments is that your post acts like the liberals are heartless and want to have mass sackings etc, I liken the logic to a home owner screaming at the SES about the way they cleaned up after a Cyclone. Is it the SES's fault for trying to help or the cyclones for destroying the place?

 

[Matchu]

I agree about the landslide not being an ideal, balance is always the best outcome but as discussed before you and I have different views on politics so I have to argue a couple of other points

• job cut, selling public assets and casinos would not be required if Labor could manage a budget, the $80 BILLION debt (mindblowing) is labors legacy not the liberals. Why are you not waving your fist at the them for the mess they have made?
• "Less damaging ways to pay of the debt" you ask, heres one. Don't elect the incompetent labor party to put us in the situation in the first place.The $4 BILLION in annual interest we are paying on Captain Blighs debt has crippled this governments ability to do anything else but make hard and unpopular decisions.

The reason I have to argue the comments is that your post acts like the liberals are heartless and want to have mass sackings etc, I liken the logic to a home owner screaming at the SES about the way they cleaned up after a Cyclone. Is it the SES's fault for trying to help or the cyclones for destroying the place?

Of course I don't like the debt but there are better ways to erase it than the strategy they have outlined. I can't really think of anything significant that has happened while the current party has been in but to blame that solely on debt is a bit of a cop out. I want to see progression, not quick fixes that will hurt us in the long run. Let's put a debt strategy in place that isn't going to have damaging effects on future generations. We've been virtually stagnant for the last three years which is frustrating as a Queenslander. Also, it's hard not to see the hypocrisy in the debt strategy when the party pushes for a 42% pay increase for themselves and gets awarded a 22% increase last month.

Just on future light rail extensions, it's worth mentioning that the Gold Coast Suns chairman (John Witheriff) is also the chairman for the light rail project. We know how much Ron Clarke helped in making GCFC a reality so perhaps Witheriff will have some pull in where the extension will go.

 

[Iva Bigun]

Of course I don't like the debt but there are better ways to erase it than the strategy they have outlined. I can't really think of anything significant that has happened while the current party has been in but to blame that solely on debt is a bit of a cop out. I want to see progression, not quick fixes that will hurt us in the long run. Let's put a debt strategy in place that isn't going to have damaging effects on future generations. We've been virtually stagnant for the last three years which is frustrating as a Queenslander. Also, it's hard not to see the hypocrisy in the debt strategy when the party pushes for a 42% pay increase for themselves and gets awarded a 22% increase last month.

Just on future light rail extensions, it's worth mentioning that the Gold Coast Suns chairman (John Witheriff) is also the chairman for the light rail project. We know how much Ron Clarke helped in making GCFC a reality so perhaps Witheriff will have some pull in where the extension will go.

I agree that the states issue are not ALL debt related and I too wish to see progression in our great state

But what is this less damaging, future focussed solution you are looking for??????, labor certainly didn't provide it in there 10+ years and we were $80 Billion better of then.

I am equally disgusted at the pay increases the politicians have received, but I haven't seen the labor party handing theirs back either. The leader of the opposition received a 80K pay rise for managing a team smaller than your average business, both sides have there snouts in the slop so no winners there.

None of this however scratches the surface of the debt that has been allowed to bankrupt the state and that lays squarely at the feet of the labor party. I know this is an over simplified way of looking at it but if the debt wasn't there the state would have BILLIONS to invest, in jobs and infrastructure.

I know we wont agree on all points but perhaps we can both agree that neither party is without fault.

 

[Matchu]

I agree that the states issue are not ALL debt related and I too wish to see progression in our great state

But what is this less damaging, future focussed solution you are looking for??????, labor certainly didn't provide it in there 10+ years and we were $80 Billion better of then.

I am equally disgusted at the pay increases the politicians have received, but I haven't seen the labor party handing theirs back either. The leader of the opposition received a 80K pay rise for managing a team smaller than your average business, both sides have there snouts in the slop so no winners there.

None of this however scratches the surface of the debt that has been allowed to bankrupt the state and that lays squarely at the feet of the labor party. I know this is an over simplified way of looking at it but if the debt wasn't there the state would have BILLIONS to invest, in jobs and infrastructure.

I know we wont agree on all points but perhaps we can both agree that neither party is without fault.

Definitely agree that neither party is perfect. We can talk about previous governments and their mistakes until the cows come home but we can't change what has occurred in the past. We should be looking at the present and what both parties are doing right now. As residents of Queensland, we have the right to criticise our current government and should always look at other options if we don't have faith. I'm not sure how you approach an election but I make sure I read through all the policies before I go to the booths.

 

[TARGETMAN]

hi
be born here on the coast and lived my whole life here i have seen the changes in the coast. the economy turns to shit, building trades die in the ass. Then out of nowhere the place is rocking again. I saw the seagulls leagues club build 3 international fields, became the wealthiest club in nsw, and in the late eighties they couldn't give the joint away. 2 nrl teams both failed.

brissy bears come here, they revamp a concert stadium/ surfers paradise race track carpark. then they fail and leave for sunny pastures.
every redevelopment is good for us tradies, but they keep leaving off the club house for the stadiums future.

picture this, sitting over looking the Nerang river in an air conditioned bar watching kids fishing the banks, boats towing wakeboards, housos skulling their tallies....back on topic. but if the build a club house for the stadium on the northern side of the ground (where that sokka stuff is) right on the river. it has a walk way to the train station following the river most of the way. a ferry terminal from surfers, and some real cold carlton draught skooners.and a foot bridge across the river to ross st. under the club house is 1000 or carparks.

they will be creating a northern stadium on the ground which I believe will kill the best part of the ground. its one of the last standing areas in the afl stadiums....

 

[Matchu]

Parking a first for Titans fans

LUCY ARDERN EXCLUSIVE GOLD COAST BULLETIN MAY 06, 2014 12:01AM

A DEAL is in play to secure 700 car parks at Cbus Super Stadium for Titans fans on game days, in an effort to turn around disappointing attendance numbers.

Titans CEO Graham Annesley told the Bulletin yesterday that negotiations were under way with Robina Town Centre to obtain the use of vacant land around the shopping centre for car parking.

Would parking on-site entice you to go to a Titans home game? Let us know in the comments secton below.

Mr Annesley said he hoped the deal could be done soon, so that the car parks would be operating in the second half of the football season and the team would see the associated benefits in attendance in 2014.

“The negotiations are very productive and we are hopeful that something can be done in the second half of the football season,” he said.

Mr Annesley said plans needed to be put in place to manage traffic flow before the car parks could be opened — or there would be new problems to contend with.

“It might not happen until the 2015 season,” he said.

Mr Annesley said the public transport system on the Gold Coast was not catering to enough football fans right now and introducing car parks near the ground was a necessary step.

“We see this as an interim solution,” he said.

“The city is built around vehicle transport right now.”

Mr Annesley said while there was a train station right outside the stadium, most Gold Coasters did not live on the rail line and were forced to rely on cars.

Attendance numbers have been an ongoing problem for the Titans in the past few years and while the team has attracted strong support for high-profile games, like the match-up with the Rabbitohs on Saturday, they have struggled to attract more than 15,000 people to other contests.

In March the lowest home crowd ever was recorded when the Titans and Cowboys played off against each other in front of just 9482 fans.

Efforts to come up with car parking solutions for Cbus Super Stadium ramped up last year when former Premier Rob Borbidge met with Mr Annesley to discuss the issue in his position as Commonwealth Games Legacy Committee chairman.

Yesterday Mr Borbidge said he was pleased with the progress so far and he intended to start up talks with the Gold Coast Suns to see if public car parking could be expanded for Metricon Stadium at Carrara as well.

The last paragraph in that article should be of interest to Suns fans. Do we think 700-1000 parking spots near Carrara would improve crowds drastically?

 

[Iva Bigun]

Parking a first for Titans fans


The last paragraph in that article should be of interest to Suns fans. Do we think 700-1000 parking spots near Carrara would improve crowds drastically?

I don't, if people don't come because they have to wait 10 mins for a bus then they were unlikely to come anyway.

 

[Matchu]

I don't, if people don't come because they have to wait 10 mins for a bus then they were unlikely to come anyway.

I'm inclined to agree. People will always find a reason not to go and the lack of parking is one that has been used many times over the last few years.

 

[PREETY_FLY]

I'm inclined to agree. People will always find a reason not to go and the lack of parking is one that has been used many times over the last few years.

How do go about getting access to a park across the road?

 

[SUNS]

$150 a year for Gold A members and above

 

[Iva Bigun]

$150 a year for Gold A members and above

Why does he get one

 

[PREETY_FLY]

Prob should be avaible
To any full season member for $150 and above

 

[Matchu]

Just under a week ago the Gold Coast Council approved a $200 million apartment development near Metricon Stadium (about 1.5kms away to be exact) to be known as Vantage Royal Pines. The project will include 6 buildings with 357 apartments and a Coles supermarket. Some of the land will be given up to improve the surrounding roads. Picture of the project:

 

[TARGETMAN]

thats the project across from LLoyds auctions,(i think it was the golf courses land) just past the big carrara round about going towards Nerang

 

[Corkie]

thats the project across from LLoyds auctions,(i think it was the golf courses land) just past the big carrara round about going towards Nerang

I thought this was on Ross St, opposite Royal Pines towards Ashmore Rd? Because I read in the Bully there was a quite a lot of opposition from local residents because of the added road congestion it will have on the Ashmore Rd/Ross St/Currumburra Rd roundabout which is already a death trap during peak hour.

 

[Matchu]

Corkie is right. The article says it is on the corner of Ross St and Ashmore Rd. They have agreed to give up some of the land to improve the roads so that obviously got it over the line. Interesting that the GC Bulletin didn't report on it being approved but they'll report when there is opposition from local residents and it hadn't gone through.

 

[Matchu]

Who wants to see something depressing when it comes to the Carrara precinct?

$63m 'heart' for Carrara sports hub
June 17, 2009

PRIVATE developers have proposed a $63 million sports and entertainment centre directly opposite Carrara Stadium.

Brisbane-based Bramley Properties has proposed a complex of almost 35,000sqm on a 21ha site which will comprise a Southport Sharks-style sports club, shops, restaurants, offices and a Ferry Road-style boutique food and produce market.

The proposal designed by the same architects who did the Southpork Sharks club complex will be lodged with the Gold Coast City Council today, and if approved could be built by 2011.

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While the obvious contender as an anchor tenant is the new GC17 AFL club, planner Michael Nash said the developers were talking to several possible sports bodies.

The project yesterday received the stamp of approval from Mayor Ron Clarke, who believed it could also add support to the Coast's 2018 Commonwealth Games bid.

``This is exciting news for the Gold Coast and illustrates perfectly the importance to a City such as ours, of an AFL licence,'' said Cr Clarke.

``Not only has the granting of this (AFL) license resulted in the $135million investment in a new stadium at Carrara by all levels of government federal, state and local it has, as a flow-on effect, provided the impetus for a government-backed bid for the 2018 Commonwealth Games (which could generate even more infrastructure for the City).

Mr Nash said the proposed centre would give a `heart, a core and a seven-day-a-week operation', to the Carrara sports precinct.

Private sector to boost to Carrara Stadium Redevelopment
June 17, 2009

Plans for the Gold Coast's most significant private infrastructure project in recent times have been launched at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre this morning. The Carrara Sports and Entertainment Precinct Development is a $63 million mixed use development on Nerang-Broadbeach road directly across from the Carrara Sports Complex.

It comprises a large licensed club, top-end mini-markets, restaurants, offices, fast food and undercroft parking for 960 large and small vehicles. The Shane Denman-designed plans will be submitted to Council for development approval today by Surfers Paradise-based Urban Planning Services on behalf of developers and landowners Bramley Properties Pty Ltd.

Construction will create 340 jobs, 220 will be created when the project is operational and completion is expected in early 2011 to coincide with the completion of the Carrara Stadium re-development.
According to Urban Planning Services principal, Michael Nash, the project "will give heart, a core and seven day a week operation" to the Carrara sports precinct.

Nash explained, "we've had discussions with representatives of the various Coast national sporting codes and several have expressed interest in the project and particularly the licensed club.
We've had very positive preliminary discussions with Council officers who are involved in the master planning of the area and those in the State Government involved in the Carrara Stadium upgrade and they are just waiting for us to lodge our plans, which we'll be doing today.

Connectivity is a major factor with road, rail and pedestrian integration ticking all the boxes.
It's low rise, there are no height, noise or other impact issues and it's a perfect use for the site," he said. Nash added that the remaining open space on the 212,000 metre site will play host to sporting fields for junior sport.

As the city grows, space for football ovals and the like is increasingly at a premium, so another community legacy of the project will be to provide centrally-located sports grounds. AFL is an obvious candidate with GC17 set to cause an explosion in Australian Rules interest at a junior level.

Queensland Tourism Minister and Member for Southport Peter Lawlor said in tough times it was great to see investors prepared to put $63million into the Carrara Sports and Entertainment Precinct. "This is a wonderful facility for sporting events and tourism as well as an important job creation project. "It will complement the Queensland Government's investment in the new Gold Coast AFL Stadium and is well placed to cater for overflow parking.

"The two facilities should complement each other well," he said. Gold Coast City area Councillor and Gold Coast Sports Business Taskforce Chair Bob La Castra said he's looking forward to Council's assessment of the application, stating "I believe this is the sort of project identified in the Guragunbah master plan for the Carrara Sports Precinct. It proposes a major investment in the precinct, and indeed our city, and I'll be very interested to follow the progress of the project."

Other features of the Carrara development include the installation of large outdoor community screens for the broadcast of major national and international sporting events, mini-metropolitan-style markets and office accommodation.

Pictures:

This was planned to be built while the stadium was being redeveloped but Council knocked it back. Features that would have helped footy fans a lot include a large licensed club that would have resembled the Southport Sharks (was going to be given to the Suns), restaurants/fast food outlets, undercroft parking for 960 vehicles and large outdoor screens that would show major national and international sports events.

I really wish Council had approved this back in 2009 because it would have been a huge addition to the overall footy experience on the Gold Coast. We can only hope someone else will eventually come along with similar plans for the area. I know Iva Bigun was a big advocate for a a licensed club run by the Suns over the road. Sucks to think we were so close to it becoming a reality.

 

[Matchu]

Big news if I'm reading this article correctly. The second paragraph appears to suggest Metricon will be upgraded permanently!

More than $156 million committed to 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games

MORE than $156 million has been committed to the 2018 Commonwealth Games but there’s no guarantee the money will be spent on the Gold Coast.

The one-off cash injection will be paid to the Newman Government to fund permanent infrastructure which is expected to include an expansion of Carrara’s Metricon Stadium and a new velodrome at the Sleeman Sports Complex at Chandler in Brisbane which will host the event’s cycling competition.

Brisbane’s existing velodrome will be demolished next year to make way for the new 250m track which is expected to cost at least $35 million and will open in 2016.

However, Federal Sports Minister Peter Dutton late last night told the Bulletin no decision had been made on where the funds would be spent.

“We will now work with the Queensland Government ... to determine exactly where it goes,” he said in a statement.

The Abbott Government’s commitment will be the only federal funds the Games will receive, with forward estimates indicating no further cash will be splashed on the $2.4 billion event.

The initial announcement was welcomed by the Australian Commonwealth Games Federation president.

Sam Coffa, who is on the Gold Coast 2018 Games board, said he was “delighted” to hear that the Coalition Government had delivered the money so early.

“We expected it before the Games, but not in this Budget,” he said.

“We certainly won’t complain. This is very good news.”

Mr Coffa said if the more- than $100 million federal grant given to the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games was calculated in today’s money, the contributions would be similar.

The early cash contribution will take some financial pressure off the Newman Government, which has been forced to stump up the cash for the Games infrastructure projects underway or due to start in the next 12 months.

The commitment will leave the balance of funding for the Games in the hands of the State Government and Gold Coast City Council, both of which are preparing austerity budgets of their own.

The council alone is expected to contribute more than $250 million over five years.

Budget papers last night showed $2.5 million would be spent over two years from July 1 to “support coordinated planning by key agencies in readiness for the operational phase of preparations for the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.”

The Budget papers said the cost would be absorbed by existing funds within the Department of Health, the Attorney-General’s Department and the Department of Immigration and Border Protection.

How these funds will be spent and whether they would be itemised was not clear.

The Budget papers stated the Government would also support the event by “provision of commitments in areas such as immigration, Customs, work permits, taxation, security, protection of commercial rights and communications and information technology.”

The announcement fulfils Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s pre-election promise to inject at least $150 million into the event.

The State Government last year committed $20.9 million to the 11-day Games.

The council is already footing a bill of $234 million, which includes more than $100 million of cash support and at least $110 million of in-kind support. The council was originally expected to pay just $36.9 million to the Games.

 

[Iva Bigun]

Who wants to see something depressing when it comes to the Carrara precinct?

$63m 'heart' for Carrara sports hub
June 17, 2009


Private sector to boost to Carrara Stadium Redevelopment
June 17, 2009


Pictures:

This was planned to be built while the stadium was being redeveloped but Council knocked it back. Features that would have helped footy fans a lot include a large licensed club that would have resembled the Southport Sharks (was going to be given to the Suns), restaurants/fast food outlets, undercroft parking for 960 vehicles and large outdoor screens that would show major national and international sports events.

I really wish Council had approved this back in 2009 because it would have been a huge addition to the overall footy experience on the Gold Coast. We can only hope someone else will eventually come along with similar plans for the area. I know Iva Bigun was a big advocate for a a licensed club run by the Suns over the road. Sucks to think we were so close to it becoming a reality.

I am depressed after reading want could (and should) of been, what a boon for the club this could of been. Lets hope someone else revisits this in the not to distant future