With a great line-up of talent on the Daily’s sports desk, Jon Tuxworth reckons he only gets a call-up when one of the star players is away – as is the case with his sporting exploits. Known affectionately as ‘Splinters’ at high school, his offering from the humble position on the bench is always worth a read. Recent entries
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Why we need a $20m sports stadium
| Jon Tuxworth
Dear Cr Lew Brennan,
It is apparent that our current council, which you are a part of, has never heard of the term “short-term pain for long-term gain”.
The Daily reported yesterday that at a general committee meeting, you queried the Coast’s need for a multi-purpose sports stadium.
You said building a “mega stadium” at Stockland Park, which will cost around $20 million, would be a questionable investment if the region could not attract regular events to be staged there.
Well, Mr Brennan, as a journo who covers local sport for a living, I can’t see that last piece of the puzzle being any problem.
Here’s some food for thought…
• The past two-and-a-half years I’ve been at this paper, the region has hosted two A-League pre-season games, both at Maroochydore Football Club. A third game between Wellington Phoenix and Queensland Roar will be held at Stockland Park on July 27.
• Two NRL pre-season matches have taken place at Stockland Park the past two years, with Manly playing Melbourne in what turned out to be a grand final preview in 2007, and the Sea Eagles-Warriors game earlier this year. Manly has indicated it would like to transfer a fully-fledged NRL fixture to Stockland Park late next year, but only (and this is a key issue here) if the stadium is built in time.
• The past couple of years, state cricket teams have warmed up for the big summer ahead by playing a pre-season tournament here at Maroochydore and Caloundra. There is strong talk of all state teams coming on board in the future to make it an annual pre-season event.
• AFL’s Western Bulldogs, currently flying high in third place on the ladder, have a strong relationship with the Caloundra region.
• New Zealand National Provincial Championship side Auckland will play a Queensland XI in a rugby union match at Stockland Park today. The Blues have also held pre-season training here in the past.
• Australian women’s football side the Matildas held a three-game series against New Zealand at Stockland Park earlier this year.
• The Queensland State of Origin team held pre-season camps here two years ago.
The Coast has still managed to attract these events, despite the fact we can’t offer a stadium with acceptable facilities – especially protection from the weather with undercover seating.
Imagine what events we would attract if a stadium was available for these sporting bodies to take advantage of?
I read with interest your quote: “We need to assess how many people will turn up to these events and if any sporting bodies will sign up to have a home at this venue, which at this stage none have”.
The Stingrays, Sea Eagles and Fire, who all represent the Coast in elite competitions have signed up ARE based there and deserve better than they have now.
Yours sincerely,
Jon Tuxworth (on behalf of the Sunshine Coast sporting community)
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Recent Comments
The new green local councillor was strongly opposed by at least one “Stockland Park Board member and former Caloundra councillor Don Smith.”
I also remember ‘Sunshine Coast rugby league chairman Ashley Robinson’ strongly getting behind one of her opponents in the March election.
Realising that the “Stockland Park board chairman Tony Long” has long been associated with the development industry you don’t need to be a genius to work out whats going on here.
I can just imagine the meeting behind closed door where the local (SCEC) Councillor says, “ I’m not sure I want a concrete Stadium. Maybe more trees.”
All the other Noosa Centric Councillors go, “Oh yeah I support that Councillor, if she doesn’t want that money spent there lets can the idea.”
I’m sure Deputy Mayor Dwyer would rather the money go to his old footy club in Caloundra.
Maybe they could build it next to that other big white elephant of an indoor Stadium in Caloundra that I think his father and Don Smith built.
Steve Dixon MP & his son won’t want any money spent at Kawana.
The man who protégéd Bob Abbott, Noel Playford described Kawana as the Parramatta end of the coast.
So much for the Manly Sea Eagles playing NRL matches here.
So much for Regional facilities.
So much for Bob Abbott pulling the Sunshine Coast together.
Well done Bob & the Sunshine Coast Environment Regional Council.
Maybe now you can raise my rates by an exorbitant amount.
P. Butterfield
most times the editorial in the SCD make sense.
Had to laugh today about the call for a sports stadium in Kawana
I don't know if Jon Tuxworth has driven along Nicklin Way recently - that's the only road that feeds people into the proposed area. There is no other way to get to the stadium.
So if you make a 20 or 30 thousand seater that means there'll be 15-20,000 cars heading towards the stadium if ever a major sports event gets put on there. Then 15-20,000 have to find a park and after the game head off home.
Wait for the railway - move the line so that it links up with the back of the stadium.
The rail line will eventually be close by as well.
The stadium we are talking about here is not a 20 or 30,000 seater. I believe it's around the 12,000 mark.
Is Kawana the right place for this stadium? Perhaps it should be placed somewhere where there are good road and and public transport links. Oh, of course...that rules out the entire Sunshine Coast doesn't it.
Better do your homework before asking the Ratepayers to cough up $20million footy fans.
I have lived and worked on the Sunshine Coast for 34 years and have since around 1992 waited for such a facility to be built on the Sunshine Coast. Back then a 2000 undercover seating grandstand would have been great.
Now we have the ability to put in not only a multi-venue sports complex but a facility that will encourage new types of business to the coast. Our existence is not going to be maintained by tourism and building alone because all too soon we will be a concrete jungle. As one of the elected councillors so aptly put it regarding development "We don't want to be like that!".
I thought that the aim was to develop infrastructure and facilities so that the people on the coast can enjoy their great environment.
Hopefully the residents of the Sunshine Coast get behind the Stockland Park development and let their concerns be known to those on the council. There is money from State and Federal Governments already promised , the previous three local councils endorsed the project and now the whole concept is threatened.
Any changes to the concept will result in the money being withdrawn and we will be left with nothing! I feel shattered that the decision of our previous local council can be so easily threatened. I hope that those councillors who expressed concerns about the project spend some time and have a good look at the concept and not be too proud to say "I was wrong - I was misinformed by certain members of the local community who had various barrows to push. Whats next?
Danny McGuire
We on the coast will continue to lose events dollars and talent to Brisbane and the Gold Coast without one.
Years of mismanaged/self serving decisions by past local government have created many of our infrastructure problems, this small minded line of thought looks like it will continue.