Ipswich City Council is asking for the community to have their say on the potential North Ipswich Reserve Sports and Entertainment Precinct.
Council has launched a survey as part of the community consultation process on Shape Your Ipswich with responses due by 1 March.
Community engagement and support of the North Ipswich Reserve Sports and Entertainment Precinct through the survey on Shape Your Ipswich is important to demonstrate to the Queensland Government the importance of supporting the redevelopment of this key inner city asset.
General Manager of Community, Cultural and Economic Development Ben Pole said this forms part of the business case for the North Ipswich Reserve, which is looking at options including upgrades to meet national sporting competition requirements, and a potential staged approach to a boutique stadium development.
“North Ipswich Reserve Sports and Entertainment Precinct would provide a vital piece of community infrastructure and a focal point for the sporting community, provide ongoing opportunity to attract and secure high profile events, and would stimulate investment that would promote economic growth, employment opportunities and secure critical transport infrastructure for the region,” he said.
Mr Pole said the business case broadened its scope from the North Ipswich Stadium to the North Ipswich Reserve Sports and Entertainment Precinct to acknowledge that a stadium is most successful when surrounded by a range of complimentary functions.
This broadened scope provides avenues to explore additional value for the community, and improved economic development opportunities.
“A precinct approach allows for the consideration of private and public sector investment,” he said.
The business case follows a previously prepared feasibility and project definition report, which prompted council to in-principle commit $10 million to the redevelopment subject to equal contributions from both the Queensland Government and Federal Government, plus other conditions.
Council has been investigating the upgrade since 2000. The current business case considers minimum requirements to strengthen the bids for Ipswich-based football and rugby league teams to enter into the respective A-League and NRL national competitions and provides the opportunity to attract high profile music events to the region.
The North Ipswich Reserve Sports and Entertainment Precinct and the Brisbane Lions’ facility currently under construction at Springfield Central aligns with planning of major venues for a potential SEQ 2032 Olympic Games bid.
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It would be great if council upgraded some of the existing sports complexes (especially current soccer grounds and their facilities) before talking about spending millions of dollars of ratepayers money on major facilities that may or may not happen. Jim Donald Park’s facilities is such a ground in question. The toilet block is a disgrace and where is the female change room that other councils and or/sports grounds have incorporated. Having a major facility as mentioned would be great and hopefully attract major sponsors to proposed teams, but lets upgrade what we have at the moment. The toilet block at Jim Donald is not only a disgrace but since council stopped the cleaning of it, the health hazard has increased. I know from first hand, as I have occasionally cleaned it after marking the field for soccer games. The longer it takes to upgrade this place the worse it will become.
More than happy to discuss.
If you read this regularly you would be aware that it appears all the great new infrastructure goes to SPRINGFIELD..The rest of Ipswich does not matter, so don’t hold your breath waiting for clean new toilets in Ipswich…unless you move to SPRINGFIELD !!!!!
It doesn’t need to be one or the other.
The council needs to focus on upgrading footpaths so ordinary folk and people with disabilities can move around our community instead of putting their energy into elitist facilities for a few. Some streets like York Street are impossible requiring walkers to walk on the street.
I think that council needs to upgrade the infrastructure and put in a new bridge before imposing on the people of North Ipswich even more traffic problems along with the increased noise levels that already exist thanks to the existing sports clubs in the area. Don’t waste our hard earned money in an area that does not need it and can not handle it.
Looking forward to seeing this unfold and become reality. This will give a massive shot in the arm to the Ipswich CBD.
Match days will bring crowds to the Top of Town and Nicholas St precincts. With that brings opportunity for further development.
Build it and they will come.
Parking??…..it’s a huge struggle when we have home games at Norths just down the road so scratching my head as to what is in plan for this.
If riverlink parking is to be utilised, probably a good idea, if able, to continue a lower boardwalk (like the other side of river) under town bridge then up to the oval/existing reserve car park.
Just a thought. Would like to hear other ideas.
Okay firstly Ipswich will not have a successful national team in any of the big codes of sport (NRL, AFL, A-League, Super Rugby). We need to stop pushing for these as they will be complete failures, just take a look at the Gold Coast, a much bigger population and much more attractive atmosphere and lifestyle for players, fans and supporters yet they have failed with NRL teams over the years (Seagulls, Chargers and now Titans) and without the financial help from the AFL the Suns would also be in serious trouble.
What Ipswich should focus on is building a multi-purpose stadium (oval shaped) to attract showcase matches or events like:
NRL (men & women’s leagues)
1. Country round
2. Indigenous games or rounds
3. Games that doesn’t attract big crowds to Suncorp
AFL (men & women’s leagues)
1. Country rounds
2. The proposed state of origin games
3. Games that doesn’t attract big crowds to the GABBA
A-League (men’s & women’s leagues)
1. Hold regular rounds in Ipswich
Cricket (men’s & women’s)
1. Sheffield Shield games
2. T20 friendlies for mens
3. T20 rounds for women’s comp
4. Domestic one day games
5. International touring warm up matches
Super Rugby
1. QLD Reds match/es
Concerts
1. Local and international artist performing locally
Events
1. Motocross events and Nitro Circus
2. Monster Jam Monster Trucks
Having a stadium that host the above events would be more successful than having one team in one national competition.
A stadium capacity of 10,000 to 15,000 would easily host the above events. The stadium should cater for everyone’s needs with on-site parking that’s easy accessible for the elderly and disabled and direct access to public transport with accessibility from all directions.
With the planned site if North Ipswich Reserve this would mean a new train platform/station directly across the river from the stadium with foot bridges to give easy access to and from events.
Bus station on King Edward Parade which is easy access to Brisbane and Limestone streets.
Can’t just fund a stadium would also need funding to cover the upgrade of surrounding facilities, roads, new foot bridges train and bus stations.
Is it worth it?? Not for one domestic sporting team in a national competition but definitely for the possible ongoing events listed above.
Huge concern is the traffic, this area already has congestion issues and I am sure this would only make this situation worse. I am all for the complex but first look at the global picture and the roll on effects so the community at large is not affected. A look at alternate routes in and out of town and upgrade of current facilities might be the preferred option prior to this construction.