REDLANDS Coast Sport and Recreation Precinct is poised to become “the future home of local touch football and rugby league clubs”.
That’s the message from Redland City Council following the recent release of its 2024-25 Budget.
Council has budgeted $7.62 million for preliminary works at the facility on Heinemann Rd, Mount Cotton.
The funding allocation follows Council’s endorsement last year of a revised master plan for the precinct.
That plan featured 13 touch football fields, three rugby league fields, two clubhouses and 800 car parks.
Council figures show upwards of 4000 touch football and rugby league club members are expected to regularly use the new facilities when operational.
A Redland City Council spokesperson specified the 2024–2025 Budget allocation is for the design and first year of construction of road improvements, which are external to the site and able to be completed while processes under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 continue for the sporting complex itself.
Works are expected to start in the 2024-25 financial year.
Other works at the precinct are dependent on the conclusion of the current EPBC (Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) process.
Together with this, a host of local sporting clubs and participants can look forward to significant upgrades to their facilities following the Budget.
The netball facilities at Pinklands Sporting Complex in Thornlands will be upgraded to the tune of $1.82 million. Redland’s Softball Park in Sheldon will be shining bright with $1 million allocated for new lighting, and the Cleveland Aquatic Centre has been afforded $110,000 for “a renewal program”.
Council has also put funding towards several sport and recreation facilities as part of the open space, parks and conservation program.
Council’s Annual Capital Works Program for the 2024-25 financial year is available on the Council website.
FAST FACTS:
What is the location and size of the precinct site?
The precinct site is located at 277-293 Heinemann Rd, Mount Cotton. In 2017, Council purchased two adjacent blocks of land together measuring 159 hectares, 70 per cent purchased to be retained as conservation land, with the remainder to be used to address the city’s shortfall in sport and recreation land.
The Revised Master Plan provides further environmental protections, with 80 per cent of the site to be retained as natural area.
Why was this site chosen?
A sports facilities plan for the southern region of Redlands Coast identified several potential sites. The Heinemann Rd site was considered most appropriate and purchased by Council in 2017 for this purpose.
Additionally, 70 per cent of the land purchased was secured by environmental levy funds for conservation purposes.
Why would Council develop land that is subject to flooding?
The site was purchased for sport and recreation as well as conservation purposes and is only partly subject to flooding. Master planning considered the existing site character and natural values and the concept design and detailed design built on these attributes, revealing a central watercourse that can be rehabilitated to support improved habitat and environmental values.
What about cycling and BMX?
Cycling and BMX facilities were included in the original Master Plan but cannot be accommodated within the smaller project footprint of the Revised Master Plan.
Council has reconfirmed its commitment to investigating alternative solutions.
What else is included in the Revised Master Plan?
Generously sized areas have been allocated for future delivery of recreation facilities such as play spaces, pump tracks, picnic areas and kickabout space.
Source: FAQs | Redlands Coast Regional Sport and Recreation Precinct.
