Full report here
http://www.hpw.qld.gov.au/SiteCollectionDocuments/StadiumTaskforceReport.pdf
Ballymore section starts page 151.
Ballymore as a Major Events Venue
The Taskforce is aware of the venue’s history which includes obtaining Development Approval from Brisbane City Council for National Rugby Academy. The Development Approval includes scope to return the stadium asset to a functional major event venue.
Finding 11.17
The Queensland Rugby Union has a development approval to build a 24,000-seat stadium at Ballymore.
As a major event destination, the Ballymore site does not meet contemporary standards that the Taskforce has identified as preferred for major sports facility development in Queensland, as it is land locked, located in a residential neighbourhood and has limited potential for high frequency and multi-modal public transport. Further to those constraints, to bring the infrastructure on-site up to modern standards would require a significant capital investment that would not alleviate the underlying location issues the site contains. The Taskforce recommends the Ballymore site should remain as a Tier 3 stadium and not be considered a major stadium facility (eg. Tier 1 or 2 under the Queensland venue responsibility matrix), either now or into the future.
Finding 11.18
The Ballymore venue is not ideal as a location for a major stadium facility as it does not meet contemporary standards for a major stadium facility including, limited road access to the site, close proximity to the residential neighbourhood and no access to scheduled high frequency and multi-modal public transport. The Ballymore venue is more aligned to being a training, club participation and administrative hub for rugby and compatible sports as opposed to being a location for a major stadium.
Recommendation 11.6
The Queensland Government to continue talks with Queensland Rugby Union around the intended future scope of the Ballymore site, in-particular the scale of developments to help fund the development of a sport and community centre. Consideration should also be given to any limitations that result from the current conditions of the Deed of Grant in Trust (DOGIT).
QRU Ballymore Vision
The QRU has a contemporary vision for the future configuration of Ballymore, which is to redevelop the site into a National Rugby Training Centre with particular emphasis on Rugby 7s. The Taskforce considers this a more palatable and appropriate future use of the Ballymore site as it more aligns with being a training and local use facility in the longer term. It is a central location in Brisbane which is attractive to training camps, sport specific expertise, local and regional competition and administrative bases. However, there is still a significant potential cost associated with this vision for the site.
Finding 11.19
To help fund the Ballymore redevelopment, the Queensland Rugby Union has a preference to unlock some of the land value on the site through residential and commercial development sympathetic with the local area, while retaining a majority use of the precinct for sport and recreation.
To enable the proposed associated residential or commercial development on parts of the Ballymore site, the QRU would seek ability to utilise parts of the land parcel that are currently controlled through the DOGIT. To further minimise ongoing and capital costs for any future refurbishing of the site, the Taskforce recommends the QRU seek ways to minimise ongoing and redevelopment costs, such as demolishing ageing stands on site and containing the main oval to a community and training venue with capacity for small, community matches.
Recommendation 11.7
That the current Ballymore grandstands be demolished and a community facility be constructed that caters to training and local community rugby union matches.
