Arena could host 17,000 people and bring lasting legacy
The Sunshine Coast could be in line to host more events at the 2032 Olympics and Paralympics, thanks to the expected delivery of an arena and convention centre in Maroochydore in time for the Games.
Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie on Wednesday confirmed that plans for a Sunshine Coast Indoor Sports Centre at Kawana had been scrapped in favour of partnering with Walker Corporation to build the new facility, which will include an athlete village for the Games, in the emerging CBD.
Speaking at a press conference alongside Sunshine Coast mayor Rosanna Natoli and local LNP state MPs Fiona Simpson, Kendall Morton and Brent Mickelberg, Mr Bleijie said the arena – which could potentially hold 17,000 people – would be an asset to the region for the 2032 Games and beyond.
“We have needed this on the Sunshine Coast for so long,” he said.
“Cairns has got a convention centre, Townsville has got a convention centre, the Gold Coast has got a convention centre, Brisbane has got a convention centre, and now the Sunshine Coast will have a convention centre arena sports cultural precinct before 2032.
“We are in the heart of the economic drive on the Sunshine Coast right here in the Maroochydore CBD.
“We’re going to partner with the Walker Corporation and deliver accommodation for 1400 athletes and officials in the Games mode for the Olympics and Paralympics.
“We’re going to need the workforce to increase. There’s going to be jobs and opportunities.”
Mr Bleijie said the decision to axe the indoor sports centre at Kawana was a positive move for the Coast.
“When this arena is built on the Sunshine Coast, it is an Olympic and Paralympic venue,” he said.
Cr Natoli said the arena plans would leave a lasting legacy for the Coast and give people “something to be excited about and look forward to”.
“When you think about an arts and convention and exhibition centre and arena, we’ve been talking about this for decades,” she said.
“To think that this will happen in the Maroochydore CBD in a short number of years is something that a lot of people will be really truly looking forward to and really being excited about.
Ms Simpson also hailed the plans.
“This is the biggest investment in the history of the Sunshine Coast, and we’re getting a better connection with our public transport, with an arts and convention centre, which we’ve never had before,” she said.
“Together, this is really going to be a game-changer on the Sunshine Coast.”
Mr Bleijie and Cr Natoli also spoke about the upgrades to the Sunshine Coast Stadium at Bokarina – including increasing the size of the stadium from 1046 to 10,680 permanent seats – and to the Sunshine Coast Mountain Bike Centre at Parklands.
“(The mayor) already has the shovel ready to turn the first sod,” Mr Bleijie said.
“I suspect on the Sunshine Coast outdoor stadium, what will happen now is the Games Independent Coordination Authority, my department (State Development, Infrastructure and Planning) and the council will get to work on the procurement. We’re going start these as soon as we can.
“The quicker we can get this stuff happening, the better. I know the council are keen, ready to rock and roll.
He said the exact plan for the arena had yet to be determined.
“It’ll be designed and constructed in a way that has multiple uses. It could be an arena, it can then be turned into a convention centre, it can be chopped in half – the design focus will be that we can get maximum benefit for the Coast,” he said.
“If it’s a 17,000-seat arena and you need all the capacity, it’s going to only be able to host one event at a time. However, if there’s smaller events, they can design in a way that we have maximum benefit for the arena, spectators, smaller sports, basketball, the Olympic and Paralympic Games and then the legacy options after that.”
Mr Bleijie said it was unclear how the arena might be tenanted in the long-term, but there was a possibility of attracting a national sporting team.
