INVEST TO MODERNISE SPORT AND EVENT ACCESSIBILITY IN QUEENSLAND’S SPORTING HEARTLAND

A national-standard sport and entertainment precinct anchored around a boutique rectangular stadium will revolutionise access to sporting and entertainment content in Queensland’s sporting heartland. The North Ipswich Sport and Entertainment Precinct will be an economic and lifestyle asset for Ipswich’s future half a million residents and address an acute social infrastructure shortfall. This project will increase Ipswich’s ability to host 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games events and training.

North Ipswich Sport and Entertainment Precinct Factsheet (PDF, 459.0 KB)

COMMITMENT REQUIRED

$2.5 million is required to progress the North Ipswich Sport and Entertainment Precinct to shovel-ready status by further developing the preferred options in a Detailed Business Case.

Council believes a staged approach may deliver community outcomes in the short term.

About the North Ipswich Sport and Entertainment Precinct

Why is this project important?

Benefits to Ipswich:

  • Access to elite sport and entertainment experiences
  • Improved inbound investment and event spend
  • Vibrant and dynamic local economy
  • Facilitates night-time economy
  • Diversified employment opportunities.

Benefits to South East Queensland:

  • Diversified venues for events
  • Pathways for local event businesses
  • Support economic productivity
  • Provide venue for Olympic training
  • Support sports-related tourism
  • Leverage $250M investment in Ipswich Central
  • Support Ipswich as an Olympic host city.

If we do nothing:

  • Continued economic leakage as events are accessed elsewhere
  • Limited employment opportunities
  • Low brand recognition and civic pride
  • Continued lack of high quality community assets.

Success to date

Council delivered the Strategic Business Case for this project in 2019 with the support of the Queensland Government. In 2020, council solely delivered the Options Analysis for this project which identified two options for development, including a 12,000 capacity stadium and a 20,000 capacity stadium.

What's next

This project achieved the following milestones:

  • North Ipswich Open Space Masterplan (2018)
  • North Ipswich Stadium Feasibility and Project Definition Report (2019)
  • Strategic Business Case/Stage 1 Business Case (2019)
  • Options Analysis/Stage 2 Business Case (2020).

Current steps are:

  • Funding commitment secured from State and Federal Governments (in process).

Future milestones are:

  • Detailed Business Case
  • Funding secured for construction
  • Construction
  • Operation.