RACING TO THE FUTURE
New $25m plan to save the show and bring concerts, greyhounds and harness racing back to the Coast
RACING Queensland is investigating whether to transform 54 hectares of floodplain next to the M1 into the new home for greyhounds, harness racing, concerts and the Gold Coast Show.
All were booted out of Parklands five years ago to make way for the Commonwealth Games athletes village and are now lobbying the State Government to back a bold
$25 million plan at Mudgeeraba.
The project includes a show main ring, harness racing track, one-turn and straight greyhound tracks, race stables, pavilion building, dual grandstand and polocrosse fields.
The land, next to the council-owned sports complex Firth Park, is owned by Turner’s Engineering.
RACING Queensland is investigating whether to transform 54 hectares of floodplain next to the M1 into the new home for greyhounds, harness racing, concerts and the Gold Coast Show.
All were booted out of Parklands five years ago to make way for the Commonwealth Games athletes village and are lobbying the State Government to back a bold $25 million plan at Mudgeeraba.
The land, between the Gold Coast City Council’s Firth Park sports complex and the Pacific Motorway at Mudgeeraba, was bought from developer Nifsan Group last month for $1.2 million.
Its new owner, the Nerangbased Turner’s Engineering, has agreed for Racing Queensland and the State Government to investigate the site.
The proposal, developed in the past two years by the harness racing club in consultation with other displaced Parklands groups, would include:
● Show main ring.
● A harness racing track.
● One-turn and straight greyhound tracks.
● Race stables.
● Pavilion building.
● Dual grandstand.
● A sideshow alley.
● Polocrosse fields.
● A showground capable of hosting large-scale rock concerts such as the defunct Big Day Out, which was once an annual mainstay at Parklands.
Itemised accounts for the project show acquiring the land would cost $3m. The harness racing track ($2.46m), race day stables ($2.38 million), earthworks ($3 million), lighting ($2 million), grandstand ($4.5 million), greyhound tracks ($2 million), drainage ($1.5 million) and car park ($1.5 million) are other big-ticket items.
Harness racing will cough up $15.3 million, including the money for the land, and the greyhounds $9.1 million.
The Gold Coast Greyhound Club became defunct after the closure of Parklands but the Bulletin has been told a new one would be established.
If approved, the Mudgeeraba site could be transformed within 18 months.
The project’s backers recently met with Racing Queensland, Mayor Tom Tate and Racing Minister Stirling Hinchliffe in the hope of securing the necessary government and funding support.
Gold Coast Harness Racing Club president Barry Grimsey said the site presented many opportunities.
“Racing Queensland showed some interest and we will come back to them on the hydrological status of the site,’’ he said.
“They are keen to find a good location and this is a great site.
“It would create a lot of employment and opportunities and would bring life back to the industry.”
Racing Minister Mr Hinchliffe last night said: “I’ve met with the club and am aware of their proposal, which is now being considered by Racing Queensland.”
Cr Tate did not want to comment, but has previously expressed support for the revival of harness racing on the Coast.
The Mudgeeraba land is one of several sites that have been looked at as a possible site for a showground. Another is a site in the city’s far north on the corner of Zipfs and Alberton roads.
Its status as a floodplain is seen as a potential deterrent to its suitability as a home for the show. The cost of raising the land’s level is understood to be significant and a hydrological study of its suitability will be critical to the bid.
The harness racing club has long sought compensation for the loss of Parklands.
In the past five years, it held some stand-alone meetings at Albion Park in Brisbane but this has since stopped.
In 2013, the State Government promised the harness racing club $10.2 million in compensation. It was never paid.
The club last year withdrew its bid for that compensation as talks for a new site began.
However, not everyone is in favour of the Mudgeeraba proposal.
Hinterland councillor Glenn Tozer said he was worried about the impact it would have on the nearby Mudgeeraba Show and felt other locations were more suitable.
“The Turner family have long supported the Mudgeeraba Show Society and I am confident they would not want to do anything which would endanger the longterm future of the event, especially with 2018 being its 90th anniversary,” he said.
Mudgeeraba Show did not respond to requests for comment by the Bulletin.
Turner’s Engineering was founded by Mick Turner when he moved to the Gold Coast in 1954.
It is based in Nerang and remains a family business.
A Racing Queensland spokesman said no final decision had been made on the site.
“Racing Queensland sought expressions of interest for the provision of up to two sites for both greyhound and harness racing some time ago,” he said.
“We have had some sites identified and due diligence is continuing.
“No final decision has been made.”