GROUND BARRIER

$22.5 million down: Stadiums Queensland report shows why board had to go

STADIUMS Queensland’s annual report confirms the poor deal the Gold Coast is being served by an organisation bleeding money.

Despite taxpayers coughing up $57.511 million, SQ reported an operating loss of $22.543 million for FYE2018. A number of Brisbane venues lost patronage.

STADIUMS Queensland’s annual report confirms what a bum deal the Gold Coast has been served by an organisation bleeding money.

Despite being propped up by taxpayers to the tune of $57.511 million – more than half its total revenue last financial year – SQ reported an operating loss of $22.543 million for FYE2018.

SQ’s total FYE2018 revenue of $106.387 million included almost $9 million in membership fees, $24.177 million in

tenancy and hire fees (up from $18.99 million the previous year) and $10.7 million in catering royalties (up from $8.7 million).

The figures are revealed in SQ’s annual report, one of 75 documents controversially “dumped” by the State Gov- ernment on Friday night.

SQ hosted 4,353,779 patrons across its nine venues last financial year, up from 3,992,203 the previous year.

The figure was bolstered by increased attendance at two of the three venues involved in the planning and delivery of April’s Commonwealth Games – Carrara (Metricon) and Robina (Cbus Super) stadiums.

Patronage at Metricon Stadium more than doubled from 177,090 in 2016-17 to 438,199 while attendance at Cbus rose from 186,025 in FYE 2016-17 to 213,753 last financial year.

Patronage at SQ’s other Games venue, the Sleeman Sports Complex, fell from 719,482 to 668,983.

Concerts, comedy, acrobatic and sports events at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre accounted for more than 650,000 (up from 513,772 the previous year) of SQ’s more than 4 million total patrons.

Suncorp Stadium hosted 1.119 million patrons (up from almost 1.1 million in 2016/17) and 47 major events, including Jeff Horn’s Battle of Brisbane boxing title fight attended by more than 50,000 people.

Crowds at The Gabba, which hosted two sold-out concerts by Adele, were slightly up from 565,666 to 566,896 but attendance was down on the previous year at Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre (249,558), the Queensland Tennis Centre (223,807) and Townsville’s 1300SMILES Stadium (206,675).

Questions about SQ’s effectiveness prompted the government to appoint a taxpayerfunded taskforce to review its operations in April, with its report due later this year.

Less than three months later, on July 1, the government sensationally replaced the SQ board amid complaints it was price gouging clubs, including the Gold Coast Suns and Titans, with rents and levies.

Outgoing board chairwoman Sophie Devitt acknowledged “some challenges for the organisation following reports in the media regarding the hiring arrangements for SQ venues” in the annual report.

The Department of Tourism, Major Events, Small Business and the Commonwealth Games transferred $2.053 million in capital works (2017: $10.270 million) to SQ at its three GC2018 venues.

STADIUMS Queensland’s annual report 2017-2018 confirms what the Gold Coast has long known – our city, and our venues, deserve a better deal from the organisation tasked with overseeing their success.

One of 75 documents “dumped” by the State Government late on Friday – the eve of a long weekend during which most eyes were glued to two footy grand finals – the annual report shows why the board of Stadiums Queensland was rightly dismissed and replaced on July 1.

While SQ has spent the past two years focused on enhancements and events at Brisbane venues the Queensland Tennis Centre, the Gabba and Suncorp Stadium and delivery of the new North Queensland Stadium in Townsville and new Queensland State Netball Centre at the Queensland Sports and Athletics Centre, also in Brisbane, the Coast’s Cbus Super and Metricon Stadiums have been left to fend for themselves.

The prohibitive costs involved in using the Coast venues has seen promoters preference Suncorp Stadium, the athletics centre and the Gabba for major concerts and events by artists such as Adele, Paul McCartney, Ed Sheeran, AC/DC and later this year, Bon Jovi.

But had it not been for April’s Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, overall attendance at SQ venues would have dropped dramatically last financial year – and led to an even greater operating loss than the one SQ reported in 2017-18.

Despite a rise in total overall crowds at the nine venues SQ oversees and increased revenue from tenancy and hire fees, catering and government grants and contributions, SQ still managed an overall operating loss of $22.543 million.

While its annual report flags capital works and major upgrades as part of the “future direction” of Queensland Sports and Athletics Stadium, the Gabba and the Queensland Tennis Centre, there are no concrete plans cited for the “future direction” of Metricon or Cbus Super stadiums.

Instead, the outgoing board adds insult to injury by listing “deliver cricket-related asset enhancements in preparation for hosting cricket matches at the venue” as part of Metricon’s “future direction”.

Those enhancements have already been completed, jointly funded by council, the State Government and the Gold Coast Suns, who secured the upcoming T20 and Big Bash league cricket fixtures themselves despite a distinct lack of support from SQ.

Likewise, SQ’s “future direction” for Cbus Super Stadium offers nothing concrete, just a promise to “plan for capital expenditure to continue enhancing facilities”.

Outgoing board chair Sophie Devitt acknowledged “some challenges for the organisation following reports in the media regarding the hiring arrangements for SQ venues” in the annual report.

“At SQ we pride ourselves on being a streamlined and cost efficient organisation, working together with our hirers to review operations to achieve costs savings,” she says in the report.

While Stadiums Queensland’s new board for a new era is good news for the venues it oversees – and the two Coast stadiums in particular – chief executive Todd Harris needs to ensure the Coast gets the sort of service it deserves as the State’s major events capital.