Legacy lost

Increasing Carrara’s capacity should be music to the ears of all residents and AFL fans

Yesterday the narrative around the Olympic review was about the Gold Coast being snubbed. The fact that our council’s submission to try and save $5bn from the 2032 Games budget was ignored had city leaders frustrated.

It had the mayor downright mad, declaring the state should throw it in the bin.

Some would suggest Premier Steven Miles did exactly that by going down a different route from the recommendations in the review from former Brisbane lord mayor Graham Quirk.

But that is a matter for our friends up the M1. Today the story on the Coast is more about opportunity. And while the opportunity to upgrade the AFL stadium at Carrara might not come about as a result of the Olympics in 2032, it is something that should be looked at long term. Gold Coast Suns captain Touk Miller weighed in on the stadium issue yesterday, throwing his support behind an eventual upgrade for the ground.

He said the idea of having “40,000 members and supporters come to a game” in the future would be a major boost for the Suns. “There is opportunity for that in the future for us,” he told the Bulletin.

Mr Tate flagged the idea of having Gold Coast council take over the stadium at Carrara, potentially carrying out an upgrade. Whether it is the state or council, surely this is something that should be looked at long term.

Yes council is looking at the concept of a boutique stadium elsewhere on the Gold Coast.

But growing support for the Suns as an AFL franchise and our booming population growth provide a compelling argument for funds to upgrade the stadium.

And that’s before you consider the big-name music acts that have played on the Gold Coast in the past two years at that ground.

Paul McCartney, Harry Styles, Pink and Pearl Jam to come later this year. These acts could have sold many more tickets if the stadium had the capacity.

Make no mistake, this facility is a legacy item of the Commonwealth Games and had it been considered for a prime role in the 2032 Olympics, it would have been a greater legacy item for the state. Such is the Gold Coast’s growing impact on South East Queensland.

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