The head of a community group advocating the arts is calling for Olympic infrastructure funding to be redirected towards an events centre on the Sunshine Coast.
Alison Barry-Jones, the chair of the Sunshine Coast Arts, Convention, Exhibition and Entertainment Association (ACE), has called on levels of government to essentially forget about building an indoor sports venue at Kawana and instead put money into a proposed multi-purpose facility that can host a variety of events.
The proposed Sunshine Coast Indoor Sports Centre is set to host basketball fixtures at the 2032 Olympic Games and provide the region with a first-class sports facility for years to come.
But its exact construction costs are unknown and a cloud hangs over its viability as it is being scrutinised in the state government’s Olympic infrastructure review.
Ms Barry-Jones said investment should instead be put towards an inner-city building that can cater for music events, theatre, sport and commercial enterprise.
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“An urgent review is required as to what underpins and drives a successful, well-rounded economy,” she said.
“We suggest a region brought together by showcasing arts, sport, convention, exhibitions and entertainment events will reinvigorate the community’s sense of well-being and be the economic driver we desperately need.
“These types of events inspire excellence and prevent the ‘talent drain’ of our young people moving elsewhere to further their careers, be they sporting, cultural or otherwise.
“Being equipped to host a wide variety of national and international events will embellish our citizens with a sense of pride and place, fulfilling the moral obligations of the Olympic Legacy Oath”.
Ms Barry-Jones said the venue would be an investment, rather than an expense.
“Conventions and exhibitions make a facility like this viable and are an important component within the overall design,” she said.
“They provide long-term financial, tourism and employment benefits and leave a legacy for our community.
“A basketball stadium at Kawana, while it can be used 10 per cent of the time, doesn’t provide economic opportunities for the region.
“The arts, convention, exhibition and entertainment centre will attract all-year-round patronage boosting our tourism, agriculture and business industry at all levels.”
The ACE stated there was no community consultation on the sports centre and that a multi-purpose venue would be an “iconic regional project” and a “functional wealth-creating community asset”.
“It will produce immediate and long-term employment for the residents across a vast range of industries and creative positive aspirations for our youth,” the group said via a media release.
“Three million dollars of government feasibility studies over 27 years recommend the importance of constructing this vital community infrastructure.”
The ACE said the region had a booming population that lacked an adequate arts and events venue.
“The Sunshine Coast region, from Noosa to Moreton Bay, has a population nudging up to one million and our capital city of Maroochydore has no enclosed plenary meeting facility for large community events,” it said.
“Sunshine Coast Council already owns land (that is slated) for a multi-purpose entertainment centre.
“The financial contribution from three tiers of government, including the Olympic legacy funding, could go towards construction expenses.
“Generous benefactors have already committed $10 million along with venture partners who will commit to constructing an international hotel.”
Ms Barry-Jones said philanthropists Roy Thompson and Rod Forester had openly pledged their commitment and “others will come on board once the project fires up”.
“Ken Down Architects have liaised with several interested parties for a much-needed international hotel they are most willing to construct, but this requires the drawcard of the convention and entertainment centre.”
An exhibition and convention centre has been in council planning for years, and it is set to be built in the Maroochydore city centre, which is rising from the ground.
Sunshine Coast News asked council several questions about the proposed venue but received a limited response and a link to the project page on council’s website.
“We will continue to keep the community informed as more details become available,” it said.
A detailed business case for the development was finalised by council in 2019 and provided to the state and federal governments with a view to securing a funding commitment to deliver the facility.
But no funding commitments have been made by either level of government.
“The development of this facility cannot proceed without funding commitments from both the state and federal governments,” council said via its project page.
The centre would be located within the growing 53-hectare city centre.
It’s expected to be “a flexible events venue, catering for national and international conventions, trade shows exhibitions and some forms of entertainment”.
Council proposed an amendment to the Maroochydore City Centre Priority Development Area Development Scheme last year, which included moving the planned venue to the north-west of the location it was initially planned to be built in, to be closer to a planned transit centre.
But there is now uncertainty surrounding the transit centre, after the state government revealed that a heavy rail line will not be built to Maroochydore by 2032.
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