Redland City Council has taken a significant step toward delivering a long-awaited indoor sports complex that could serve as a legacy venue for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. At a recent meeting, councillors backed the progression of feasibility and master planning for three potential sites, though the exact locations remain confidential. The move reflects both rising community demand and pressing facility shortages, while also sparking debate over cost, timing, and long-term viability.
A Growing Need for Facilities
The Council’s Action Plan revealed a stark shortfall in indoor sports infrastructure across Redlands Coast. At present, the region is lacking between 15 and 18 indoor courts, a gap projected to widen to 19 by 2041. This equates to around 2,600 additional weekly participation opportunities that cannot currently be met.
Population growth is central to the pressure. By 2031, residents aged 65 and over are expected to account for 26 percent of the local population, up from 20 percent today. Children will make up about 15.3 percent. This demographic shift is creating a dual demand: youth-oriented facilities for high-participation sports such as basketball and futsal, and inclusive programs for older residents, such as yoga, pilates, pickleball, and low-impact group fitness.
Basketball and futsal have been flagged as particularly under-resourced. Both sports have grown in popularity across Queensland, and Redlands’ shortages have resulted in teams competing for limited training and game slots, often forcing families to travel outside the region.
Council Divisions on Funding
Despite broad support for the initiative, financial concerns remain at the forefront of council discussions. Division 10 Councillor Paul Bishop voted against the motion, stressing the importance of establishing clear funding models before advancing site selection.
“There is no doubt that our community wants and deserves such a facility, and I share that aspiration,” Cr Bishop said. “But before we talk about where it should go, we need to be crystal clear about how it can be delivered and funded. We have to ensure the project is financially viable before moving too far down that path.”
In contrast, Division 2 Councillor Peter Mitchell argued that pausing planning would leave Council “flying blind,” ultimately delaying access to potential funding and partnerships. Division 5 Councillor Shane Rendalls noted the urgency, pointing out that with Brisbane 2032 less than seven years away, detailed plans could help attract state and federal investment.
Division 9 Councillor Jason Colley emphasized the depth of local support: “There are many things our community demands of us, and what I have certainly heard loud and clear is that they do want us to pursue this facility, so I do think it is a responsible thing for us to be investing our ratepayers’ money into.”
Olympic Legacy Potential
The proposed venue is not just a local amenity—it could become a cornerstone of Brisbane 2032’s legacy infrastructure. As host city preparations expand across southeast Queensland, councils are under pressure to ensure that Olympic investments deliver lasting benefits.
Sport Australia and the International Olympic Committee both emphasize the value of “legacy venues,” which continue to serve communities long after the Games. For Redlands, a multipurpose complex with at least six courts, preferably eight, would place the city in a stronger position to host training camps, regional tournaments, and community events.
The scale of this potential has prompted optimism. Beyond elite sport, the venue could stimulate local business, hospitality, and tourism, while giving residents of all ages access to modern facilities.
Interim Measures to Ease Pressure
Acknowledging that a new complex will take years to deliver, the Action Plan outlines short-term strategies to expand participation opportunities. These include:
- Negotiating with state schools to unlock more community use of existing facilities through extended hire agreements.
- Exploring partial upgrades such as covering one of three identified outdoor court facilities to allow all-weather play.
- Engaging the State Government for targeted investment to enhance school-based sports infrastructure that can be shared with the wider community.
These measures are intended to relieve bottlenecks while Council progresses feasibility studies and secures funding for the larger project.
Community Expectations and Regional Growth
Redlands Coast is undergoing sustained residential development, and with growth comes heightened demand for recreational opportunities. Parents have voiced frustration over limited junior basketball and futsal programs, while older residents have called for more inclusive indoor fitness options to maintain health and social engagement.
Sporting associations across southeast Queensland have long warned of an infrastructure gap. The Queensland Basketball Association, for instance, has projected double-digit growth in participation by 2035, with facilities in suburban and regional areas already struggling to cope. Without intervention, local players risk being locked out of pathways to higher competition.
Balancing Opportunity with Risk
The Council’s cautious optimism reflects a broader challenge faced by local governments preparing for Brisbane 2032: balancing ambition with fiscal responsibility. While opportunities for federal and state funding exist, councils must also weigh the long-term costs of building, maintaining, and staffing large sporting complexes.
Independent consultants estimate that similar six-to-eight-court venues elsewhere in Queensland have cost between $40 million and $60 million, depending on land value and design specifications. Maintenance and operating costs typically add several million dollars annually, necessitating strong management and programming to ensure financial sustainability.
Councillor Bishop’s caution echoes lessons from past Games, where some host cities struggled with underused facilities. Advocates in Redlands argue that demand levels here are high enough to prevent such outcomes, but financial modeling will remain critical.
What Happens Next
The next phase involves detailed feasibility assessments of the three confidential sites, examining land availability, transport links, environmental impacts, and community access. Council planners will also model costs under different construction and funding scenarios.
Engagement with state and federal agencies is expected to ramp up, with Brisbane 2032 legacy funding streams being a central focus. Community consultation is also likely, as residents will want clarity on location, design, and affordability.
Should funding align, construction could begin later this decade, with an eye toward completion before or shortly after the Games.
A Defining Decision for Redlands
For Redland City Council, the decision to move forward marks the beginning of a defining project. If successful, the indoor sports complex could become one of the region’s most significant community assets in decades, transforming participation opportunities and securing a tangible Olympic legacy.
If funding hurdles prove too high, the debate may fuel wider questions about how Brisbane 2032’s benefits are distributed across southeast Queensland.
For now, the message from Council is clear: Redlands cannot afford to stand still. With demand outpacing supply and the Olympic deadline approaching, the groundwork for a major new venue is finally being laid.
