Page 7 - AFL QUEENSLAND 2013 YEAR IN REVIEW

40 MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF PROJECTS COMPLETED IN A BANNER YEAR FOR INFRANSTRUCTURE & PLANNING
This year was a banner year within the Infrastructure Planning unit, with a number of projects keeping us busy.
Nationally, we pioneered a facility audit process that benchmarks community club facilities in Queensland against those in other states. This was rolled out to clubs competing in the NEAFL and QAFL as a first stage, and will extend to
all clubs across Queensland and the Northern Rivers during 2014. This will provide our clubs with independent and transparent ratings on their facilities relative to other audited clubs and recommend specific improvements for each football precinct.
A number of clubs completed new facilities in 2013.
Local and State Government contributions, club fund-raising events and leveraging in-kind work from the club’s active volunteer network and sponsors. The new facility will provide footballers and umpires with proper amenities whilst also providing the club with a canteen and function space that can be hired to community groups. The Redbacks now boast one of the best sporting facilities on the Darling Downs and we hope it is a catalyst for their continued growth.
Warwick is not the only club enjoying new facilities. New change rooms and player amenities were opened at Broadbeach, Coomera and Pacific Pines on the Gold Coast, Morningside and Sherwood in Brisbane, Collingwood Park
in Ipswich and Kawana on the Sunshine Coast. The Redcliffe Tigers are enjoying flood-proof amenities and more than a dozen clubs state- wide have upgraded their oval lighting. New ovals were constructed at Ormeau, Southport and Bond University on the Gold Coast, Gatton
in the Lockyer Valley, Springfield near Ipswich, Chinchilla on the Downs and Sarina near Mackay.
AFL Cape York House opened in May, providing Far North Queensland with a game-changing facility. The Cairns-based complex provides residential facilities to further the educational and football development of 48 young footballers. It supports our programs in remote areas and will equip future generations of Cape York footballers with a range of skills to benefit their communities.
The Moreton Bay Central Sports Complex at Burpengary, mid-way between Brisbane and Caloundra, is a $13.5 million, three oval facility with football and social amenities capable of hosting AFL pre-season events. In addition to providing a new home for the Caboolture Lions, the facility provides an outer metropolitan base for our Brisbane North staff and enables local footballers to access AFL programs without travelling to Brisbane.
A similar development at the Byron Regional Sports & Cultural Complex at Ewingsdale in the Northern Rivers has seen a new oval created at the $17 million complex. It provides a badly-
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Among the most heartening was the Warwick Redbacks’ construction
of new change rooms, social facilities and a new canteen. Warwick had long operated out of a makeshift ‘tent city’, with visiting teams becoming accustomed to using marquees as dressing rooms when visiting Roddies Oval.
The club worked with their council and local MP to design and realise a wonderful social space and new change facilities for players and umpires. The $550,000 project was funded by
These projects were in addition to dozens of minor facility upgrades across the state, ranging from goal netting installation to new scoreboards and solar panel installations.
needed regional hub for AFLQ staff and regional programs, and will benefit football locally as a match venue and space for league meetings and education sessions.
INFRASTRUCTURE & PLANNING