Ipswich City Councillors were given their first look at the Brisbane Lions community arena, to be known as The Reserve, at Springfield Central ahead of the start of the construction phase in the next few months.
Friday marked the end of FFP (fit-for-purpose) works with the football field – set to host the Lions women’s team in competition games and the men as practice facilities – looking like it just needed a layer of lush turf to be ready for a kick around.
Recent earthworks have seen that oval scoped out, a creek diverted, more than 100,000 tonnes of vegetation and soil removed, banks and stone walls erected and the first trees planted.
New Division 2 councillors Nicole Jonic and Paul Tully donned the hard hats, hi-viz clothing and employed pandemic-inspired social distancing to check out progress to date. Their division takes in the $70 million complex, which will also contain community fields and facilities.
Funding for The Reserve has come from council, State and Federal Governments, Springfield City Group, the Australian Football League (AFL) and the Lions. Federal Member for Oxley Milton Dick was also in attendance on Friday.
Cr Tully said $6.2 million contributed by council had got the ground fit for purpose and ready for construction.
“This once might have been described as the middle of nowhere, but it is now the middle of everywhere,” he said, pointing to the adjacent Springfield Central railway station and Orion Springfield Central shopping centre.
“The Ipswich population is almost 230,000 and we are the fastest growing city in Queensland.”
Cr Tully said the Lions were the first team from any of the major football codes to relocate to Ipswich and he welcomed them.
“I’d like to thank the Lions for their persistence. Eventually this has become a reality.”
Cr Jonic said the project was going to be “phenomenal” for the city of Ipswich.
“As a female, I am very excited that the Lions women’s team has a location that they can call their own,” she said.
Cr Jonic said it was a consolidation of all levels of government and a sporting organisation working together on a smart strategy.
“This is going to be such an important hub for our community … I can see many people enjoying wine and cheese on the green and enjoying the football.”
Brisbane Lions chairman Andrew Wellington said the plan was first mooted in 2011 and his organisation had enjoyed the partnership with Ipswich City Council over the decade.
“Hopefully over the next few weeks we will get an agreement on a contract for construction. We have a great design and details in place.”
As well as the 10,000 seat boutique stadium, The Reserve will feature car parking facilities, community education and meeting spaces, a café and a swimming pool.
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