Occasions promoter Tony Cochrane says sporting codes can not afford short-term Ekka stadium

Former Gold Coast Suns chairman Tony Cochrane has hit out on the Palaszczuk authorities’s transfer to make sporting codes pay for a brief stadium whereas the Gabba is being rebuilt for the 2032 Olympics. 

His feedback come after the federal government introduced plans to make use of the Brisbane Showgrounds as an interim venue for the AFL and cricket whereas the Gabba is being knocked down and redeveloped.

Below the federal government’s proposal, the state would put $45.7 million in the direction of a $137 million redevelopment on the showgrounds — making a 20,000-seat stadium.

However the remainder of the cash would want to return from the 2 affected sporting codes, Brisbane Metropolis Council, and the RNA.

Mr Cochrane — a sports activities administrator who’s a widely known occasions promoter — stated it was absurd to assume that these organisations would pay for the short-term repair.

He stated none of them had “oodles of money” to assist fund an interim facility whereas the Gabba redevelopment was underway.

“They do not have the funding to do one thing on a brief foundation of that scale,” he informed ABC Radio Brisbane.

“It isn’t like they will even go to their banks or anyone and say: ‘Look, we simply must borrow $30 million as a result of we have got to tip it into this short-term repair for us for 4 years.’

Mr Cochrane acknowledged the Gabba wanted to be redeveloped, however he additionally identified that the federal government was anticipating others to fund nearly all of the short-term dwelling on the showgrounds.

“I feel all of these organisations would put on a little bit of the ache for the 4 or 5 years to get the longer-term repair as a result of the Gabba wants fixing desperately,” he stated.

“However the issue with that’s that you just’re asking them now to pay the lion’s share … of that short-term repair.”

‘We’re not asking them to place in $1’ for the Gabba, says minister

Senior state authorities minister Shannon Fentiman on Tuesday stated the federal government would proceed to work with Queensland Cricket and the AFL to discover a short-term dwelling.

“They’ll have the nation’s finest stadium in a couple of years’ time and we’re not asking them to place in $1 for that,” she stated, referring to the Gabba redevelopment.

“However within the meantime, we’d like a brief dwelling.

Ms Fentiman said the RNA also needed upgrading, and suggested the proposed venue redevelopment at the showgrounds would deliver a legacy for the Ekka.

Queensland Cricket released a statement on Tuesday saying that it could not support an expectation that “the sports fund the cost of their own displacement from the Gabba”.

Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner has also previously hit out at the move from the state to ask the council to contribute towards the Ekka stadium – describing it as extortion.