Redland City Council will progress investigations into establishing a multi-purpose indoor sports facility on Redlands Coast to unlock additional courts for local sport clubs.
Mayor Jos Mitchell said Council agreed at the September General Meeting to proceed with due diligence, master planning, and business cases for identified sites over the next 12–18 months.
“This step will ensure that any future indoor sports facility built on Redlands Coast represents value for money and is the right fit for our city and our local clubs,” the Mayor said.
“We know there is increasing demand for extra court space on Redlands Coast to accommodate growth in sports such as basketball, volleyball, futsal and pickleball.
“Establishing an indoor centre would help meet this demand, reduce the current shortfall of indoor courts, and provide substantial social, health and economic benefits for the city.
“Council is leaving its options open and will also investigate whether co-locating Council and community facilities as part of a larger, integrated precinct is a viable option.
“Councillors are assured this initial due diligence and master planning work can be undertaken with existing allocated budget.”
While planning for a new venue progresses, Council has committed to implementing several short-term actions to address indoor court access constraints within the city.
This will include advocating to state primary and secondary schools to secure additional space and investigating the feasibility of covering current outdoor sport facilities for all-weather use.
Sport and Recreation Portfolio representative Cr Jason Colley said he was pleased to see investigations progressing to the next stage.
“An action plan commissioned by Council for this project found there are currently missed opportunities for participation in sport due to the shortfall of indoor courts,” he said.
“This backs up the anecdotal evidence we have received from local clubs who say they need more space to grow.
“The number of courts to be delivered at a future indoor sports centre will be considered as part of the business case.
“Given the current growth in sport participation on Redlands Coast, this is an exciting step forward for our community.”