0
THERE are images Queensland rugby stakeholders want Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to see.
Our rugby union sectionDiscarded benches rotting behind an archaic wooden stand.
This is the sad decay of world-famous Ballymore – and now the Queensland Rugby Union is mounting a last-ditch rescue plan to save the iconic ground from degenerating into a sporting wasteland.
Left reeling by the Rudd Government's decision in February to renege on a $25 million funding promise from former prime minister John Howard, the Queensland Rugby Union has gone back to the drawing board and delivered a $100 million redevelopment proposal it believes is too good to ignore.
Last Wednesday, the QRU re-submitted a development application with Brisbane City Council. The Sunday Mail has seen artists' impressions of the multi-faceted project.
To be known as the Ballymore Sports Academy, the redevelopment would see the prestigious site become the hub of Queensland sport and open to public use as Queensland rugby powerbrokers fight to reinvigorate a facility costing the QRU nearly $2 million a year.
QRU chairman Peter Lewis is confident of getting the green light from the council in the next three months.
Then begins the real battle – convincing the Rudd Government to backflip and come to the party with a cheque that would transform Ballymore into a world-class facility.
Without it, Ballymore, the scene of so many great Wallaby triumphs, is on death row.
After years of warnings, Lewis says the prospect of the hallowed ground being locked up, or worse demolished, is real.
"We can't afford to keep doing what we're doing," Lewis said.
"It costs us about $800,000 in maintenance to maintain Ballymore, and it costs us about another $1 million a year in depreciation.
"A lot of it is falling apart and part of our plan is the demolition of a lot of defunct bits and pieces. It's a huge impost on us and we struggle year by year to keep up.
"Ballymore is an iconic name and address, it is known internationally.
''If we don't get the support we need, in 10 years it will be a distant memory, it will be locked up like QEII was and it will be overgrown with weeds.
"We've spent $900,000 getting the DA right. We're ready to go – all we're saying to (the Rudd Government) is give us the $25 million back and we can get this project off the ground."
The QRU plans to take a loan for the remaining shortfall and then pay this loan back through revenue earned through the academy's facilities such as a gym, athletes village and medical centre.
Under the original plan, the revamped Ballymore was to house Australian rugby's centre of excellence.
However Lewis says the new concept will see the venue extend its rugby tentacles and become a multi-purpose facility, embracing other sports while providing entertainment and recreational options for the general public.
Aside from a facelift for the existing stadium, the proposal features an athletes village with 104 units. There are also plans for an olympic pool, medical centre, state-of-the-art gymnasium and picnic areas.
"We're not silvertail rugby people trying to make money for ourselves, we want this to be the headquarters for Queensland sport," Lewis said.
"We will have a purpose-built athletes village.
"We have 30 acres (12ha) of prime turf and it can accommodate a lot more than rugby.
''We have a whole list of sports that have expressed interest in basing themselves here.
"According to our estimates, the project will generate more than 300 jobs and actually the Federal Government stands to make $70 million out of this, so they're not throwing money away."
Lewis said the Queensland Government had already committed $4 million to the project. With federal backing, he believes the revival of Ballymore could be complete by the end of 2010.
"The Rudd Government pulled the money on a technicality,'' Lewis said.
''I'm not blowing up, I believe they've made a mistake.
''I just want them to overturn their decision based on the fact we have improved our submission."
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/s...003411,00.html
Reply With Quote
Was the wait worth it - Ya betta baby 
Originally Posted by mudskipper
