Southport Sharks unveil new stadium plans

Image: City of Gold Coast

Australian Rules football club Southport Sharks has revealed plans for a 21,000-seat stadium and three residential towers as part of a massive redevelopment in the city of Gold Coast.

Gold Coast Bulletin said Southport Sharks is set to deliver a transformative redevelopment at the heart of the Gold Coast Health & Knowledge Precinct (GCHKP), creating a world-class hub for housing, sport, community, and cultural activity.

The project will provide up to 540 new homes, upgraded sporting facilities, main oval seating capacity for up to 10,000 people, and state-of-the-art health and performance infrastructure.

Southport Australian Football Club, nicknamed the ‘Sharks’, is an Australian Rules football club based on the Gold Coast, Queensland (Australia), that competes in the Victorian Football League.

The team currently plays at the 8,000-capacity Fankhauser Reserve, a multi-sports venue in Southport, a suburb in Gold Coast, Australia.

The Victorian Football League is the major State-level Australian Rules football league in Victoria and, starting from 2021, New South Wales and Queensland. The league evolved from the former Victorian Football Association and has been known by its current name since 1996.

The Sharks said the stadium project is more than a redevelopment, this project is about building a vibrant community destination that inspires people to live, learn, play, and thrive.

The club said, “We’re creating a precinct where sport, culture, housing, and wellbeing come together to strengthen the Gold Coast community for generations to come. Southport Sharks is proud to deliver a project that combines sporting excellence with social, economic, and cultural impact.”

The project is aligned with the Queensland Government’s and City of Gold Coast’s full vision for the GCHKP as a vibrant place to live, play, learn and work.

It will bring new opportunity for community participation, generate jobs and be a powerful catalyst for Precinct growth, innovation and future investment.

The Sharks said the project’s value and need directly contributes to the GCHKP Strategic Plan for 2022-27, Queensland Governments Innovation Precincts & Places Strategy, Activate Queensland! and the Federal Government’s Sport 2030 Plan.

The new facilities will enable the further development of partnerships supporting innovation and investment in sports science and technology, contributing to Queensland’s position as a global leader in this burgeoning industry.
 

The project will foster:

• MedTech initiatives and sports technology innovation through new and existing partnerships
• Deliver opportunity and potential for precinct partners and Southport Sharks to further develop joint education and research programs in sports health and sports science
• Provide a new platform for sports technology and biotechnology research and development by creating a breeding ground for collaborative ventures
• Contribute to the Australia sports technology ecosystem by supplying the means for testing and development of new sports technology offerings from conception to commercialisation.

 
The project also unlocks opportunity for investment in new housing solutions, addressing current shortages that are inhibiting the precinct growth and vibrancy.

Utilising existing assets and delivering innovative development solutions to relieve housing and accommodation shortages, this masterplan will impact the precinct’s ability to attract and retain staff by increasing the capacity of housing for Gold Coast University Hospital in particular.

Following the direction of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Athlete Village, which is now Australia’s first build-to-rent community accommodating 2,500 people, Southport Sharks masterplan will include investment in new housing solutions.

These solutions aim to combat the need for a housing volume increase in order to meet existing and future needs of the GCHKP, which once fully developed is projected to support jobs of up to 26,000 people.

The redevelopment represents a significant economic investment in the Gold Coast, with a projected construction impact of over 880 full-time jobs and $213 million in gross regional product.

Once operational, the precinct will support 484 full-time roles and generate A$54 million annually for the local economy, with additional benefits from events-driven tourism.

The precinct will also be a game-changer for girls’ and women’s AFL, providing dedicated training and competition facilities to support the rapid growth of women’s sport.

By creating inclusive spaces for sport, recreation, events, and cultural activities, the project will strengthen community connection, wellbeing, and local pride.

Accessible facilities and programs will ensure people of all abilities can participate, making this a truly inclusive precinct for everyone. Youth engagement and social cohesion are central to the project, helping reduce disengagement and create safe, active community spaces.

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