THE UNIVERSITY of Southern Queensland has shifted its bid for a tartan track up the range to its headquarters in Toowoomba.
UniSQ had been working with Ipswich City Council and Ipswich MPs for the past four years on a $20 million plan for a synthetic athletics track, proposed to be built at the Ipswich campus in partnership with Bremer State High.
During the May Federal election, UniSQ rejected a $10 million funding commitment for an Ipswich tartan track from the Albanese Government, citing financial challenges preventing them from proceeding with the project.
On Monday, UniSQ welcomed $1 million funding from the State Government to complete designs for an athletics centre and tartan track at its Toowoomba campus.
The funding was announced by Queensland Treasurer and Member for Toowoomba South David Janetzki, who said the Crisafulli Government was “ensuring the Darling Downs region plays a pivotal role in Brisbane 2032 and has a lasting Games’ legacy”.
UniSQ Chancellor Dr John McVeigh welcomed the State Government’s commitment to fund a new high-performance athletics facility on the University’s Toowoomba campus.
“UniSQ is proud to partner with the State Government to provide our community with new opportunities and play a role in Queensland’s once-in-a-lifetime journey to the Brisbane Olympics,” Dr McVeigh said.
A UniSQ spokesman however told Local Ipswich News the university continued to recognise the “strong case” for an athletics facility in Ipswich.
“We are working with government and community partners to seek funding for an Ipswich Integrated Health and Community Precinct and accompanying high-performance athletics facility,” he said.
“The precinct would be anchored by a university-funded $38 million Allied Health Building, now under construction.
“Unfortunately, we are currently not in a position to co-fund additional infrastructure in the precinct beyond the Allied Health Building.”
Federal Member for Blair Shayne Neumann said Ipswich was back at square one on a tartan track after being “done over by the University of Southern Queensland”.
“They should have accepted the $10 million and then put the money into Ipswich, but no they are not going to do that, their priority is Toowoomba,” he said. “The State Government obviously has a higher priority for Toowoomba over Ipswich.”
State Minister for Sport and Racing and Minister for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tim Mander would not answer questions on the Government’s commitment to a tartan track in Ipswich, but spoke of his Government’s Games On! Program which funded the $1 million Toowoomba design project.
“We look forward to continuing to engage with the community and Ipswich City Council regarding sporting infrastructure,” he said.
Ipswich Community and Sport Committee chairman Jacob Madsen said the Council would continue
to push for upgrades to the city’s sporting facilities to serve as Olympic training venues.
“Toowoomba has beaten us out of the blocks in getting State support but we have more talent in Ipswich and there is still a great need for the State to fund something out here,” Cr Madsen said.
Ipswich’s Economic and Cultural Development Committee Deputy Chair Marnie Doyle, who brought a motion to Council in April to investigate other sites after UniSQ dropped its bid for an Ipswich track, said eight possible sites had been identified as viable options and councillors had met groups including Queensland Athletics to discuss technical requirements.
“While council notes the announcement for Toowoomba, Ipswich is running its own race,” Cr Doyle said.
“Ipswich deserves the best infrastructure, including sporting infrastructure.”
