Brisbane To Receive The ‘World’s Best’ Cricket Training Facility Following $7m In State Funding

Brisbane’s National Cricket Campus is now fully funded thanks to a $7 million commitment from the Queensland State Government toward the development.

With Cricket Australia (CA) and Queensland Cricket (QC) having reserved $4.25 million towards the project and the Federal Government’s $7 million commitment to the Campus in April, the $18.3 million project is now fully-funded and planning for development can now commence.

Brisbane City Council’s 2019/20 Budget also saw a commitment of $1.1 million made to the project.

Spread across Northern Suburbs Cricket Club in Kalinga and the Allan Border Field precinct in Albion, the Campus will deliver Brisbane the world’s best cricket training facility and a hub for elite and community cricket.

The Campus will feature a fully integrated industry-leading indoor and outdoor cricket facility and will be the training base for Australia’s men’s and women’s sides, as well as providing access to youth, all-abilities, indigenous and touring teams.

The development will allow Allan Border Field and Northern Suburbs to host women’s internationals, national championship, first-class, domestic one-day, Rebel Women’s Big Bash League and Premier Cricket matches.

Minister for Sport, Mick de Brenni, said that he was glad to see the Palaszczuk Government’s collaboration with Queensland Cricket about to pay off for local athletes.

“This $18.3 million project will be a game-changer for getting more Queenslanders active and involved in sport,” he said.

“The National Cricket Campus will ensure that Queensland becomes the home of women’s cricket in Australia, driving more women and girls to hit the pitch and get involved in cricket.

“By investing in this Campus, we are enabling players of all skill levels to get runs on the board at a world-class facility.”

Cricket Australia CEO, Kevin Roberts, said the development of the National Cricket Campus will allow CA to live its purpose of uniting and inspiring Australians through cricket.

“The National Cricket Campus is a partnership involving all levels of cricket and one that will impact all fans and players.

“Once completed, it will allow us to help Queensland cricket communities in very practical ways, as well as supporting the performance and development of various men’s and women’s national teams.

“The development of Shaw Road and redevelopment of Allan Border Field will provide outstanding facilities for many groups within the cricket community.

“It will enhance the preparation of our men’s and women’s national teams for next year’s ICC T20 World Cup and support the development of our national youth programs with the best possible facilities.

“National Indigenous and All-Abilities squads will also benefit from access to the same experiences as any of our national cricket teams.

“We are delighted the Campus is now fully funded and we thank Minister de Brenni and his state colleagues for their commitment to Australian cricket,” Roberts said.

Acting Queensland Cricket Chief Executive Officer, Terry Svenson, thanked the Queensland Government for their investment and support of cricket in Queensland.

“The commitments we have received from both the State Government and Brisbane City Council have been the final pieces of the funding puzzle for the National Cricket Campus, so it’s extremely pleasing to announce that the project is fully-funded and our planning for development can now begin.

“The Campus has the potential to positively impact cricketers in Queensland from the Australian Men’s and Women’s teams preparing for big series and tournaments, through to junior cricketers who will be able to train and play at Norths using the same facilities as their professional heroes.

“This project is critically important to the future success of Queensland and Australian Cricket, and we thank the Federal, State and local Governments for sharing in our vision to deliver Brisbane with an absolute world-class training and playing facility.

With the funding process now completed, development timelines for the National Cricket Campus will be established with details to be released shortly.