Sun, Written by John Boley Footy? On the Gold Coast? Surely not. That tadium manager David Bennett told Business in Focus would have been the reaction a decade or so that the AFL had for many years wanted to have a team back if you had suggested AFL should set up Sbased on the Gold Coast due to the popularity and par- on the southern Queensland coast. But thanks ticipation in AFL across the Gold Coast community. The site to some nifty partnership work between public formerly known as Carrara Stadium or Gold Coast Stadium had and private forces, the Gold Coast SUNS duly held a wide variety of sporting and community events over made their AFL debut in 2011 and the franchise many years. Athletics, soccer, rugby (both league and union), is making great headway from its home base at and even concerts were held there, “but as the Gold Coast the Metricon Stadium. community grew, the need for major sporting and event facili- ties was slowly but surely becoming more apparent,” explains David. standing today. The new buildings and the seating bowl of the reborn Metricon Stadium were completed in May 2011 at a cost of $144 million in a four-way funding agreement between the Federal Gov- ernment, Queensland Government, City of Gold Coast Council and the AFL. The “For many years Carrara had been identi- In 2008 the AFL approved a licence for facility was officially opened on 22 May fied as the logical home venue for a team, a team to be based on the Gold Coast 2011 with a public open day and hosted but this was reliant on securing an AFL and to enter the AFL competition from its first AFL match six days later against franchise on the Gold Coast. There were 2011. This led to the formation of the Geelong in front of a crowd of 21,485. The suggestions that one of the Melbourne Gold Coast SUNS. The location was stadium has a capacity of 27,500 people Clubs could relocate here.” However, it set, but there was a need for a modern for a sporting event and can accom- was decided that it would be best for home for the club; accordingly and modate crowds in excess of 50,000 for the Gold Coast, and ultimately the AFL with the support of all tiers of Govern- concerts or larger festival events. competition, if a completely new team ment, the redevelopment of the Carrara was created, with ties, relationships, spirit stadium began in October 2009. All Currently the stadium hosts around and ownership forged specifically with stands and buildings were demolished a dozen AFL matches (including one the Gold Coast community. – everything bar the six light towers still or two pre-season games) per year; of course there are hopes for finals games in addition just as In January 2014, the Big Day Out music festival attracted some soon as possible. Crowds for these games are averaging 13,500 35,000 people and was deemed a great success, not least to 14,000, which is healthy, but David knows that the cost of because festival goers could enjoy the comfort of the stadium’s running the facility demands that more events be attracted to modern facilities, together with the atmosphere provided Carrara. Shortly after opening in December 2011, popular rock within the main arena seating bowl for the headline acts. The band the Foo Fighters played the first major concert event at success of these two events could weigh heavily in Metricon the redeveloped Metricon Stadium in front of 38,000 people. Stadium’s favour when it comes to attracting additional enter- “The stadium’s features include a solar array positioned around the leading edge of the roof-line which generates approximately 15 per cent of the day to day power requirements of the venue.” tainment content in addition to the Big Day Out which is locked 300 standard sized homes over a year”). This power generated in for the next three years. from the solar panels is fed back into the power grid. Water is harvested from the stadium’s roof into four large water tanks The state Government is the ultimate owner of the stadium with a combined storage capacity of 675,000 litres – this through its statutory authority, Stadiums Queensland. The water is used for flushing all of the stadiums toilets as well as AFL has a lease on the stadium and a management agree- watering the landscaped areas of the site and wash down of ment with the Gold Coast Suns for the operation of the the stadium after events. facility. “The SUNS receive all revenues associated with operat- ing the stadium – sponsorship, supply rights, car parking and No one expects Metricon Stadium to be packed to the rafters such,” says David. “However, the SUNS are also responsible 350 days a year; but all the stakeholders want more use to be for all operating and maintenance costs inclusive of capital made of it, so David and his colleagues swim in essentially the upgrades and replacement costs associated with maintaining same waters as other stadia we have talked to recently – trying the venue.” to attract acts, concerts and events of a wide variety from inter- state or even overseas. However, David says there are limits on Key design features of the stadium intended to reduce what will be acceptable – a prime consideration is maintaining its environmental impact include a solar array positioned the excellent pitch quality that is crucial for footy and nothing will around the leading edge of the roof-line which generates be allowed that compromises it. “But we know we have to fill our approximately 15 per cent of the day to day power require- calendar between October and February. Our ultimate calendar ments of the venue (“about the amount of power used by would include two or three big concerts during that time.” “The venue will host the Opening and Closing Ceremonies for the 2018 Commonwealth Games and the Athletics competition.” help us a lot with the relationships with promoters who will bring those events.” One additional revenue stream Metricon Stadium is keen to develop is its non- event day function business. The design of the stadium provides a range of unique function spaces that, outside of a major event day, are flexible enough to While attracting events of national and international significance to Metricon Stadium host almost any conference or function is the primary objective for SUNS, the stadium will remain an asset that the entire com- event up to and including a unique munity can be proud of. “It is part of our strategic plan to ensure we remain a commu- on-field dining experience. The SUNS are nity asset. We support many community events – this last year we had the Homeless focused on optimising revenue oppor- Sleepout and Homeless Connect,” which were chosen as representative events for tunities presented by the burgeoning the local area, “as well as the GC SUNS Cup, which is a local primary school football function market on the Gold Coast. based competition running through the year.” The Gold Coast Festival of Cycling also brought their racing program and industry expo to Metricon Stadium in 2013. The AFL, David says, was realistic in not expecting the SUNS to top the ladder “But we know the Gold Coast market has its limits so we know we need to appeal in the first couple of years; nevertheless, further afield to northern New South Wales and even up to far north Queensland despite mid-table showings (2013: 14th where we have relationships. Travelling supporters are a big thing and we want it so with eight wins), no one regrets not luring that if a supporter goes to an away game, he chooses the one here so he can also have an established club from elsewhere. This a holiday on the Gold Coast while he is here.” This – tourism growth – was one of the is an area hitherto dominated by NRL, so main reasons for the Government’s original participation in the project, after all. But “growth in terms of both participation no one is expecting massive subsidies to attract headline events (like South Australia’s and membership has been pretty phe- extraordinary bid of almost half a million dollars to snare the Stones in Adelaide). “The nomenal. The AFL itself is very good from Government has a strategy to attract major events to Queensland but it doesn’t priori- an administrative point of view and they tise directly funding promoters in order to attract events to stadiums, although it does know what succeeds. The SUNS are com- mitted to realising the benefits of a com- munity ownership model for the football club in the long term, with a strategy in place to effectively hand ownership of the SUNS to its members at an appropri- ate time in the future. This is the model the AFL advocates and that is currently in place at similar successful AFL fran- chises,” says David. He has no difficulty with the League acting as ‘big brother’ and looking closely at the running of the enterprise because, he explains, “they are so understanding of what other success- ful clubs do.” As for Metricon Stadium itself, excite- ment is already building as it gears up for a part in the 2018 Common- wealth Games which is to be held in “Travelling supporters are a big thing; we Queensland. According to the organis- want it so that if a supporter goes to an away ers’ own website, “the recently com- pleted Carrara Stadium will be enhanced game, he chooses the one here so he can have a with temporary seating to provide for holiday on the Gold Coast while he is here.” 40,000 spectators in Games mode.