Gold Coast stadium delays slammed

Queensland treasurer Terry Mackenroth is like a kid on Christmas morning. Everyone else is asleep and he wants to open his presents - now.

It was Mackenroth's commitment on behalf of the Queensland Government to build a stadium that saw the Gold Coast re-admitted to the NRL last week.

A lifelong rugby league man, he is excited at the prospect of a third Queensland team and is keen to see the stadium built on an empty site behind Robina railway station.

The 25,000-seat stadium would be built on land "gifted" to the Government by Gold Coast Council. It would cost around $100 million and be administered by the Government's Major Sports Facility Authority.

The land is available, the council has the funds to buy it and that, as far as Mackenroth is concerned, should be all there is to it.

"I can't see any reason to delay," he said yesterday. "I called the mayor last Friday and told him the team was in and not to waste any time.

"Now I see he's talking about making a decision at the end of July and I think that's too long."

Government officials will meet the council today to discuss the process of handing over the land, with an early decision sure to be the first item on the agenda.

On Monday, Gold Coast Mayor Ron Clarke told reporters the council was looking at four sites before deciding which option to pursue. These included land at Coomera and Reedy Creek as well as Robina. The other option is to redevelop the present stadium at Carrara.

Mackenroth urged the council to move quickly to ensure the stadium was ready as close as possible to the start of the 2007 season.

"This has to be a united effort," he said. "It shouldn't take an inordinate amount of time.

"Once the council buys the land and hands it over to us we still have to bring in architects and have the plans drawn up. Then we have to go back to council to put in the development applications and get building approval.

"There is a formal process to go through and there's no time to waste. These other sites, which have popped up all of a sudden, are at either end of the coast.

"Robina is central, the railway is right there and it is a green-field site which is always easiest to work with. I can't see what the hold-up is."

Yesterday, the new team's football manager Scott Sattler said his club would be delighted to play at Robina "but it's the council's decision".

According to the Robina Land Corporation, which owns the site, a decision is still some way off.

A spokesman for the corporation said discussions were at a very preliminary stage.