Combined sportsfield and car park opens at UQ St Lucia campus

A remarkable new development combining a new 500-bay casual carpark beneath two full size football/hockey fields has opened at The University of Queensland St Lucia campus.

The $25 million project offers underground parking for staff, students and visitors near the UQ Centre, accessible via Sir William MacGregor Drive.

UQ Chief Operating Officer Greg Pringle said the development arose as a result of students requesting more car parking options, and the opportunity arose with UQ Sport’s new synthetic Playing Fields 4 and 5.

Pringle stated “we spotted the chance to not only flood-proof and upgrade the field, but to dig a little deeper and consider other ways we could use the space to benefit staff, students and the wider community.

“The field just happened to be in a great position and easily accessible to key UQ facilities, including the UQ Centre where we hold many important events, including student graduations.

“The carpark features 502 new casual car parks including four people-with-disabilities bays and two fast chargers for electric vehicles.

Safety initiatives will be implemented on Sir William McGregor Drive to enable safe access to the 300 plus bike racks and 100 lockers in the new carpark area.

Pringle added “the underground carpark is fairly well hidden, so it’s aesthetically pleasing, and we have plans to landscape the area further.”

The new artificial turf playing fields, due to open in August 2016, features player dugouts, field scoreboards, LED lighting and a social space.

The north field is now a FIFA-level 1 star football field and International Hockey Federation (FIH) standard hockey pitch, and the south field is an FIH-accredited hockey pitch.

Both will be used for football, hockey, touch, lacrosse, ultimate frisbee, rugby training and more.

The new development includes a 300,000 litre water tank to help water the synthetic fields to enable faster ball movement for hockey and reduced friction for players, and to help cool the area on hot days.

UQ Global Change Institute Sustainable Water Program Manager Dr Nina Hall said UQ was drawing on its extensive research and knowledge capital to address the complexities of the global water challenge to drive appropriate water management.

Dr Hall stated “it’s heartening that, while we are initiating changes around the world, we’re also looking for ways to reduce our water use and environmental footprint on our own campus.”

Lower image shows a plan for the new sportsfields. The car park sits beneath the fields.

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12th July 2013 - NEW SHAPE FOR AUSTRALIAN HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION

17th February 2012 - UQ SPORT AQUATIC CENTRE RE-OPENS

30th November 2011 - INTRAINING 1500 METRE CLASSIC MARKS UQ ATHLETICS CENTRE REOPENING