Nudgee Recreation Reserve reborn as new base for Football Queensland

The transformation of a former landfill site into the Brisbane’s newest multi-sports and recreation reserve is complete.

Opened on Saturday, the new Nudgee Recreation Reserve will be home to Football Queensland’s new north Brisbane facilities, including playing field, a clubhouse and community spaces.

The 12.7-hectare reserve also includes multi-use sports fields, a BMX pump track, playground, dog off-leash area and a suite of recreational facilities.

Used for sport since 1946, the Reserve was briefly a landfill site in the mid-1970s. Remediating the site for recreation, Brisbane City Council undertook significant works last year to see the reserve once again used for sports and active recreation.

Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said his Council team was enormously proud to be able to transform the reserve for residents from Brisbane’s northside, noting “Brisbane is Australia’s fastest growing capital city and its important as we grow that we ensure residents have access to great open spaces.

“Over the past five years, we have added 64 new parks for residents to enjoy.

“The transformation of Nudgee Recreation Reserve is particularly pleasing because it means this under-utilised former landfill site can now be used by all residents.

“Brisbane is renowned for having the best lifestyle in Australia and delivering more open spaces like this helps keep our residents healthy and happy.”

Noting that the area was now open for the community to enjoy, while work continued on the new clubhouse for Football Queensland, Lord Mayor Schrinner added “earlier this year, we all witnessed the remarkable efforts of our homegrown Matildas and participation in football has skyrocketed since.

“Our decision to transform Nudgee Recreation Reserve will help Football Queensland meet growing demand to play football among both boys and girls and people of all ages.”

Advising that the new home for Football Queensland will help foster the next generation of players, Football Queensland Chief Executive, Robert Cavallucci stated “the six football fields at the Football Queensland leased facility are already booked at 100% capacity from Monday to Friday, well in advance of the Nudgee Recreation Reserve opening in a clear demonstration of participation need and the demand for football facilities.

“The Nudgee Recreation Reserve will deliver valuable field space for a number of local community clubs, providing more opportunities for the community to get involved in our beautiful game in the wake of the hugely successful FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 as we continue working towards our goal of 50/50 gender parity in participation by 2027.”

Football Queensland was awarded to lease the facility in September 2023, with the vision to expand football in Brisbane.

The new headquarters will help support further growth of the recently launched Girls United social league and the popular multicultural Q-League, seeing even more players take to the field in Brisbane.

The upgraded reserve has two football fields, six touch football fields and two cricket pitches. As part of the works, hundreds of trees and more 9,000 bushes and shrubs have been planted.

Images: The reborn Nudgee Recreation Reserve (top) and dignitaries including Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner; Football Queensland's Robert Cavallucci, Australian Olympic Committee Chief Executive Matt Carroll and Brisbane Councillor Adam Allan at Saturday's opening (below).