RQ to address stabling shortage

RQ chief executive Brendan Parnell has announced further plans for the Deagon redevelopment.

Racing Queensland has stepped up its plans to overcome a shortage of stabling in south east Queensland by appointing a town planner for its Deagon Racecourse redevelopment.

Deagon doubles as a training centre as well as housing the headquarters of Racing Queensland.

Most racetracks in the south east are at near capacity for stabling.

It will again be an issue when interstate and New Zealand horses arrive for the winter in late April to early May.

A rejuvenated Deagon, complete with a training centre, is seen as a vital cog in overcoming the problem.

RQ announced it would begin concept master planning at Deagon with a view to establishing a multi-purpose state training centre.

Chief executive Brendan Parnell said the centre was viewed as a key solution to the declining residential stabling numbers in south east Queensland – along with providing a training environment for apprentice jockeys and stablehands – and formed part of a significant reform agenda for RQ designed to support its commercial and strategic objectives.

He said Urbis was appointed its town planner and with Cox Architecture, would assist RQ with its community engagement activities throughout 2020 to ensure the local community and racing participants were able to assist the organisation in understanding stakeholder views and to help shape the master planning.

“We’d like to quadruple the current stable numbers at Deagon, so it’s great to see the project advancing,” Parnell said.

“The declining stabling numbers in south east Queensland is one of our real challenges and the establishment of a multi-purpose state training centre is viewed as a key solution.”