Ballymore has declared itself the new home of women's sport ahead of the 2032 Brisbane Olympics, with facilities for hockey, rugby union and football — but Hockey Australia says the sport needs a standalone stadium.
The stadium will host hockey in 2032, but will also be used for other sports in the lead up.
Today it was announced that Brisbane Roar A-League Women will play all home matches in A-League season 2023/24 at the redeveloped venue later this year.
The new 'McLean Stand' at the stadium would soon be completed as part of the first stage that, once completely redeveloped, will result in a "boutique" stadium with a capacity of up to 15,000, the Roar said in a statement.
"We're excited for the redevelopment of Ballymore, with the first stage completed in the coming month," Brisbane Roar FC Chairman Christopher Fong said.
"Once completed, Ballymore will transform our game, giving supporters a closer seat to the action in an environment that creates a dynamic atmosphere in a family-centric, cost-effective venue.
"We're excited to bring our games back to Brisbane, where we will remain."
Queensland Rugby CEO David Hanham said Ballymore would be "the new home of women's rectangular sport".
"Our vision for Ballymore is for the iconic venue to be a multi-sport hub and Olympic precinct for the Brisbane 2032 Games as Brisbane's Silicon Valley of Sport with the facility set to host a golden runway of major events in the next decade."
Hockey wants its own facility
But Hockey Australia wants a facility of its own, having previously called for the Games to provide a "lasting legacy".
Mr Hanham said while the integration of hockey will be a big legacy for Ballymore, he understands where the sporting body is coming from.
"Obviously fair enough hockey want a more permanent base, which I completely respect and understand."
"They need to have a venue that's got a certain capacity, so if that's going to be Ballymore, which is the current master plan or not, I support any infrastructure for hockey," he said.
In an April statement, Hockey Australia said there was no facility in Brisbane which met international standards.
The city hasn't hosted an international fixture since 1999, due to the lack of facilities in Brisbane.
The first stage of the Ballymore development — the National Rugby Training Centre — will be finished in just over a month.
The final project will also have a recreational climbing facility.
Rugby boss David Hanham flagged that as another potential asset ahead of Brisbane 2032.
"It's a great opportunity for sports climbing — which is an Olympic sport — for it to be utilised as a high-performance venue for training those athletes and potentially if the government are interested to be using utilising it as a venue for the Olympics for climbing."
