New UQ Sport Fitness Centre, St Lucia campus

UQ is building a new multi-level UQ Sport Fitness Centre as part of its 35-hectare Sport and Recreation Precinct at St Lucia. 

Expected to open in 2027, the facility will cater for the growing number of students, staff and community members participating in sport and recreation.

The new facility will be located between the Aquatic Centre and UQ Centre, which is transitioning back to an indoor multi-sport facility for court-based sports.

This investment in enhanced facilities aligns with UQ’s position as first nationally and second in the world for sports-related subjects.

The current Fitness Centre will remain operational until the new facility opens.

See current works and how we’re managing construction impacts below.

Managing construction and traffic impacts

Construction is expected to commence in July 2025, and UQ and its contractors will aim to minimise disruption as much as possible.

There will be a number of parking, traffic and pedestrian changes in the area. As plans are finalised, more details about the following changes will be shared ahead of construction:

• The P10 Aquatic Centre carpark (outdoor) will be permanently closed. We acknowledge the impact on people who park in this area and are reviewing parking options across the campus to optimise availability.
• Access to P10 UQ Centre carpark (undercover) and the P10 Synthetic Playing Fields carpark (undercover) will be via Sir William McGregor Drive. These car parks have designated PWD parking.
• A 5-minute passenger drop off zone has been introduced on Blair Drive for Aquatic Centre users.

Traffic control and signage will be in place as part of a traffic management plan to ensure the safe movement of pedestrians and road users.

A construction management plan will be in place to ensure safety and minimise noise, dust, vibration and other disruptions as much as possible.

Works will be carried out from Monday to Friday between 6am and 6pm, with Saturday works by exception.

 

Upcoming works

The timing of works may change pending weather and ground conditions.

Works are currently expected to commence in July.

Site preparation and vegetation removal

While every effort will be made to retain as many trees as possible, 32 trees - including 2 Moreton Bay Figs - need to be removed to enable construction.

The figs’ extensive root systems are damaging existing infrastructure and will impact future upgrades, posing safety risks by undermining pavements and utilities.

We place a high value on native flora and our campuses are home to more than 6,000 trees which support a diverse range of ecosystems, while balancing the need for essential infrastructure to support our growing community.

To offset the removal, the University is working with Brisbane City Council (BCC) to plant native trees on BCC managed land. The area surrounding the new Fitness Centre will also be landscaped with native flora once construction is completed.

BCC has provided a permit for the removal of the trees, in line with the Natural Assets Local Law 2003.

Contacts

For construction questions, contact projectcomms@uq.edu.au.

Contact UQ Sport for membership or other facilities information.