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 has commenced, and UQ and its contractors will aim to minimise disruption as much as possible.

There are a number of parking, traffic and pedestrian changes in the area. For more details, including alternative parking and access maps, visit road and building works updates. 

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

A construction management plan is 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.

During site establishment, while every effort was made to retain as many trees as possible, 32 trees including 2 Moreton Bay Figs were removed to enable construction. The figs’ extensive root systems were damaging existing infrastructure and posed risks to future upgrades 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 undertake replanting and rehabilitation works on Council land. The area surrounding the new Fitness Centre will also be landscaped with native flora once construction is completed.

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

Current works

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

Tower crane - Q1 2026

A fixed hammerhead tower crane, approximately 28 meters in height, has been installed at the site to support lifting and positioning heavy materials.  

All heavy lifting will occur within the construction site boundary. However, when the crane is idle, its boom may over‑sail the UQ Sport Aquatic Centre and synthetic fields. 

Foundation works - ongoing from Q4 2025

Piling and works to finalise in-ground services for the new building are complete.

Services installation and connection - Q4 2025 to Q1 2026

Works are continuing on Union Road to install underground utilities and connect essential services to the new Fitness Centre site. This will also provide new services for nearby buildings as part of a major precinct services upgrade.  

A construction management plan is in place to minimise noise and other disruptions to the surrounding area as much as possible. As part of this, noisy works will not take place during key events including exams and graduations.  

Once complete, the road will be backfilled and restored to its original condition. 

Contacts

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

Contact UQ Sport for membership or other facilities information.