Gabba facelift possible as government considers naming rights sale

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Gabba facelift possible as government considers naming rights sale

By Toby Crockford

The state government has flagged the possibility of renovations at The Gabba stadium after speculation that the naming rights to the sporting ground will be sold off.

The LNP opposition has vowed to support the sale of the naming rights, as long as the stadium is not named after a politician and the money involved is put towards stadium upgrades.

A sold-out Gabba stadium during the KFC Big Bash.

A sold-out Gabba stadium during the KFC Big Bash.Credit: Fairfax Media

Flogging naming rights to The Gabba for $2 million a year was among the recommendations that were due to be made to the state government, News Corp reports.

Education Minister Grace Grace said on Sunday that regardless of the government's decision, the stadium would "always be known as The Gabba".

"There are some recommendations in the report about sponsorship but I gather when the government considers any sponsorship, we think it should be about how do you promote this sport and how do you make the facilities better for spectators and the players," she said.

"So, I think we will consider the recommendations and we will come to some decision, but I think that at the end of the day The Gabba will always be known as The Gabba."

LNP leader Deb Frecklington said Queensland stadiums in general needed to be better managed and should put spectators first.

“If the naming rights do get flogged off, they need to guarantee it’s not going to be named after a politician, and every red cent gets ploughed into improving The Gabba, in the hope we can at least get the First Test back," she said.

“In relation to the stadiums, we need to put the people who are attending the stadiums first. We need to put the crowds first ... We actually need to see our stadiums better managed.

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“This is a government that has no plan to better manage their finances so they can better manage their stadiums.

“We need to make sure there are better facilities at our stadiums. It is obvious that when we see The Gabba being rated below other stadiums, I think it’s now rated as the fourth-best stadium in Australia - it should be the best."

Sports and tourism executive John Lee in April began a review of the state's nine government-owned venues in order to make recommendations to boost their performance.

It came as The Gabba's position in Australian cricket's venue pecking order slipped when it was overlooked to host world No.1 Test side India this summer.

New stadiums in Perth and Adelaide have leapfrogged The Gabba, where Australia has traditionally played the first Test of each summer and not lost since 1988.

Sports Minister Mick de Brenni this month announced the Stadiums Queensland board, which runs The Gabba and Suncorp Stadium on behalf of the government, had been sacked after it was criticised for its management and costs imposed on the state's major sporting teams.

- with AAP

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