Imagine Stafford’s Gibson Park as a floodlit turf Olympic training venue, the lead venue for Padua’s Brothers Confraternity Shield, or even South East Queensland’s best nighttime women’s cricket venue. This is what Gibson Park Committee Chair Steve Keating told the local community was “becoming real” with the installation of new lights at the park.
The long-anticipated first stage of the lighting upgrade is now complete, bringing with it the beginning of a new chapter for sport and community.
Mr Keating opened the Lights On ceremony in July, speaking with youth sporting teams and the community about the lasting benefits the lighting upgrade will have.
“From the City Council’s initial $350,000 grant, we have since been further backed by the State and Federal Governments, and in time we will finish off the lights on both fields and near double our water storage capacity,” he said.
Funding from Brisbane City Council enabled the replacement and enhancement of lights on the field closest to The Gibson, followed by funding from the State Government for Stage Two. More recently, the Federal Government committed to helping fund the completion of Stage Three, which also includes enhanced water storage infrastructure.
Lighting the Way Forward
The upgraded LED lights on the main field mark a major milestone in the Gibson Park Committee’s three-stage lighting and infrastructure improvement project. The aim? To create a high-quality nighttime sports and training facility for cricket, rugby league, and touch football. The new lights will not only improve visibility and playing conditions, but also reduce light spillage and environmental impact through energy-efficient LED technology.
Marchant Ward Councillor Danita Parry turned the Stage One lights on, as well as opened the batting, but not before explaining the benefits the upgraded lights will have for the community.
She spoke about how “the bulbs are more energy efficient, so they will save the club money on their energy bill, which is really important”. She also said the lighting would improve visibility for players, as well as reduce light spillage, meaning the park’s neighbours won’t be impacted.
With upgraded stormwater harvesting systems and a doubling of water tank capacity still to come, Gibson Park is set to become an example of sustainable, community-led development.
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Featured image courtesy of Mia Congram
