Total Fusion Morningside Sets Opening Date After 2-Year Court Battle

A date finally has been set for the long-awaited opening of Total Fusion Morningside, two years after a court battle with Australian Country Choice. Not only that, they’re recruiting 100 new staff members!



Advertisements for job openings have started running as Total Fusion Morningside, the largest and most highly advanced gym in East Brisbane, plans to hire 100 staff members to serve its clientele beginning the 1st of February 2023. 

The gym was granted the approval to open in August 2022, after Judge Nicole Kefford dismissed the appeal of Australian Country Choice (ACC), to stop the gym’s operation at the transformed Rivermakers precinct. 

Total Fusion Morningside, Morningside,
Photo Credit: TotalFusion Morningside/Facebook

ACC was against having a gym close to its manufacturing facility, citing that there could be frequent complaints from gym members about the noise and odour from its neighbouring meat manufacturing plant. ACC was also concerned about the size of the gym in an industrial precinct.

However, Total Fusion head Leon McNiece said that the plant is not even visible from the carpark at Rivermakers. Thus, gym goers are likely not going to complain about the meatworks. 

Mr McNiece said that the court decision has reaffirmed that the community wants to have a premium fitness and wellness facility in Morningside. In preparation for the opening, tours to the facility will be underway in the coming weeks. 

Total Fusion Morningside, Morningside,
Photo Credit: TotalFusion Morningside/Facebook

Aside from the fitness areas for yoga, pilates and other group workouts, the wellness site will also have saunas, compression booths and massage areas, a cryotherapy section (cold temperature therapy), recovery tools, and an on-site nutritionist. 

Total Fusion Morningside, Morningside,
Photo Credit: Total Fusion Morningside/Facebook

The gym is set to operate daily from 5:00 a.m. to late evening. 



Judge Approves Opening of Total Fusion Morningside Following Long Legal Battle

Following a two-year court battle with Australian Country Choice, a judge has ruled that Total Fusion Morningside may proceed with opening the largest gym complex in the industrial area of East Brisbane. 



In her decision, Judge Nicole Kefford turned down the appeal of ACC despite gaining support from a town planning expert. The 5,577-square-metre fitness complex is within the new recreation and leisure precinct Rivermakers, owned by mogul Balfour Irvine. Rivermakers is 500 metres away from the ACC’s facilities.

ACC’s owner, the billionaire Trevor Lee, has lobbied against the development following the fallout of his long friendship with Irvine. Lee insisted that the gym was not appropriate for an industrial precinct.  

Photo Credit: TotalFusionMorningside/Facebook

Judge Kefford noted that ACC had town planner Greg Ovenden on retainer, who tried to convince Deputy Premier and Planning Minister Steven Miles to establish a Temporary Local Planning Instrument (TLPI) for the Morningside location. 

Photo Credit: TotalFusionMorningside/Facebook

However, the judge said that Rivermakers’ development was not inconsistent with the TLPI. She also didn’t have any confidence in Mr Ovenden “to express objective opinions about the appropriateness of the proposed development,” as the town planner.



Judge Kefford gave Total Fusion Morningside a two-year condition to operate as a gym with only 300 patrons at a time. She said that after two years, the gym’s building must be reverted for industrial use, which would support the workers in the area. 

For updates about the gym’s opening, follow the Facebook page.