Townsville City Council has highlighted the city’s need for a new arena, and upgrades to three sporting precincts, as part of their submission to the State Government’s 100-day review to assess infrastructure related to the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Townsville 2032 Legacy Working Group Chairperson, Councillor Suzy Batkovic OLY, says Townsville deserves high-quality local sports infrastructure to benefit sports, tourism and major events across the city.
“I’m proud to be working with all levels of government to make sure Townsville is getting its fair share ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. There are funds available from the State Government, so we want to make sure our community gets what it needs and give Townsville the opportunity to become a sports hub in the lead up to the Games,” Suzy says.
“There are four major priorities in Council’s submission to the 100-day review, including delivering a new arena for Townsville and upgrading Murray Sporting Complex, Riverway Stadium and the Townsville Aquatic Precinct.
“Townsville Entertainment Centre is at the end of its life, so the time has come to build a new and robust arena for our community.
“The new, multi-use and high-tech arena will not only be a much-needed training ground ahead of the Olympics, but a significant piece of infrastructure that will bring jobs to Townsville from the very start of construction and benefit our region for years to come.
“I often say ‘if you can see it, you can be it’, so having the infrastructure here in Townsville to attract major sporting events will give our kids in North Queensland the chance to see it, be inspired and chase their dreams. It doesn’t matter if you’re from a regional town or a capital city, we should have the right infrastructure available for our kids to be inspired and work towards the goal of Brisbane 2032.
“We have seven years to get this infrastructure up and running for the benefit of Townsville and our young sports stars from across the region.”
Townsville City Council’s submission asks for an investment of $180 million from the State Government and a matched $180 million from the Federal Government for the new arena, with the remaining projects needing about $55 million.
Council’s submission has been supported by local members of the state and federal governments.
Note: Since date the above article was submitted to BDmag, Queensland State Goverment has released the full 100-Day-Review report and a list of Recommendations and Government Response.
Main image: The proposed Townsville Arena (artist impression)
Image credits: Images supplied by Townsville City Council
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