Page 64 - Tropic Magazine Issue 26

TROPIC • INFRASTRUCTURE

Precinct vision

COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE
After a decade of fruitless
debate, a rectangular stadium stadium, the proposal also includes a
for Cairns is back on new indoor sports centre, a two-storey
the agenda. carpark at the old Bunnings site, a new
tennis centre, a community dog park,
a new sporting field and athletics track This will not only be a
What came first: A rectangular stadium at the Showgrounds, and upgrades to
in Cairns or population growth to existing infrastructure. Mr Byrne told stadium for rectangular
support it? That seems to be the stalemate Tropic all levels of government should sporting events but also
of a debate when it comes to action on contribute $60 million each over a
building a bonafide stadium in the city. three-year budget cycle. $130 million a stadium for large scale
Over the years, Cairns Regional Council would be used to fund the rectangular public events such
has spent hundreds of thousands of stadium development, with the
ratepayer’s money on consultant reports $50 million balance funding other as concerts and
that all conclude Cairns isn’t big enough components of the precinct proposal. community events
for a 20,000-seat stadium. The naysaying
reasons against a stadium have piled up The $130 million estimate for the such as Relay
since the first report was commissioned rectangular stadium pales in comparison for Life
nearly a decade ago. We don’t have a to Townsville’s $293 million North Kevin Byrne,
national sporting team to justify it, the Queensland Stadium project, opened Enterprise North
ongoing operational costs outweigh the earlier this year. Mr Pradal has funded a
broader economic and social benefits fly-through video, architectural drawings,
and our civic leaders can’t agree on where artist’s impressions, and a community “Whilst I would love to see a rectangular
to build it. The positives have effectively survey to push the proposal forward. stadium built here, along with other high-
been sidelined. For its part, Cairns Regional Council quality sports facilities, we are not there
won’t commit to supporting a rectangular yet, particularly in terms of cost/benefit,”
stadium any time soon. he said. “The future is an incredibly
NEW PROPOSAL Cairns Mayor Bob Manning told Tropic exciting place for us all. It has just been
Fed up with the political malaise to the city needs to “tread cautiously” in the made a place where we have to tread a
make it happen, local businessman current “climate of uncertainty”, though little more cautiously. We first need to see
and charity founder Dean Pradal has he did praise the “bold ideas” behind the our way clear of the crisis this pandemic
funded the early stages of a proposal for proposed sporting precinct. Cr Manning has brought, at the same time forging a
a bold sporting precinct that includes a said the timing wasn’t right to undertake solid and achievable plan to recovery that
rectangular stadium, with former Mayor the major infrastructure project – will serve us in the decades to come. Our
and Enterprise North boss Kevin Byrne ironically in the same week the Federal focus has been on how we can develop
leading the advocacy charge to get it Government announced a $23 million our existing industries and drive jobs and
funded. Along with developing Barlow contribution to a 16,000-seat stadium growth – industries that will continue to
Park into a state-of-the-art rectangular in Rockhampton. generate employment and wealth.”

64 • Tropic • Issue 26