Townsville City Council has received a development application for the North Queensland Cowboys new multi-million dollar high-performance and community centre.
The $50 million Community, Training and High-Performance Centre will be built near the new North Queensland Stadium, between Saunders Street and Ross Creek in the city.
Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill said the Cowboys Community, Training and High-Performance Centre is a crucial element of developing the Stadium Precinct.
“This is an important milestone for a project that will help revitalise our inner city,” Cr Hill.
“The project will create jobs during construction and support long-term economic activity through developing an elite sporting hub near the CBD.
“Encouraging the development of the Stadium Precinct is a key component of the Townsville 2020 Masterplan – which provides a clear vision for our city.
“Townsville 2020 aims to provide world-class experiences to locals and visitors.”
Cowboys CEO Jeff Reibel said the application was a critical milestone for the Club on the back of the funding commitment received in the 2020 Federal Budget.
“Our Club must continue to invest in its training facilities if we are to remain on equal footing in the highly competitive NRL competition,” he said.
“This centre will help our NRL team and many other NQ athletes to prepare for, and deal with the rigours of, professional sport in the modern era.
“Critically, it will also ensure we continue to service and expand on our established community programs throughout the North Queensland region.”
Planning and Development Committee Chair Deputy Mayor Les Walker said the facility is proposing to bring the latest high-performance facilities to Townsville.
“The high-performance centre will feature altitude and heat training facilities,” Cr Walker said.
“It will bring the Cowboys sports medicine, sports science and rehabilitation facilities under one roof and it will include a full-size training field.
“The high-performance facilities are being built for the Cowboys but they’ll also be available to other teams and athletes.
“Local athletes won’t have to travel to a capital city to access the best and latest sports science, medical and allied health services.
“The Cowboys Community, Training and High-Performance Centre will also allow the Cowboys to expand their commitment to elite female athletes and local female rugby league players.
“The application will be assessed on its merits.”
