AusLeisure

Cairns Council is moving ahead with its plans to develop a Major Events Precinct with Stage 1 requiring a significant upgrade of the Barlow Park lights to attract more high-profile sporting events.

The $10 million Digital Broadcast Lighting Upgrade Project will ensure the facility meets TV broadcast standards paving the way for elite level rugby league, rugby union and football matches, with the potential to contribute $5.2 million annually to Gross Regional Product and support 57 jobs.

The investment will dovetail with Queensland Government plans to use Barlow for football games during the Brisbane 2032 Olympics.

The project, however, needs government funding to proceed, with Council calling on Leichhardt candidates in the Federal election to commit to $10 million in funding over two financial years.

Acting Mayor Terry James said the project was a key priority for Council as the first step in developing a major events precinct close to the city centre.

Acting Mayor James notes “Council has long held aspirations to create a major events precinct on the doorstep to the CBD.

“The Barlow Park / Showgrounds area is already well used for sporting, music and cultural events, such as the Cairns Show, making it the obvious location.

“There is still a lot of work to be done to determine how the venues would work, taking into account the needs of all stakeholders, and plan the necessary supporting infrastructure.

“But while that work is underway, if we can secure the necessary funding, it makes sense to push forward with this critical lighting upgrade, to ensure we can cement Cairns in the minds of sporting codes and promoters as a premium location for events.”

Acting Mayor James said the economic benefits to the city, still recovering from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, were considerable.

“Independent economic analysis of the project indicates the construction phase will inject $13.1 million into the Cairns economy, and 41 full time direct and indirect jobs.

“Securing more major events in Cairns will be critical to the ongoing recovery of our tourism sector post COVID-19.

“Once complete, and using a conservative estimate of five additional elite-level sport fixtures a year, the local economy can expect a $10.3 million boost through increased business revenue from day-to-day operations to spend by visiting sports fans.”

Image courtesy Barlow Park Facebook 

Related Articles

6th February 2018 - Athletes welcome reopening of Cairns’ Barlow Park

29th April 2022 - Cairns to host world’s top mountain biking event

20th April 2022 - Cairns Convention Centre hosts numerous business events boosting local economy

28th February 2022 - Cairns Showgrounds to host new youth music festival

20th August 2021 - Plans move forward for rectangular stadia in Cairns and Rockhampton

6th May 2021 - Refurbished Cairns Convention Centre to reopen with impressive events calendar

25th February 2021 - Cairns Regional Council supports construction of new Griffiths Park grandstand

4th January 2021 - AFL stakeholders advance stadium plans in Cairns and Darwin

29th July 2021 - Partnership looks to enable the legacy objective of the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games

22nd July 2021 - Australian Sports Commission welcomes Brisbane hosting 2032 Olympics and Paralympics

---

Support our industry news service
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?

As an independent publisher, we need reader support for our industry news gathering so ask that - if you don't already do so - you back us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine and/or our online news.