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FK Gardner & Sons Pty Ltd have been appointed to demolish Townsville’s Willows Sports Field, formerly known as 1300Smiles Stadium - the former home of the North Queensland Cowboys NRL team - with demolition to start next month

The site will become the home of a new $30 million police facility.

The Department of Tourism, Innovation and Sport has been working with Stadiums Queensland to repurpose fixtures, fittings and equipment for the benefit of community groups in Townsville. This includes small commercial kitchen fixtures and loose furniture, the former stadium’s goal posts as well as demountable units.

Willows Sports Field served the Townsville community as the home of the Cowboys from 1995 to 2019 and, before that, as a trotting paceway.

Season 2019 was the North Queensland Cowboys’ last at Willows. The club moved to its new home, Queensland Country Bank Stadium, at the start of the 2020 NRL season.

Queensland Minister for Public Works Mick de Brenni said the Department of Energy and Public Works, which is managing the demolition works, awarded the contract to a company with a focus on sustainability as a result of the Buy Queensland procurement policy.

“Work is already underway to recycle and repurpose as much of the infrastructure from the stadium as possible,” he said.

“FK Gardner & Sons who have an office in Garbutt, have indicated recycling of materials such as concrete, steel, copper, glass and bulk excavation materials will be a priority.

“The company is also well placed to effectively engage with the surrounding community about key works and efforts to minimise the impacts of activity on site.

“The demolition is expected to be completed by May 2023, weather permitting, as you’d expect in North Queensland.”

The Department of Tourism, Innovation and Sport has been working with Stadiums Queensland to repurpose fixtures, fittings and equipment for the benefit of community groups in Townsville.

This includes small commercial kitchen fixtures and loose furniture, the former stadium’s goal posts as well as demountable units.

Image: North Queensland Cowboys’ last game at 1300Smiles Stadium in September 2019.

Related Articles

2nd January 2020 - Queensland Government looks for interest in future uses for Townsville’s 1300SMILES Stadium

5th September 2019 - Cowboys play final game at 1300SMILES Stadium

8th July 2013 - Innovative technology to reduce queues at 1300SMILES Stadium

7th May 2021 - North Queensland Cowboys high-performance training centre officially opens

12th August 2020 - $20 million loan secured for North Queensland Cowboys high-performance centre

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