Council working to cash in on sport and recreation
Date published: 27 March 2019
Townsville City Council is working to maximise its sports tourism potential as part of its Sport and Recreation Facility Strategy.
The Strategy will shape the city’s sports and recreation infrastructure for the next 10 years.
Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill said the consultation period highlighted growth areas for the city.
“Sports tourism is an area where we can create a lot of opportunities,” Cr Hill said.
“We can attract more national championships if we have the right infrastructure and those events bring a lot money to the community.”
Community and Cultural Development Committee Chair Cr Colleen Doyle said the process will help prioritise new and enhanced facilities.
“Mountain bike riders dominated the final round of consultation, we had 361 submissions – 274 came from mountain bike enthusiasts,” Cr Doyle said.
“There’s a real opportunity there as we have some great trails and there’s plenty of room for the sport to grow.
“Motorsport fans were also vocal in the consultation period.
“Their Calcium site includes a race track, road safety education, off-road rally circuits and a drag strip.”
Deputy Mayor Les Walker said respondents also called for improved facilities and more outdoor recreation options.
“We’ll prioritise facilities based on sport participation and population projections to make sure we get the best bang for our buck,” Cr Walker said
“This is going to be an incredibly important document for the community, it’ll provide a clear direction for Council moving forward.
“We’ll attract more visitors to the city if we prioritise the right facilities.”
