GOING FOR STADIUM GOAL
Leaders lace up as a team to play for City Deal
POLITICIANS from the three tiers of government hope teamwork will make dreamwork as they link efforts to secure big-ticket projects such as a stadium for the city.
Mayor Bob Manning, Cairns MP Michael Healy and Leichhardt MP Warren Entsch have already moved on a strategy to pitch for what they think the city needs, buoyed by Townsville’s success in locking in $250 million for a stadium and commitments for a new entertainment centre under the City Deal pact.
SECURING a rectangular stadium for Cairns is edging closer as talk of a potential billiondollar City Deal starts between three levels of government.
Cairns MP Michael Healy’s arrival on the scene means the city has local, state and federal representatives able to sit in the same room without necessarily coming to verbal blows.
Last week marked his first joint meeting with Leichhardt MP Warren Entsch and Mayor Bob Manning to hash out what projects should receive trilateral support under the pact.
Cr Manning brought a list including the ring road, port expansion, greater Defence spending and a new gallery precinct, as well as the rectangular stadium proposal.
Mr Healy was in a collaborative mood.
“I’ve always said I’d work with the other tiers of government,” he said.
“At a state level, in principle, we’re enormously supportive.
“I’m confident the three STADIUM: An earlier proposal put forward by Warren Entsch. tiers of government will collectively work together to push forward with what we’ve identified as our city’s needs.”
City Deals are a relatively new concept, only active in a handful of regions nationwide.
They forge a consensus of development priorities between governments, the community and private enterprise.
Townsville’s City Deal was instrumental in locking down $250 million for a second stadium and commitments for a new entertainment centre.
The ideal location for Far North Queensland’s stadium remains at the Cairns Showground despite the current tenants’ reluctance to shift. The Queensland Government announced $100,000 funding before the election for a scoping document to decide the property’s best use. The first meeting to guide the study will be held in the next month.
“Fundamentally we’re in agreement about where we need to go,” Mr Healy said about the City Deal plan.
Mr Entsch stressed any successful agreement would be a joint project.
“It has to also include full consultation, input, participation and support of Advance Cairns, the chamber of commerce, TTNQ and any other relevant group,” he said. The trio agreed not to negotiate the deal unless all three were in the room.
“It’s got to come through sooner rather than later – opportunities for this sort of thing come around during election cycles,” Mr Entsch said.
“Most of the Townsville City Deal was all stitched up within a year.”
Cr Manning has appointed consultants who have already worked on a successful City Deal to help drive the project.
“We’re going forward with good advice and establishing the suite of projects to go into our proposal,” he said.
I’M CONFIDENT THE THREE TIERS OF GOVERNMENT WILL COLLECTIVELY WORK TOGETHER TO PUSH FORWARD WITH WHAT WE’VE IDENTIFIED AS OUR CITY’S NEEDS CAIRNS MP MICHAEL HEALY