From cane farm to Croc- a- hoop dream
THIS isn’t the first time Russell Laird has appeared in the news pages of the Townsville Bulletin, and it probably won’t be the last.
Upon Russell’s return to work in 2015 after two years in retirement, Bulletin Business Editor Tony Raggatt described the accountant as an “enthusiast for all things Townsville”.
He grew up on a cane farm near Mackay but came to the city to study for a Bachelor of Economics degree at James Cook University.
As a chartered accountant working for CE Smith, which is now Crowe Howarth, Russell retired in 2013 before opening a boutique firm called Laird O’Regan two years later with Mount Isa accountant Peter O’Regan.
In the 1990s, Russell helped co- ordinate the approval and funding for the Townsville Entertainment and Convention Centre and, with local business interests, developed the business model for the Townsville Crocodiles basketball franchise.
He has fond memories of those years.
“We still talk about the great days,” he said.
“The Crocs was the No. 1 ticket in town.
“We sold out 69 games in a row. We didn’t ever win a grand final but in 2001 we made the final.”
He remembers in the final minute Robert Rose stepping up to shoot before being fouled and the referee calling fulltime.
“Good old Townsville stood up and applauded anyway,” Russell said.
“There is a lot of character in this place.”
Russell worries about the Townsville of today.
In his 48 years in practice he reckons recent times have been the most challenging for small business.
“Everyone’s hurting,” he said. “Townsville is mostly big business and big government and the gap small business fills, which is a major employer, but small business is really hurting at the moment because toplevel institutions aren’t performing financially.
“If you go out to the university or hospital, you’d swear that we’re booming as there are cranes everywhere but we hosted some golfers from Tattersalls Club in Brisbane and they said the city centre looked like Melbourne in the ’ 80s – it’s closed, everything is for lease and it’s so depressing.”
Russell said getting rid of parking meters was necessary but wouldn’t solve everything.
“I wish I had the answer,” he said. “Sometimes I wish I was 29 again and had the energy to put something together like we did with the entertainment centre and the Crocs.”