Time to see the light and take plunge

TOWNSVILLE loves its sport.

The community support for the North Queensland Cowboys is testament to that.

There is a great following of and participation in sport of all kinds here.

Our climate lends itself to outdoor activities. But the harsh tropical sunlight has its dangers. So playing and watching sport in the late afternoon and evening makes sense.

Not only that, if Townsville is to be a centre for sports and entertainment in Northern Australia, it needs the infrastructure which can support this.

Providing television broadcast lighting for a venue such as the Riverway Stadium would seem to be an obvious addition to the facility.

Already, it has accreditation from the International Cricket Council. It is believed to be the only Australian ground outside of capital cities to have this distinction.

Over the past two weeks, the ground has hosted JLT Cup one- day games involving some of Australia’s international cricket stars.

There is no question these games would have been better attended had they been held in the late afternoon and evening, when conditions were more favourable and many people were not at work.

Lighting could also attract night test matches, the popular Big Bash League T20 games and regular Australian Football League games. Already preseason AFL games are held here, although their timing during late summer’s days can mean hot, humid conditions for players and spectators.

The issue, of course, is cost. Estimates suggest lighting of sufficient standard for Riverway could cost about $ 10 million. It will require a coordinated effort from people here, and the support and goodwill of governments and sporting bodies at state and national level.

But it can be done. Install the lights and the people will come.