Time to refurbish our CBD

HE captured hearts all over the world as the suave cellist serenading Prince Harry and Meghan Markle as they wed, and now British cellist Sheku Kanneh-mason is heading to Townsville.

Wrapping up a jam-packed Australian Festival of Chamber of Music, the news of the headline act coming in 2020 was music to organisers’ ears, as we report on Page 3 today.

As well as the chamber music festival, the Townsville Running Festival also brought in thousands of visitors.

The weekend just gone also saw the wrapping up of the Northern Australia Festival of Arts, HALO music show and Strand Ephemera.

It’s been absolutely fantastic to walk down The Strand or stroll through Queens Gardens to see such a hive of activity, music and shows happening day and night.

The positive vibes walking along the beach as the obvious influx of visitors enjoyed Townsville’s winter sunshine was another plus. We definitely put on the charm for them all.

That’s why it’s great to report today that the boom in the cruise industry could hit Townsville, albeit in three years.

We’re a North Queensland gem and it would be a huge boon to see cruise ships dock regularly here, with visitors taking in our lovely Strand and waterfront.

What needs to be urgently fixed before that happens though is a serious refurbishment of our main CBD and Flinders St.

Flinders St is just a short walk from where cruise ships dock – but at the moment, it’s hardly a tourist attraction we want to promote.

Aside from City Lane, Cotters Market and Townsville Eats – events that always make the town centre come alive – most of the time it's just a huge let-down.

Boarded up and graffitied shopfronts, vacant and dilapidated signs and uneven pavers is not a good look for visitors.

Work is under way for the new Flinders Lane project, which will go a long way to making our city heart presentable but there’s still a long way to go.

We have three years to get it done.