The best is yet to come

THE year 2020 was supposed to be a standout 12 months for Townsville’s CBD.

A year where all the heartache of floods, droughts and business collapses were washed away by hundreds of thousands of cheering fans.

The new $300m Country Bank Stadium was supposed to reinvigorate the city and give a boost to struggling businesses and kick start the region’s economy

And from the start it did.

The stadium hosted Elton John, and about 24,000 people lined up to see the superstar on one of the final legs of his Yellow Brick Road tour.

Then we had the Cowboys v Broncos NRL opener where another 24,000 league fans packed out the city to make history.

Unfortunately the Cowboys lost that night, but on the eve of that match the coronavirus pandemic was starting to take hold; within weeks the country was in lockdown.

That’s when it all went belly up.

The stadium lay dormant for months until lockdown lifted and small crowds were allowed back into the venue.

Last night, as coronavirus reared its head again in southeast Queensland, the stadium hosted another large crowd.

More than 10,000 entered the ground to watch the Jeff Horn and Tim Tszyu blockbuster — and not many were left disappointed.

The stadium again showed why it will be the making of Townsville and eventually, once the COVID-19 debacle is behind us, launch the city to the next level.

Boxing is just the start of what will be a procession of top-flight sporting events for North Queensland.

And, once the Cowboys are back up and firing, a venue that every year will host hundreds of thousands of fans bringing millions into the North’s economy.

It won’t be 2020, but watch out 2021 — Townsville and the region is ready to shine.