Taipans support stadium

A PUSH for a new multimillion-dollar indoor sports and entertainment centre in Port Douglas has the backing of the Far North’s only elite sporting organisation.

The Port Douglas Basketball Inc is lobbying Douglas Shire Council for a state-ofthe-art double court stadium to be included in a sports master plan on the back of booming participation rates and a regional drive to enter the sports tourism market.

The stadium, estimated to cost between $2m and $4m, could be used for business and trade expos, live events and attract major state and regional tournaments.

Cairns Taipans head coach Mike Kelly said he could see his team using the venue and was certain it would attract other professional organisations and opportunities to the region.

“I have been up to Port Douglas to do basketball clinics on a number of occasions and the support that the Taipans have up there is tremendous,” he said.

“The number of kids that are keen on the sport is really encouraging and getting a facility of this kind would be fantastic for the area.

“I would love to see it.”

The Port Douglas basketball program is fast outgrowing its single-court complex at the primary school, with men, women and junior numbers ballooning in recent years.

Club administrator Mick Whalen said the new indoor facility would allow them to expand their competition and help get some major tournaments off the ground.

“This will be more than just a basketball venue, it will be a multipurpose entertainment centre with the potential to be used for all sorts of things,” he said.