Main pavilion ideal site for conferences

IF TOOWOOMBA really wants a convention centre now, then look no further than the main pavilion at the Toowoomba Showgrounds.

That is the message from Royal Agricultural Society of Queensland chief executive officer Damon Phillips.

Mr Phillips yesterday invited Toowoomba Regional Council to consider upgrading the showgrounds’ Founders Pavilion to act as the city’s long-awaited convention centre.

He said the pavilion could be upgraded a lot quicker than it would take to build a dedicated facility.

Council has previously identified the Prince Henry Heights quarry and a temporary car park in Hume St as possible sites for a convention centre.

Mr Phillips said in the present climate, it made a lot more sense to upgrade a facility rather than start from scratch.

“I don’t think Toowoomba is ready for a significant convention centre,” he said.

“In the medium term – 10 years time – the need will be there.

“But, at the moment I don’t know how many conferences Toowoomba is losing because we don’t have the facilities.

“Here is a medium-term solution

. . . I don’t know how many conferences Toowoomba is losing because we don’t have the facilities

– Damon Phillips

– a convention centre that can accommodate significant events that can be opened very quickly while improving a community asset at the same time.”

Mr Phillips said turning the Founders Pavilion in a convention centre made sense because it had outdoor facilities, significant parking and was easily accessible.

Mayor Paul Antonio welcomed Mr Phillips’s proposal.

“We need as many of these kinds of venues as we can possibly get and what has been brought to the table by the show society is good for this community,” he said. “It will fill a short-term gap.” Cr Antonio said council’s vision was to work with the private sector to deliver a dedicated, state-of-the-art convention centre.

“The community is big enough and mature enough to have something like that,” he said.

“Our idea is to go to the market in the not-too-distant future with a potential hotel-convention centre.”