Townsville Update

The beginning of 2019 certainly hasn’t been the easiest of times for many of us in Townsville. But I am confident this year will prove to be a great success for us all, despite how it may have begun.

We have much to be proud of — our community spirit was on show during the unprecedented monsoon and will stand us in good stead during the year ahead. Council already had a strong vision for the future of Townsville prior to the unprecedented monsoon and this hasn’t changed. We are more determined than ever to see our great city overcome this challenge and achieve its full potential. 

I am confident Townsville residents will continue to support each other as we progress through to recovery. The disaster management response was outstanding, and has been commended by other councils, industry experts and international media. Council is now leading the recovery effort as part of a multi-agency response to get Townsville back on its feet. 

The Townsville City Deal and Townsville 2020 outline our city-changing projects. While the timing of some of these projects may change as we prioritise recovery activities, our commitment to the future of the city is unwavering. We’ll be ready to welcome visitors to the inaugural North Australian Festival of Arts (NAFA) in July which will cement our reputation as Northern Australia’s arts and culture capital, and showcase our city’s pride.

With the month-long festival featuring Cabaret acts in the Spiegeltent and Strand Ephemera along our beautiful Strand, the Australian Festival of Chamber Music in Queens Gardens and an array of local and national talent featured throughout, all right off the back of the 2019 Watpac Townsville 400. 

Even with excitement building for some of Australia’s biggest acts to visit our city, what is really exciting is the chance for everyone to have the opportunity to be a part of the celebration throughout Townsville as the Northern Fringe Festival is brought to life. The Northern Fringe will be an opportunity for local actors, comedians and musicians to bring our city streets, cafes, laneways, theatres and parks to life in pop-up installments for all to enjoy.

Another great announcement is that Townsville will be hosting the ITU Multisport World Championships in 2021. Council signed the contract with ITU and Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ) to bring this event to our city. These championships will attract more than 8000 athletes and spectators to Townsville, and enhance the city’s reputation as a world-class destination for major events. Securing the ITU Multisport World Championships will also benefit one of the region’s most high-profile events — the Townsville Triathlon Festival — which will be significantly expanded ahead of the world championships. 

The ITU Multisport World Championships is the pinnacle for the sport of triathlon and covers a range of disciplines from the aquathon to the long distance triathlon and mixed team relay. This global event will showcase Townsville’s natural assets, such as The Strand and Pallarenda, to audiences around the world.

North Queenslanders are a diverse and resilient bunch, we band together in the face of adversity and I believe 2019 will be no different. 

We’re not just building a stronger Townsville, we’re building stronger Townsvillians, who are proud to be part of a resilient and exciting city.