NQ Cowboys open new headquarters
The North Queensland Cowboys have officially opened their new $40 million training and high-performance centre, located next to their home stadium in Townsville.
Commercially known as The Hutchinson Builders Centre, the venue opened after two years of planning and construction and will provide the club and region with a state-of-the-art sports medical and research facilities.
Built on a 17,000m² site beside the NRL club’s new 25,000-capacity Queensland Country Bank Stadium, the venue was delivered by managing contractor Hutchinson Builders and architects Populous, in conjunction with Tippett Schrock Architects.
The centre was built with $15 million support from the Australian Government, $5 million from the Queensland Government and through a $20 million loan from the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF).
The facility is a contemporary, multi-purpose building spread across three levels and features an indoor field, wet recovery area, team auditorium, broadcast studio and prime top-floor commercial space.
“Embarking on our first research tours of other professional high-performance facilities was definitely a ‘dare to dream’ moment for us, and we knew we had to seize the opportunity to take the Cowboys to the next level in our evolution as an elite sporting organisation,” Cowboys Chairman Lewis Ramsay said.
“We also saw the economic potential for our region and, driven by our commitment as a community-owned club, we set about creating a space that would generate local employment, develop local athletic talent, attract new revenues from visiting elite sporting teams and establish a shared community space within the new stadium precinct.
"This is a magnificent venue and a tribute to everyone involved with the club in the last quarter-century.
“We are here today because of them and the significant support of our major project stakeholders, including the Federal Government, Queensland Government, Northern Australia Infrastructure Fund and Townsville City Council, whose vision and commitment matched our passion and drive.”
Federal Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia Keith Pitt attended the opening and said the new facilities ensured the Cowboys had access to the best possible training facilities, which would also be available to other teams and the Townsville community.
“I’m delighted to help celebrate the opening of the Community, Training and High-Performance Centre, which will be home for the Cowboys, and used by other local sports teams, and by teams all over Australia who need to train for tropical conditions” Pitt said.
“Sport is an important part of Australian culture and is a crucial contributor to our communities, particularly in regional Australia. This new centre will be an important facility for communities across north Queensland.
“James Cook University will host a sports science facility in the new centre, which will become a hub for sports medicine and sports science and research.”
The Cowboys have a long-term lease with Townsville City Council for use of the land, which includes use of the adjacent 12,000 square-metre community training field.
