Sport
22 October, 2024
Labor backs Northern sport superstars with QAS centre
UP TO $15 million for the first stage of a Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS) and FNQ High Performance Centre in Cairns has been pledged by a re-elected Labor government.
The funding would be used together with North Queensland Cowboys commitment of $10 million towards the Centre and to move their NRL Women’s team to Cairns
The QAS would be located next to Barlow Park at West Barlow and aims to establish the FNQ as a leading destination for women’s sport in Australia.
“The QAS Cairns means talented kids from the [north] would not need to travel to and reside in Brisbane to be on QAS talent pathways,” Sport Minister and Member for Cairns Michael Healy said.
“Regional Queensland historically produces amazing talent but the barriers around training and being too far away from home mean they are under-represented at an elite level.
“I believe Cairns can become a breeding ground for a new generation of young sports stars growing up in the regions, particularly young women.”
To be built in stages, the high-performance centre would include a performance gym, indoor courts, offices, live-in premium accommodation and student dormitories with a nutrition kitchen.
This compliments the $91 million upgrade of Barlow Park for the Brisbane 2032 Olympics and Paralympics and converts Barlow Park into a Major Events Precinct.
The QAS and NQ Cowboys NRLW would both be anchor tenants with other users including Northern Pride, CQU, JCU, TAFE, Hawthorne AFLW and Cairns Taipans.
