19 minute read
Arts, Culture and Sport
Arts, Culture and Sport MINISTERIAL BRIEFING NOTE
ORGANISATION
DELEGATION CONTACT
DELEGATES ATTENDING
DELEGATE ISSUES Cairns TNQ Convoy to CapitalQ
Advance Cairns, Tourism Tropical North Queensland and Cairns Chamber of Commerce are leading the region’s largest ever business delegation to Brisbane. The delegation includes more than 50 business leaders over a two-day period (February 18-19), representing 12 key business sectors to meet with State MPs and attend the Speaker’s Cocktail Reception.
Further information: Nick Trompf, Executive Chairman Advance Cairns E: nicktrompf@advancecairns.com | M: 0412 786 719
Arts, Culture and Sport:
Doug McKinstry
1. Doug McKinstry, Chairman Cairns Art Gallery Board of Directors & Partner/Director WGC Lawyers 2. Jodie Duignan-George, Associate Vice-Chancellor Cairns & Far North Region for CQUniversity & Director Advance Cairns 3. Gary Young, President & Managing Director AFL Cairns 4. Bevan Clayton, Vice President Cairns Show Association 5. Suellen Maunder, Artistic Director/CEO JUTE Theatre Company 6. Nick Masasso, Executive Project Officer Cairns Regional Council
Attached are bios on each delegate.
Arts, Culture and Sport issues to discuss:
• Cairns Gallery Precinct • Cairns Showground, Sporting and Community Precinct • Cairns Destination Sport
Attached are briefing papers on each issue.
WEBSITE LINKS
• Attendee biographies • Briefing papers
DO UG MCKINSTRY CHAIRMAN CAIRNS ART GALLERY BOARD OF DIRECTORS & P ARTNER/DIRECTOR WGC LAWYERS
A Partner/Director of WGC Lawyers since 1993, Doug leads the dispute resolution and litigation teams and is one of the most experienced commercial and civil litigators in North Queensland.
Doug has a long and distinguished association with the Cairns Art Gallery. He is the current Chairman of the Cairns Art Gallery Board of Directors, bringing legal and business expertise to the Board. Doug is committed to extending the reach, impact, excellence and viability of the Gallery for future generations by bringing great art and artists to the region to inspire audiences, encourage critical dialogues, and develop talent and ideas leadership.
Doug is a Life Member of the Cairns Surf Life Saving Club where he has been a patrol captain for over 20 years. As Club President Doug was instrumental in developing a $6 million clubhouse on the Club’s freehold land at Palm Cove, enabling the Club to develop sustainable income streams to purchase equipment and provide training facilities for the Club’s volunteers.
Doug has also served as president of the Far North Queensland Law Association and Barron Trinity Rugby Union Club and he is also a vocal ambassador for the Tobruk Memorial Swimming Pool of which he is a Gold Shield (Life) member.
Jodie Duignan-George is the foundation Associate Vice-Chancellor for the Cairns and Far North Region of CQUniversity.
With a 20+ year career in higher education, Jodie has a strong understanding of the issues facing the sector, particularly from a regional university perspective. Her interests, however, extend beyond higher education to include regional development more broadly. She is an engagement specialist and a strategic thinker who collaborates across boundaries to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes for stakeholders.
Jodie is an active member of her community, serving on the Management Committees of Study Cairns and Cairns Chamber of Commerce (as Vice President). Jodie is also a Director on the Board of Advance Cairns (locally) and the Company Secretary of Engagement Australia (nationally).
She also serves on local and state government committees and is a member of the board of RDA FNQ&TS.
Gary is originally from Melbourne but has lived in Cairns for over thirty years. While his background is in teaching, he moved into the tourism industry when he relocated from Victoria to Far North Queensland in 1988.
Gary’s industry history includes owning a backpacker hostel, taking on roles in Sales and Marketing with RnR Rafting and the Cairns Colonial Club Resort, as well as embracing the role of Regional Manager for QR Traveltrain for ten years. This has provided him with a wide range of experiences and knowledge of the tourism industry.
He has also judged and/or chaired the TTNQ, Queensland and Australian Tourism Awards. The variety of these involvements led to his induction as a Life Member of Tourism Tropical North Queensland in 2018.
In his current role as President and Managing Director of AFL Cairns, he not only pursues “on and off field” opportunities for AFL but those of the city and region. Gary is also a Board member of Cairns Netball Association.
Gary strongly believes that sports tourism and sports science are significant opportunities that Far North Queensland must embrace to add further resilience and sustainability to our regional economy.
Bevan is a long term resident of Cairns having “migrated” from Victoria in 1971. He has had a long career in Civil Engineering in the Cairns and surrounding areas including being a partner in the successful firm of Colefax Clayton Smith from 1980 to 2001 after which it merged with the International firm of Cardno.
Bevan joined the committee of the Cairns Show Association in 2006 and in 2010 was elected to the Management Committee. In 2016 Bevan was elected to the position of Vice President of the Cairns Show Association.
Since joining the committee, Bevan has played an active role in pursuing the interests of the Cairns Agricultural, Pastoral and Mining Association. He has been the Chief Steward in the Fred Moule Exhibition Centre for several years and recently has also been on the Advisory Committee for the new Masterplan for the Cairns Showgrounds.
Bevan is also actively involved in obtaining a new long term lease from the Cairns Regional Council for the Cairns Show Association.
Founding Member and Artistic Director/CEO of JUTE Theatre Company, a multi-award winning regional company based in Cairns, Suellen is an actor and director and has extensive experience in the development and direction of new Australian play s.
Suellen was a key player in gaining $2.7 million in capital works funding from State Government in 2001, was integrally involved in the design and development of the Centre of Contemporary Arts in Cairns, and consulted on the $2 million rehearsal studio development at the Centre.
Suellen is a member of the Queensland Chamber of Arts and Culture. Most recently she served on the board of Diversity Arts Australia; the Theatre Board of the Australia Council for the Arts 2009-2012 and was a Trustee of the Board of the Queensland Performing Arts Trust 2001-2007. Suellen has served on numerous funding assessment panels and was an Adjunct Lecturer at JCU, Cairns Campus 2008 - 2012.
Suellen is committed to the growth of high quality professional theatre practice in the regions.
Nick is Cairns Regional Council’s Executive Project Officer and a member of Council’s Executive Management Team.
Nick oversees Council’s Economic Development Department and inbound (from State and Federal Governments) grant funding streams. He also works directly with the Mayor’s and CEO’s office on advocacy initiatives relevant to Council’s operations. He has previously held senior management positions with KPMG, Grant Thornton, First Great Western Trains (UK) and GE Capital.
Nick has broad finance, management and economic development experience across a range of industry sectors in Australia and the UK. A Chartered Accountant by profession, Nick also holds an Associate Diploma in Applied Finance and Investment from the Securities Institute of Australia.
Nick is a past Treasurer of the Cairns Chamber of Commerce and a casual lecturer with James Cook University. He is a third generation North Queenslander having grown up on a family farm located on the Atherton Tablelands.
COUNCIL: CAIRNS STATE ELECTORATE: CAIRNS FEDERAL ELECTORATES: LEICHHARDT DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT
CAIRNS GALLERY PRECINCT
BRIEFING NOTE SUMMARY
• With Cairns positioning itself to be the Arts and Cultural Capital of northern Australia, to cater for its multicultural community, welcome new migrants and encourage social cohesion, further investment in infrastructure is required.
• To strengthen arts and culture, the Cairns Gallery Precinct will showcase domestic and international touring exhibitions as well as contemporary local and indigenous art. The project requires tri-partite investment of $39.8 million.
THE ISSUE The Cairns Gallery Precinct is a project that supports and complements recent regional investment in arts and cultural facilities, events and programs. These include the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF), Cairns Performing Arts Centre (CPAC), Munro Martin Parklands (MMP) and the Bulmba-ja Arts Centre (formerly Centre of Contemporary Arts). The project will transform and connect three heritage listed buildings in the Cairns City Centre (the Cairns Art Gallery, ‘Old’ Court House and former Mulgrave Shire Council offices) and establish a new world class gallery building to create a dynamic and unique gallery precinct with benefits for both the local community and domestic and international visitors. The project would also broaden the region’s tourism offer and enhance liveability within our community. A significant proportion of Cairns’ population identify as First Nations peoples. Cairns is also the principal connection point for the exchange and celebration of Indigenous art and culture from communities throughout Cape York and the Torres Strait. The Cairns and Great Barrier Reef region is home to Australia’s highest proportion of Indigenous Australians and its greatest diversity of Indigenous cultures. Community demand for the arts, the burgeoning local creative sector,
2020 STATE ELECTION PRIORITIES FOR TNQ the opportunity to showcase more Indigenous arts, and the need to diversify our tourism offering all contribute to the need for increased scale and diversity of Cairns’ visual arts infrastructure. The recent announcement by the Premier of Queensland that 2020 will be ‘the Year of Indigenous Tourism’ sends a clear strategic signal of the importance of cultural tourism projects such as the Cairns Gallery Precinct. Investment in the project would demonstrate the Queensland Government’s commitment to this strategic imperative.
BACKGROUND Establishment of the precinct will have significant positive impacts on jobs and economic growth. In addition to the significant economic impact and employment created during construction, once operational, the project will add $20.7 million per annum to the regional economy (Gross Regional Product) and support 177 ongoing full time jobs through its direct operation and induced tourism expenditure. An independent and comprehensive business case for the project has been completed utilising funding provided by the Queensland Government. The business case supports the case for project investment with the preferred project option having a Benefits to Cost Ratio (BCR) of 1.19 and a Net Present Value (NPV) of
$13.3 million. NEXT STEPS This proposal calls for a tripartite funding arrangement to construct and establish the precinct with Federal, State and Local (Council) Governments each contributing one third of the project’s total capital cost of $39.8 million. The project aligns with and supports the implementation of the following Queensland Government strategies and initiatives: • The Queensland Plan: Queenslanders’ 30-year vision 2014
• State Infrastructure Plan 2016 • Advancing Tourism 2016-20 • Queensland Tourism and Transport Strategy 2018 • Tourism and Events Queensland Strategic Plan 2018-2022 • Far North Queensland Regional Plan 2009-2031 • Advancing North Queensland – Investing in the Future of the North (2016) plan • Advancing Tourism in North Queensland 2016-20
RECOMMENDED INVESTMENT
Estimated project cost $39.8m
Local Council Investment (already confirmed) State Investment Federal Investment 2020-2021
$13.3m $13.3m $13.3m
OUR RECOMMENDATION
• That under a tri-partite funding arrangement, the Queensland and Federal Government’s each commit$13.3 million in the 2020-2021 budget to invest in the Cairns Gallery Precinct.
COUNCIL: CAIRNS STATE ELECTORATE: CAIRNS FEDERAL ELECTORATES: LEICHHARDT DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT
BRIEFING NOTE SUMMARY
• Cairns is home to the largest regional show in Australia.
• To date, the Cairns Showground facilities have been fully funded by the Cairns Show Society, which includes the building and maintenance of infrastructure.
• The facilities are becoming dilapidated and the showgrounds are significantly underutilised.
• A Master Plan commissioned by the State Government and released in 2019 highlighted the need for considerable investment to repair and upgrade facilities.
• Master planning indicates a $40 million investment is required to upgrade this vital community asset.
THE ISSUE The Cairns Show attracts more than 73,000 people annually, making it the biggest regional show in Australia and the largest event of any kind in Cairns. More than just an agricultural show, the three-day event showcases a wide range of the region’s industries, cultures and society, bringing together families, farmers and small and large enterprise. The show is steeped in history dating back to 1891 and since inception, has been led by the not-for-profit Cairns Agricultural, Pastoral and Mining Association. Volunteers are the backbone of the annual Cairns Show event and the Showground facilities have been fully funded by the Cairns Show Society, which includes the building and maintenance of associated infrastructure. Now in its 129th year, the existing infrastructure has become run-down and the showgrounds themselves are significantly underutilised, despite being available for lease throughout the year and being home to a range of other community groups. While its history is strong and importance to the region undeniable, the survival of the Cairns Show depends on local sponsorship
2020 STATE ELECTION PRIORITIES FOR TNQ and is threatened by ever-increasing additional maintenance costs. A Master Plan commissioned by the State Government and released in 2019 sets out a long-term vision to rejuvenate the facility and boost community engagement. There is enormous potential for the Showgrounds to expand its year-round regional role as the provider of quality, safe, accessible, inclusive and affordable infrastructure if proposed upgrades as identified in the Master Plan are completed.
BACKGROUND The Cairns Showground, Sporting and Community Precinct has been managed and independently funded by the not-forprofit Cairns Agricultural, Pastoral and Mining Association (CAPMA) since inception. The Cairns Show was, and continues to be, built upon the hard work and generosity of the community and its business leaders. The community and commercial value of the Cairns Showgrounds is still significantly underutilised, despite the fact it is home to numerous not for profit clubs and groups and available for hire throughout the year.
Over its long history the show has been staged at various venues but since 1931 the current Mulgrave Rd site has been its home. The land occupies part of two reserves for Sports and Showgrounds purposes gazetted in 1932 under the control of the then Cairns City Council as Trustee. The Cairns Show Society has selffunded the precinct. Every building was built and continues to be maintained by the society in partnership with volunteers, sponsors and local businesses. The Showgrounds are an essential connection between Cairns and its diverse regional economy. A wide range of stakeholders participate in the Cairns Show including competitors, judges, showmen, exhibitors, entertainers, volunteers, businesses, government, professionals, community groups, services clubs, schools, families and children. Agricultural displays and competitions remain the heart and soul of the Show, serving to affirm the importance of traditional rural and primary industries in the life and economy of this region. The CAPMA lease expired in October 2019. In September 2019, Cairns Regional Council offered an interim three-year permit to enable more detailed evaluation of the Master Plan and its financial modelling to be carried out before reviewing a long term tenure.
NEXT STEPS The Cairns Showground, Sporting and Community Precinct upgrade has an estimated capital cost of $40 million. The Master Plan contains a detailed proposal to expand and upgrade the Cairns Showground, Sporting and Community Precinct with the following features: • retain and upgrade the historic Headrick grandstand; • upgrade and expand the Fred Moule exhibition building as adjunct to the Cairns Convention Centre with a new multi-use design; • preserve and promote the ecological and historical importance of the Fearnley St canal; • develop an RV camping area targeting the expanding ‘grey nomad’ market; and • multi-purpose buildings serving as emergency recovery centres, community programs and sporting facilities, in particular the disability sporting sector through NDIS design. With the Master Planning process complete, the project now requires a business case to facilitate environmental approvals and progress the precinct upgrade to design and construction. The implementation of the Master Plan will result in a sustainable and profitable business model through modern infrastructure which enables the Cairns Showgrounds to diversify its income streams and expand its target markets.
RECOMMENDED INVESTMENT
OUR RECOMMENDATION
• That in 2020-2021 the State Government commit $40 million to upgrade the Cairns Showground, Sporting and Community Precinct in line with the Master Plan.
COUNCIL: CAIRNS STATE ELECTORATE: CAIRNS FEDERAL ELECTORATES: LEICHHARDT INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT
CAIRNS DESTINATION SPORT
BRIEFING NOTE SUMMARY • •
• Cairns is Australia’s most global regional city and has a unique opportunity to cement itself as an international destination of choice for sports tourism, sports events, and sports research and education.
• A $1 million investment is sought from the State Government to develop a detailed scoping study to further understand the opportunity.
• This initiative complements the proposed Queensland/ SEQ 2032 Olympic Bid, with the development of sporting facilities and training capabilities in the region supporting the State’s delivery of IOC’s “New Norms”.
• Continued investment provides potential for Cairns to eventually rival the international cities of Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong and Singapore as a premier destination for tropical sports conditioning, training and tourism.
THE ISSUE Cairns has a unique opportunity to position itself as a destination of choice for sports tourism, elite level sports training camps, mass participation sporting events, and sports related research and education. The region’s specific competitive advantages include: • A track record of attracting and hosting large scale sporting events and training camps with recent examples including: the Ironman AsiaPacific Championship Cairns; Paralympic Pan Pacific Swimming Championships; NRL and AFL league games; Commonwealth Games Basketball (2018); Rugby League World Cup Games (2017); international swim team training camps; Davis Cup Tennis; Seven Cairns Marathon Festival; and the GBR Masters Games amongst others; • An existing and well-established national level sporting team in the Cairns Taipans (basketball), with an aspiration to attract a WNBL team to the region (Women’s Basketball); • A range of high standard sporting facilities including: the Tobruk Memorial Pool; Cairns Convention Centre; Cairns Basketball Stadium; Cazalys Stadium (AFL and cricket); Cairns International Tennis Centre; Cairns Regional Hockey Centre; and Barlow Park (athletics, rugby league, rugby union and soccer);
2020 STATE ELECTION PRIORITIES FOR TNQ • Two well established universities (CQUniversity and James Cook University), existing tertiary sports and exercise science education and research activities occurring in region and the potential for further expansion; • A climate which is attractive for winter training camps and events and which also lends itself to tropical sports conditioning and research; • Strong domestic and international aviation links and ancillary facilities (accommodation etc.) to support sports tourism, training camps and events; and • Existing and strengthening sporting links with PNG and the Pacific, particularly for rugby league, and the potential for this and other initiatives to support future rectangular stadium development.
BACKGROUND Growth in professional women’s sport and tropical sports conditioning also represent potential areas of opportunity that Cairns is well positioned to benefit from. A detailed scoping study is required to further understand the opportunity and how Cairns can best position itself as an internationally recognised sports destination of choice. It is expected that the study would incorporate two phases.
PHASE ONE: Market/Needs Assessment Phase one would investigate the potential market opportunities for sports tourism, events training camps, research and education, rectangular stadium use etc. It would analyse emerging trends at both a domestic and international level with a view to identifying significant growth opportunities. The region’s specific competitive advantages would be considered as part of this phase as would existing proposals put forward by a variety of proponents. Phase one would also include an audit of the existing sporting, education and research expertise, facilities and infrastructure in the region as well as consultation with key regional stakeholders (universities, sporting bodies, tourism marketing agencies etc.). It would also include a gap analysis identifying key investments and development required to meet the priority areas of market opportunity.
PHASE TWO: Business Case and Implementation Plan Phase two would build on the results of Phase one and provide detailed commercial feasibility analysis as well as an implementation plan for key initiatives identified. Work is expected to include consideration of funding models for infrastructure establishment and operation, analysis of governance and collaboration models, cost benefit analysis, risk assessment and mitigation strategies. The output from Phase two would be a business case/s for the specific opportunities/facilities required to meet the priorities identified from the market and needs assessment phase.
NEXT STEPS A number of proposals/concepts that could potentially contribute to the region’s reputation as a sporting destination of national and international significance have already emerged. These include:
• The potential establishment in Cairns of a Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) team, stadium, and associated CQUniversity Women in Sport Research Centre. CQUniversity in partnership with Cairns Basketball Association (CBA) and the Cairns NBL Taipans have already identified this initiative as a priority worthy of further investigation. • Potential Tropical Sports Conditioning Centre Facilities which would provide a world class base for tropical sports science serving the local community, youth athletes, and occupational/ tactical personnel along with bringing elite national and international athletes to the region. This is an initiative previously identified by James Cook University and will focus on both teaching and research in areas such as heat stress and physical activity, heat-acclimatisation training for strength and endurance athletes and industryrelated heat illness. • The potential for a new/upgraded multi-use rectangular stadium to: support a proposed Cairns/Papua New Guinea (PNG) NRL bid; potentially host national and international level games from other codes including soccer, rugby union; provide a large scale outdoor venue for concerts and events; and provide a potential base for retail, accommodation, research/ education and other activities. Such a stadium could also potentially house facilities for a range of other sporting codes and initiatives. These are among the concepts that would be further considered and explored as part of the scoping study. This initiative also complements the proposed Queensland/SEQ 2032 Olympic Bid with the development of sporting facilities and training capabilities in region supporting the case for such a bid. Continued investment provides potential for Cairns to eventually rival the international cities of Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong and Singapore as one of world’s premier destinations for tropical sports conditioning and training as well as sports tourism.
RECOMMENDED INVESTMENT
OUR RECOMMENDATION
• That the State Government invest $1 million to complete a two stage scoping study to identify and leverage the opportunity for Cairns to become an internationally recognised sports destination of choice.
THE CAIRNS MARINE PRECINCT HAS SERVICED THE DEFENCE, BORDER FORCE AND MARINE INDUSTRIES FOR MANY YEARS PHOTO CREDIT: TROPICAL REEF SHIPYARD
