NORTH QUEENSLAND
TULLY GRANDSTAND – A DIFFERENT WAY TO DELIVER
Available in ANNUAL CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS
Justin Fischer Cassowary Coast Regional Council
The Tully Multi-Use Sporting Complex and Grandstand project consists of the construction and fit out of a new 600 seat multi-use grandstand with associated facilities for the Tully community. The Complex and Grandstand has created a new precinct focused around the existing Tully Showground that provides a cultural and recreation facility for a range of tourism and events use. A focus on place-making has underpinned the planning for the Tully Multi-Use Sporting Complex and Grandstand offering opportunities to grow existing and attract new events and tourism offerings and associated economic benefits for the region. The project has increased the town’s capacity for increased sport and recreation participation and to develop its activities in a safe and appropriately supported environment in addition to promoting the benefits of sport and a healthy recreational lifestyle for the surrounding Tully sporting sector, general public and touring organisations. While the facility is designed with National Rugby League (NRL) requirements specifically in mind, the new community sports facility is able to be used by a range of sporting
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and cultural organisations for multiple different events. The design of the facility has taken the following considerations into account: • Flexibility to adapt to varied purposes to reflect the needs of the local community; • Ecologically sustainable through optimizing the use of natural light and ventilation; • Disaster resilient design for cycles and flooding; • Low maintenance, easy to operate with equitable access; • Incorporates emergency provisions and can be used as a disaster management centre to coordinate recovery efforts from events; • The demand for private meeting and function venues in Tully Background The Tully Multi-Use Sporting Complex and Grandstand project was initiated due to substantial deterioration of the
ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | DEC 2021
existing 90-year-old Percy Pease Grandstand located in the Tully Showgrounds, causing it to be closed in August 2017 and demolished in January 2018. The old structure was built in the 1930s and had significant limitations so a simple like for like replacement was not a consideration. Limitations included regular inundation of the kitchen and canteen facility, safety issues associated with change rooms across the access road, very poor disability access, obscured sightlines for spectators from structural elements, seating a long way from the field, inability to host male and female events requiring change rooms at the same time, small seating capacity, any temporary shade erected for reserves and sideline officials obscured the view of those in the grandstand and no facilities for game officials. Multiple workshops allowed engagement with 19 user groups (including four key user groups)
