We respectfully acknowledge the traditional custodians of the Townsville North Queensland region. The stunning natural beauty of our region has been carefully nurtured for generations of First Nation’s people; their enduring connection to land, sea, and sky country makes Indigenous Australian heritage the oldest continually living culture in the world, and of this our region is truly proud. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and future and value and respect the traditional cultures and aspirations of First Australians on this land, and across the Nation.
Townsville North Queensland Your next event destination
The Townsville North Queensland region has been on a journey – quietly growing and transforming to boldly command our position as the capital of North Queensland.
We are the big smoke of regional Australia, boasting endless sunny days, global sustainability accolades and an unrivalled power to surprise and delight our visitors. We’re the keepers and preservers of our authentic Australian history, culture, and national wonders. Home to untouched and untamed landscapes, and people and places of significance – Townsville North Queensland is a region you can explore deeper without going far.
Our region is home to some of Australia’s most iconic landscapes, from the wonder of the Great Barrier Reef to the wide-open spaces of the Outback, from lush World Heritage-listed rainforests to a beachside city scape – no matter your vision, we have the place to bring your event to life.
Townsville North Queensland is the largest city and proud events capital of Northern Australia, offering spectacular venues, more than 3,700
accommodation rooms, 1,400 retail outlets and a wide range of dining options including three chef hatted restaurants and locally sourced cuisine. The region proudly boasts exceptional local event services including professional audio visual, exhibition setup, event theming, photography and transportation.
With a strong economic base and one of regional Australia’s most diverse industry portfolios, Townsville North Queensland offers great industry linkages and learning opportunities for conferencing and trade delegates. Our region is renowned for it’s leading research centres, projects, and operations, and can provide access to some of the nation’s most sought after academic professionals, case- studies, field trips and key industry leaders.
With spectacular North Queensland weather, contemporary and unique conferencing and event venues, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs, incentive programs, industry tours, world-class attractions and dining on offer, Townsville North Queensland will leave a lasting impression for your next event.
INGHAM
TOWNSVILLE
CHARTERS TOWERS
HINCHINBROOK ISLAND
PALM ISLAND
MAGNETIC ISLAND
With direct connections from most major Australian capital cities and services by all major airline carriers –including Qantas, Jetstar, Virgin Australia, Bonza, Alliance, Skytrans and Rex, it has never been easier for your delegates to access Townsville North Queensland.
Townsville Airport is located a short 7-minute drive to the centre of Townsville city and offers taxi, ride-share or car hire options.
Our Regions
Townsville is a vibrant city that combines a bustling community, relaxed North Queensland lifestyle, rich history and stunning natural wonders.
HINCHINBROOK
As the southern gateway to the Wet Tropics WorldHeritage listed rainforests, you can chase waterfalls, experience unique fishing sites and conquer uninhabited Jurassic islands.
MAGNETIC ISLAND
Spot koalas, rock wallabies and birds in the wild, snorkel fringing coral reefs right off the beach and hike to stunning views amongst National Parks.
BURDEKIN
The Burdekin district is nestled in the delta of the Burdekin River, with its two popular townships – Ayr and Home Hill – linked by the iconically historic Burdekin Bridge.
CHARTERS TOWERS
Step back in time and discover the authentic charm and elegance of Charters Towers, a living montage of the rich Australian gold mining history and heritage.
Escape to one of the many islands to become one with nature and enjoy intimate and exclusive experiences. The islands can be explored via boat or helicopter.
Industry Linkages
Townsville city is the largest city and economic powerhouse for Northern Australia. The region is home to approximately 240,000 people and boasts one of the most diverse, resilient, and prosperous economies in regional Australia.
This strong economic base provides unique access to relevant industry connections for business events – from access to world-class experts through to insightful field trips and new business partnerships.
Our Key Industry Sectors
Defence
• Townsville is Australia’s leading and largest garrison city and defence training location.
• The North Queensland Simulation Park (NQ Spark) will be Northern Australia’s first collaborative industry hub focused on developing defence capability.
Health and Medicine
• Townsville is the major medical hub for Northern Queensland and home to two major hospitals.
• Townsville University Hospital runs one of Australia’s largest and busiest emergency departments which is consistently ranked among the top-performing departments among major tertiary hospitals in Australia.
• With a state-of-the-art, dedicated research space and close geographical links to James Cook University, the hospital is on the cutting edge of tropical medicine research.
Mining and Resources
• Townsville North Queensland is the commercial center for mining and industry and a gateway for the export of critical minerals and ores to global markets.
• Two major mineral processing plants operate within the region.
• The Port of Townsville is a catalyst and partner in establishing and developing trade for export from Northern Queensland and is Queensland’s third largest multi cargo port.
No other region of comparable size has the connection into the future prosperity of the Australian nation as Townsville.
Bernard Salt - Leading Australian Demographer
Agriculture
• Townsville North Queensland has a booming farming and livestock sector and is recognised as one of Australia’s premier agricultural areas.
• The Burdekin and Hinchinbrook are some of Australia’s largest sugar cane producing areas.
• The Burdekin region harvests one-third of the nation’s mangoes and produces capsicums, zucchinis, pumpkins, corn, melons and an array of other fruit and vegetables.
• Charters Towers to the west of Townsville is recognised for its quality beef industry.
Green Energy, Hydrogen and Innovation
• No other region on the east coast of Australia has the combined wind and solar potential as Townsville North Queensland.
• A regional hydrogen consortium - NQH2 (North Queensland Hydrogen Cluster) has also been established to work together with partners and investors to build, collaborate and grow the hydrogen industry in our region.
• Regionally, our solar and wind investment project pipeline totals over $10 billion; our water infrastructure investment project pipeline is equally as strong - close to $7 billion. We have three world-leading Hydrogen proponents with an estimated $11 billion worth of investment in the project pipeline over the next 10 years.
Marine Science
Education
• With two internationally renowned universities, James Cook University (JCU) and Central Queensland University (CQU) and two TAFE campuses, education is a large industry for Townsville North Queensland.
• JCU is number one in the world for marine and freshwater biology and in the top 2% of universities in the world with over 21,000 students from 108 countries.
• The region is home to more than 100 primary and secondary schools.
Sports Science
• Townsville is the sporting capital of regional Australia and home to the NRL team, the North Queensland Cowboys, the NRLW team, Gold Stars and the WNBL team, the Townsville Fire.
• The new $40M Cowboys Community, Training and High-Performance Centre is adjacent to the new Queensland Country Bank Stadium and combines community areas, multi-sport high-performance training spaces, sports medicine, and sports science laboratories.
• Townsville is recognised as the headquarters of the Great Barrier Reef, home to the country’s leading marine science organisations including Australian Institute of Marine Science, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and James Cook University (world renowned in marine sciences).
Tourism and Travel
• Each year the Townsville North Queensland region welcomes more than 3 million visitors.
• The region provides visitors access to some of Australia’s most iconic landscapes – the Great Barrier Reef, rainforest, tropical islands and the outback.
