LED screens to enhance facilities at Townsville RSL Stadium

Visitors to Townsville RSL Stadium may soon see the bigger picture.

Townsville City Council’s Sport, Recreation and Parks Committee yesterday backed a staff recommendation to purchase new LED display screens to support major events.

The screens, worth $200,000 including installation, would benefit anchor tenant the JCU Townsville Fire basketball team, as well as community sporting groups and event organisers, who use the facilities.

Sport, Recreation and Parks Committee chair Cr Pat Ernst said the screens, which could be configured to suit needs, would enhance the atmosphere at events through the large scale visual presentation of videos, camera feeds and graphics.

"These new screens would offer users of the facility up-to-date equipment which will result in a high quality service for existing users, as well as offer the capacity to attract new users to the stadium," Cr Ernst said.

He said Townsville RSL Stadium, which opened four years ago, was used for a growing number of events including the Seniors Week Luncheon, school graduations, religious conferences and expos.

"Over the 2014-15 financial year we had more than 162,000 visitors through the doors and next week during school formals week, we will have in excess of 7000 come through.

"We’ve had to hire in screens for at least a dozen events this past year, so as the demand for screens continues to grow, it makes financial sense to purchase ones that will meet all needs."

Cr Ernst said the acquisition of permanent screens for the facility would also reduce the time required for staff to set up and pull down equipment when compared to the current temporarily hired equipment, and would therefore be more cost effective for event organisers and for council.

The committee’s recommendation is to include funding for the screens in the 2015-16 capital budget at the four-month review of expenditure.

The recommendation will be considered for adoption at the full council meeting on November 24.