Townsville City Deal

The Townsville City Deal is a 15-year commitment between the Australian Government, Queensland Government and Townsville City Council, who work collectively to strategically plan and deliver transformational outcomes for the Townsville region.

The first of Australia’s City Deal initiatives, The Townsville City Deal is designed to reinvigorate Townsville through building investment in local infrastructure, economic growth, industry activation, job creation and city revitalisation. The three tiers of government also work with the private sector in promoting and attracting development opportunities to the region.

The Townsville City Deal will deliver a prosperous economic future for the region to position Townsville as a vibrant, liveable and innovative city, and unlock the potential for business and industry development to enable Townsville to become:

• the economic gateway to Asia and Northern Australia
• a prosperous and highly liveable city for residents and visitors
• a global leader in tropical and marine research and innovation.

This will be achieved through:

• the creation of sustainable jobs to support a transitioning community and economy, including boosting indigenous employment opportunities
• delivery of catalytic infrastructure to drive private sector investment, support existing and emerging economies, and sustainable jobs
• delivery of new transit, entertainment and cultural facilities that enhance amenity and lifestyle.

The Townsville City Deal will be delivered through a range of commitments which are grouped into the following six key initiatives developed by the Townsville community:

• Capital of North Queensland
• Innovative and Connected City
• Industry Powerhouse of the North
• Defence Hub
• Port City
• Enabling Infrastructure.

To date, key projects completed under the Townsville City Deal include:

• Queensland Country Bank Stadium
• Haughton Pipeline Stage 1
• Townsville Workforce Development Plan
• Townsville Health and Knowledge Development Strategy
• Port of Townsville Channel Upgrade.

Publications and Reports

• Townsville City Deal Snapshot (PDF)
• Townsville City Deal Report (PDF)
• Implementation Plan (PDF)
• 2017 Annual Progress Report (PDF)
• 2018 Annual Progress Report (PDF)
• 2019 Annual Progress Report (PDF)
• Three Year Formal Review of the Townsville City Deal (PDF)
• 2020 Annual Progress Report (PDF)

For further information on City Deals, visit the Australian Government's Cities webpage.

Queensland Country Bank Stadium

Project Status - Completed

The Queensland Country Bank Stadium is a 25,000 seat, best practice, multi-purpose regional stadium within the Townsville CBD that was officially opened in February 2020. The successful delivery of this project has provided the necessary infrastructure to deliver future activation and development opportunities for the Townsville City Waterfront Priority Development Area and the Townsville CBD.

The stadium features a native pandanus-leaf inspired roof specially designed to withstand North Queensland’s extreme weather. 9,100m² of special-purpose, durable PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) fabric on the roof and kites are weather, fire and UV resistant. Its smooth Teflon coating allows it to be washed by natural rainfall, reducing the need for cleaning and water usage. The iconic horseshoe shape of the roof allows for the afternoon North Queensland breeze to pass through the Stadium.

The Stadium was a joint project of the Queensland Government ($140m), Australian Government ($100m) and Townsville City Council (land and enabling infrastructure). Whilst predominantly used as the North Queensland Cowboys home ground, the Stadium has quickly become an event facility for more than just rugby league and has already attracted international music concerts, boxing championships and Rugby Union World Championship. The Stadium has also provided Townsville the opportunity to host the 2021 State of Origin Game 1 which saw a Stadium record crowd of 27,553, made possible by the installation of temporary stands on the northern end.

The project provided more than 2,300 jobs during construction, including 121 apprentices and 17 trainees, and engaged more than 500 local businesses in the supply chain. Following completion, from catering to security, the stadium provides up to 1,000 jobs during a major event, as well as additional indirect jobs through suppliers and contractors.

For upcoming events and to plan your trip to the stadium, visit the Queensland Country Bank Stadium website.

Haughton Pipeline Stage 1

Project Status – Completed

The Haughton Pipeline project is a key step in achieving water security for the Townsville community. Stage 1 of the project was completed in June 2020 and included installation of 36.5 kilometres of 1.8 metre diameter pipe spanning from the Haughton Pump Station through to the Ross River Dam. Stage 2 of the project will see an extension of the pipeline from the Haughton Channel through to the Burdekin River.

The pipeline project was jointly supported by Queensland Government, Australian Government and Townsville City Council, predominantly funded by the Queensland Government. The project also included close consultation with Traditional Owners to ensure there were no disruptions to cultural sites and natural vegetation.

During design and construction, the project provided over 1,000 jobs, equating to over 500,000 working hours. 200 businesses were also engaged in the installation of the pipeline which provided a significant economic boost to the local economy.

For more information on the project, visit the Haughton Pipeline Project page.

Port of Townsville Channel Upgrade

Project Status – Completed

The Port of Townsville Channel Upgrade project is the first stage of a broader Port Expansion Project. The project includes the widening of the shipping channel from 92 metres to 180 metres at the inshore end, tapering to 120 metres at the seaward end. The wider shipping channel will allow vessels up to 300 metres in length to safely access the Port, instead of bypassing Townsville.

For further information on the Port of Townsville Channel Upgrade, visit the Port of Townsville website.

Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct

Project Status – Ongoing

The Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct will be Northern Australia’s first environmentally sustainable, advanced manufacturing, processing and technology precinct powered by locally generated renewable energy. Located 40km from the Townsville CBD, the 2,200 hectares of freehold land, owned by Townsville City Council,

For further information on the project, visit the Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct page.

North Australia Concert Hall and Arts Precinct

Project Status – Ongoing

Council is working with the Australian and Queensland Governments to develop a state of the facility that will transform the arts and entertainment industry for the region and facilitate the attraction of world class National and International artists, further establishing Townsville’s reputation as the events capital of North Australia.

The delivery of a modern and flexible entertainment facility is a key commitment of the Townsville City Deal. Several studies have been conducted and demonstrate a significant gap in the offering of cultural facilities and a lack of cultural infrastructure investment over the last fifty years in the Townsville region.

Progress continues, with a commitment of $2m from the Australian Government for the development of a Concert Hall business case, currently underway. A further $98m has also been committed through the Australian Government, pending the outcome of the business case, for construction of the facility.

Separately, Council is working through concept design for a broader North Australia Arts Precinct, which is envisaged to integrate with the Townsville Concert Hall, pending the outcome of the site analysis conducted through the Concert Hall business case.

For further information on the project, visit the North Australia Arts Precinct page.

Defence Investment

Project Status – Ongoing

Townsville, North Queensland is one of Australia’s prime strategic Defence regions. Situated on the north-eastern coast of Queensland, Townsville is uniquely well positioned for mounting operations into South East Asia and the Pacific. The region has significant Australian Defence Force representation, supporting infrastructure and world-class training ranges, an established ready workforce and a demonstrated capacity for growth and innovation.

The Townsville City Deal, Defence Strategy and Health and Knowledge Development Strategy recognise the untapped potential for enhanced collaboration between institutions, industries, and governments to drive job creation and economic growth for the Townsville North Queensland region. The Defence Strategy identifies opportunities with potential to achieve mutual benefit through alignment of Townsville’s natural advantages with Defence capability needs.

For further information on the project, visit the Townsville North Queensland Defence Strategy page.