There is just over one week to go until Townsville City Council’s North Australian Festival of Arts (NAFA) and Northern Fringe Festival launches.

The inaugural festival will officially launch with the Neck of the Woods Festival taking place next weekend.

Townsville Choral Society will also start the Fringe Festival off strong with Heathers the Musical taking the stage from Wednesday next week.

Community and Cultural Development Committee Chair Cr Colleen Doyle said the opening week will set the scene for the entire month of July.

“Townsville is incredibly lucky to have a diverse arts and culture scene with a line-up of fantastic local events,” Cr Doyle said.

“The Northern Fringe Festival is officially launching at the Neck of the Woods Festival out at Pinnacles and Townsville Choral Society performing Heathers the Musical – based on the 1988 dark comedy of the same name.

“This really sets the scene for the massive line-up of events that make up both NAFA and the Fringe Festival.”

The Northern Fringe will accompany a stellar line-up of arts and culture that will make up NAFA – including Strand Ephemera, the Festival of Stories, a free San Cisco concert and plenty of kid’s activities.

Cr Doyle said she is looking forward to seeing some of the world-class acts performing in Townsville during July.

“Townsville will play host to internationally acclaimed performances and national acts alongside our talented locals,” Cr Doyle said.

“Townsville really is the arts, culture and events capital of North Australia and this line-up has something for everyone.

“The Wonderland Spiegeltent is a fantastic venue and I can’t wait to see it set up with a spectacular Strand backdrop during Townsville’s tropical winter.

“I really do encourage everyone to get their tickets now because I don’t want anyone to miss out on anything they want to experience.”

To book your Northern Fringe Festival and NAFA tickets, or to see the full program, visit: www.nafa-tsv.com.au

The Townsville Triathlon and Multisport Festival is back for a massive two weekends this year.

The 2019 event has been expanded over two weekends and will now include an off-road weekend of racing held at Pallarenda.

Townsville Triathlon and Multisport Festival Chair Jamie Fitzpatrick said the Festival has also secured three ITU World Championship qualifying events.

“The Townsville Triathlon and Multisport Festival has been successful in a bid to secure three qualifying events for the ITU World Championship,” Mr Fitzpatrick said.

“The finishing position of these races will determine the selection points for each competitor, giving them a chance race at Edmonton in Canada or Almere in Amsterdam in 2020.

“These qualifying events will bring interstate visitors to Townsville as they vie for their selection points and providing a good boost to the economy.”

Townsville will also hold five national titles for the next two years in the lead up to the 2021 ITU World Championships being held in Townsville.

Tourism Industry Development Minister Kate Jones said securing the 2021 ITU World Championships has resulted in a great legacy for both the region and local festival.

“The Townsville Triathlon Festival will now host national titles and qualifying events in the lead up to the 2021 ITU World Championships, expanding the event to two weekends,” Ms Jones said.

“This announcement will boost the event’s status and attract more competitors from across Australia and the globe to our city.  Showcasing the best of the region over two weekends of sport.

“The Townsville Triathlon Festival is fast becoming the biggest regional triathlon in Queensland, which only further cements the city’s reputation as a world-class sporting destination.

“This is another fantastic legacy off the back of securing the 2021 ITU World Championships, which is expected to pump $16 million into the local economy.”

Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill said these events show why Townsville is the events capital of North Queensland.

“Townsville is the perfect location for these world-class events, and we have shown time and time again that we can bring the crowds and participants here,” Cr Hill said.

“Hosting these events gives our city a major economic boost with visitors staying in our accommodation, eating in our restaurants, telling our story and enjoying the local attractions.”

There will be 22 events held over 2 weekends, with events suitable for experienced athletes through to beginners, teams and anyone just looking to have fun.

Triathlon Australia Chief Executive Officer Miles Stewart said Triathlon Australia are pleased to support the Intersport Townsville Triathlon Festival Multisport.

“Triathlon Australia are providing support by granting the event the 2019 Aquathlon and Duathlon national championships, in 2020 this will also include Cross Triathlon,” Mr Stewart said.

“This announcement is part of the strategy in preparation for next year’s ITU Multisport World Championships and is an enormous boost to the event and Townsville.

“The inclusion of these additional events will bring increased economic benefit to Townsville in the two years leading up to the World Championships.”

Local triathlete Conor McKay – who will be competing for the fifth time – said that the World Championship qualifiers will encourage interstate competitors to compete in the region.

“Out of town athletes will travel to experience the qualifying events and this gives them the chance to practice the course for the 2021 World Championships,” Mr McKay said.

This year’s qualifying events will include the Mater Classic Distance Triathlon, the GNM Duathlon, and the RMS Cross-Triathlon.

Registrations are now open, and all event details can be found at www.townsvilletrifestival.org.au

Townsville City Council’s Community and Cultural Development Committee has recommended a new Street Food Strategy be adopted.

The Strategy aims to balance the needs of bricks-and-mortar businesses and street food vendors while identifying viable public land for food trucks.

The Street Food Strategy will encourage businesses in the sector to grow and create jobs, help activate key public spaces and streamline Council processes.

Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill said Townsville Eats has highlighted the growing interest in food trucks.

“Street food vendors are becoming more popular and we’re developing the Street Food Strategy to promote future growth and job opportunities,” Cr Hill said.

“We want to activate public spaces so we can boost the economy and create more social events.

“We want to promote Townsville as a vibrant, fun destination.”

Cr Hill said the Street Food Strategy will evolve with the industry.

“We’ll implement the Strategy as a pilot program for 12 months and we’ll use the trial period to have ongoing talks with vendors,” Cr Hill said.

“It will give us time to develop the best approach and prime locations in public spaces.

“We are also looking to balance the needs of food trucks and existing food businesses – we don’t want to hurt bricks and mortar outlets.”

Cr Hill said the new Strategy will make life simpler for mobile vendors.

“The Strategy will remove a lot of red tape for truck owners,” Cr Hill said.

“In the past, vendors have had to submit all their information for each event – the overarching Strategy will eliminate that and it will also streamline our processes.”

The report will go to Full Council on 25 June for final consideration.