Townsville Community

AFL Grand Final on the big screen at Riverway Stadium

Football fanatics and families alike will be able to enjoy a big-screen viewing of the AFL Grand Final at Riverway Stadium this weekend.

Townsville City Council and AFL – with the support of the Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland – are hosting a free, family-friendly event from 4 pm until 10 pm this Saturday to celebrate the first-ever Queensland AFL Grand Final.

Sport and Recreation Committee Chair Maurie Soars said he is excited that Townsville could play host to a grand final event for a history-making match.

“This has been a year with unique challenges for sporting codes across the board, but it’s a huge coup for Queensland to have secured the first-ever AFL Grand Final outside of Victoria,” Cr Soars said.

“I’m thrilled that Townsville is hosting an event at Riverway Stadium and that families and AFL fans will have a chance to share in the excitement of the Grand Final, regardless of whether their favourite team is playing or not.”

Cr Soars said this event, like others held at Council venues, would have COVID-19 contract tracing in place.

“I want to assure residents that COVID contact registration will be taking place on entry at the event through QR code or manual registration,” he said.

“As usual, we ask residents to ensure they maintain a 1.5m distance from others and follow directions from staff to ensure that COVID restrictions are being adhered too.”

The event will also include live music, roaming performers, food vendors, and football-related activities for the kids.

 

Cr Soars said he is excited to see Riverway Stadium host the grand final viewing.

“Riverway Stadium is the home of AFL in Townsville and with any luck, will be the home ground for some future stars in the making,” he said.

“I’m hopeful that kids watching this on the big screen, seeing the players on the field for Queensland’s first ever Grand Final, will be inspired to get active and either join the large AFL community in Townsville, or join any other sport.”

For more information, visit What’s On Townsville here.

 

Introducing “Pete on the Street”

Stable on the Streets introduces 2020 Mascot ‘Pete on the Street’!

Townsville’s Favourite Family Friendly Christmas Event, Stable on the Strand this year presents Stable on the Streets!

Stable on the Streets is an invitation for individuals, families, groups, churches, and sponsors to ‘Express Christmas’ in their driveway, shop front, car, veranda, street, etc.


Pete will be encouraging everyone to ‘Start with a Star’ for their decorations and the community will be invited to drive by. Townsville will come alive this Christmas as homes, businesses, and Churches present Christmas. There will be displays, banners, lights, and stars all over Townsville. Large spotlights will criss-cross the night sky as Townsville comes alive. Stable on the Strand will present 3 of its traditional Christmas story scenes at separate spots across the city. Carollers will sing in the streets! Empty shop fronts will be lit up!

Food carts will be available for those hungry children! The public will be invited to a Stable on the Strand ‘drive-by’ experience following our Discovery trails and joining in the massive scavenger hunt full of interactive and fun activities, especially for families.

Stable on the Strand organizer, Anne Harley said, “Although we are disappointed at not being able to bring Stable on the Strand to Townsville this year, we are excited that, ‘Stable on the Streets’ is bringing new and creative ideas. ‘Pete on the Street’ is one of these ideas. Pete will be front and center in our promotion of Stable on the Streets.”

Stable on the Streets will run from 18th – 22nd December and is a free event. 6:00-9:00 p.m. each night

For more information, you can visit- www.stableonthestrand.com.au or their Facebook https://www.facebook.com/stableonthestrand

 

Increase your suburb’s blurb appeal with Townsville Street Library project

Take a book, give a book, share a book.

 

That is the motto that will spread across our city when the Townsville Street Library project competition kicks off this week.

 

Street libraries are small, colourful outdoor boxes that can house a number of books and are easily accessible for everyone in the community.

 

Community and Cultural Development Committee chairperson, Ann-Maree Greaney, said the project involved members of the community applying to become a Street Librarian and installing one of 100 Street Libraries on offer at their property.

 

“This is a great way to get your family, neighbours or community together to decorate your Street Library, fill it with pre-loved books, and know that you are giving your community something good to read and a dose of happiness,” Cr Greaney said.

 

“To get involved, you can apply for a Street Library through the Council website. If you’re successful you’ll receive a Street Librarian Starter Pack, which will have vouchers for supplies so you can decorate the library with the help of your neighbours and get your Street Library up and running.

 

“Once they’re ready to go, people from the neighbourhood can take whichever books interest them, and when they’re done they can either return them to a Street Library or pass them on to their friends.”

 

Cr Greaney said the Townsville Street Library project was a great way to encourage small acts of kindness.

 

“You can take a book or give a book with the Townsville Street Library project. It is a very simple way of sharing what we have with neighbours and friends who will appreciate it,” she said.

 

“Now more than ever we need to form meaningful connections with the people who live around us, especially the elderly and young families.

 

“We are going through a lifechanging period in history, so it’s important to remember to reach out to the people around you. Street libraries are an easy way to start a conversation with people in your neighbourhood that you haven’t spoken with before.”

 

Applications for the Townsville Street Library project are now open and close on Sunday, 13 September.

 

To register, head to https://www.townsville.qld.gov.au/tsl

 

Community living reimagined by Townsville student

An Oonoonba State School student has won top honors in a state-wide competition that encouraged students to create and plan their perfect community.

 

Grade 3 student Victor Jensen has recently presented a $2,500 cheque by Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill for his winning entry in the Local Government Association of Queensland’s (LGAQ) Better Communities competition.

 

The Better Communities competition challenged primary and high school-aged students to build a community while balancing realistic economic, environmental and community factors.

 

Cr Hill said Victor had a promising career in town planning ahead of him.

 

“The judges commended Victor on the great look and feel of his community, especially the range of housing types and good access to services and parks,” Cr Hill said.

 

“You never know – one day Victor might join the team at Townsville City Council working to make our city an even better place to live and work.”

 

Students used the Better Communities simulation game – which the LGAQ developed with award-winning Queensland game development studio Bail! Enemy Jet and local communications experts Articulous – as the platform to create their entries.

 

LGAQ CEO Greg Hallam said: “The entries we received from across the state showed a lot of creativity and innovative thinking. Town planning and civic leadership require out of the box thinking and it is clear there is a lot of ingenuity and big ideas out there in Queensland’s schools.”

 

The competition judges were former Attorney-General, former Minister for Local Government and lecturer in Strategic Metropolitan and Transport and Infrastructure Planning Paul Lucas, planner and University of Queensland School of Earth and Environmental Sciences associate lecturer Laurel Johnson, and LGAQ CEO Greg Hallam AM.

 

Tobruk Memorial Baths Re-Open

The Tobruk Memorial Baths on The Strand have re-opened following an $11.3 million redevelopment.

Acting Mayor Mark Molachino said the redeveloped complex included new 50-metre, learn-to-swim and toddler pools as well as an updated filtration system, new shade structures, and refurbished facilities.

“The re-opening of the baths is great news for swimming enthusiasts as well as the wider Townsville community,” Cr Molachino said.

“Since the project kicked off in August last year, the community has watched as this much-loved piece of community infrastructure has been re-born.

“The baths have served our community since the 1950s and now they’re ready to serve for another 50 years.”

The project was undertaken by local contractor Jackson+Semler and supported more than 120 jobs.

An additional focus of the project was to enhance access to the facilities for people with disabilities.

Division 3 councillor Ann-Maree Greaney said the new 50-meter and learn-to-swim pools include disability ramps and a new disability change room is the first adult change facility of its kind in the region.

“The disability change room includes a mobility hoist and an adult-sized adjustable change table,” Cr Greaney said.

“It also has a central toilet and an automatic door so it is easily accessible for people who need wheelchairs, walkers or walking sticks and carers, which is a great enhancement to the facility.

“Like so many others in the community, I have watched with keen interest as the project was undertaken and it’s so exciting to finally get the facility re-opened again.

“The re-opening was made all the more special with Chris Bell swimming the ceremonial first lap.

“Chris trained for the 1956 Melbourne Olympics at Tobruk Pool. He also taught a lot of locals to swim so I was thrilled to organize for him to be involved in the re-opening.” #ends