General News
14 November, 2025
Loud and proud
WORK is underway on Cairns Municipal Band’s new hall at Edge Hill but rising costs have blown the budget.
The band is hoping to move into the purpose-built venue at the end of February.
However, it faces a shortfall of about $200,000.
The cost is $1.15 million and the band is cutting corners where it can so members can move in.
Band life member and building operations manager John Sexton said Collins Construction started on the Greenslopes St site two months ago.
“We are tight for money. We will have enough to get into the building but will have to look for grants to cover the sound system, curtains and chairs, for example,” he said.
“The carpark will initially be graded gravel before we can put down bitumen,” he said.
The band was forced to give up its Charles St premises at Cairns North to make way for James Cook University’s Cairns Tropical Enterprise Centre (CTEC) car park.
The band is currently renting the Cairns Casa Italia Social Club premises in Grove St.
Mr Sexton said the new single level building needed to be 450sqm so it accommodated the band, its equipment and other bits and pieces.
He said the band, which had about 24 financial members, was fortunately able to acquire the last block left in Greenslopes St as part of the Cairns Cultural Precinct between the bridge club and the Serbian Cultural Centre.
The building is 800mm above the ground to mitigate flooding from nearby Saltwater Creek.
The building will have a stage area, seating for 150 people, a wheelchair ramp, car parking for 20-25 cars, a kitchen and toilets as well as storage.
Mr Sexton said the club would never own the building which was part of the cultural precinct, but had obtained an initial 30-year lease.
He said the club spent a lot of time negotiating a fair price with JCU for the Charles St site, followed by the lease and construction arrangements.
“The construction of the building has been the easiest part,” Mr Sexton said.
He said the band had been on the Charles St site for 75 years, starting with just a shed, but which grew into a two-storey building.
He said the band was still very active and was looking for new members.
Club bandmaster Knobby Neilsen said the band would be performing at the free Cairns Tropical Jazz Club performance at the Hilton hotel on 23 November from 2pm-5pm.
He said the club planned a special opening of the new premises with a full concert after completion at the end of February.
