Sport
24 November, 2025
New deal for sporting clubs
STRATFORD Dolphins Football Club (SDFC) and Barron Valley Gymnastics Club (BVG) have reached a new lease agreement with Cairns Regional Council, securing long-term tenure for both clubs and enabling future growth.
The arrangement realigns lease boundaries on Magazine Street, allowing BVG to rebuild and expand its facility following damage from ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper. The move will provide more space for BVG’s 700-plus members and support the development of modern, fit-for-purpose facilities.
“This is a great example of how collaboration between community organisations creates long-term value for everyone,” Cairns Mayor Amy Eden said.
“Both clubs have shown incredible cooperation and vision in working together to ensure Stratford remains a vibrant sporting hub that serves hundreds of local families each week,” she said.
BVG president Lionel Brooks said the club suffered extensive damage from flooding in December 2023, prompting a plan to “build it back better.”
“With the realignment of the lease, the club is able to look at multiple options in order to extend and improve the facility to enable club growth,” he said.
“We look forward to producing a facility that is fit for purpose and able to accommodate our 700-plus members.”
SDFC, which has operated from the Magazine Street site for 50 years, supported the boundary realignment.
President Angelo Serafin said: “Community clubs have to stick together, and when the gym needed a bit of extra space to make improvements for their members, we were able to help make it happen”.
“Council’s been really supportive too, making sure we’ve also come out better off from the changes,” he said.
Division 6 Councillor Kristy Vallely said there were broader community benefits.
She said sporting clubs “support, not just physical fitness, but mental wellbeing and community spirit, and it’s these everyday connections that make a real difference to people’s lives”.
The new trustee leases will allow both not-for-profit clubs to operate on a secure, long-term footing while fostering participation and improving facilities.
