Business
7 May, 2025
$40m sports centre
A HIGH performance sports centre at Barlow Park has received bi-partisan support from federal Labor and the Coalition with both pledging $15 million towards the venue.
The $40m centre, which will be the home of the Cowboys NRLW team from 2027, will also be funded by the Cowboys to the tune of $10m, with now the state government the missing piece in the puzzle ($15m).
Mayor Amy Eden said “we welcomed the announcement from the Labor Party pledging $15m towards the development of a high performance centre at the Barlow Park precinct”.
“This commitment means we now have bipartisan support for this exciting project with the LNP also pledging $15 million,” she said.
“Importantly, it paves the way for the Cowboys NRLW team to be based here and is a huge leap forward in our vision for Cairns to be the premier destination for women’s sport in the nation.”
Cowboys chairman Lewis Ramsay said it was “an important day in the history of our club as well as female sport in North Queensland and in particular for the region’s female rugby league players”.
It will provide 80 construction jobs and 60 operational roles.
