Cairns Showground masterplan unveiled: Cairns Show’s future on paper
A new “eat street” food and wine precinct, picturesque canal and RV park camping grounds feature in a $35 million masterplan to transform the Cairns Showground — but there is a snag.
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A NEW “eat street” food and wine precinct, picturesque canal and RV park camping grounds feature in a $35 million masterplan to transform the Cairns Showground — but there could be a snag.
And no, it is not a dagwood dog.
Talking points
The State Government will today publish a visionary document setting out a 30-year plan for the community asset which has hosted the Cairns Show since 1931.
The masterplan outlines plans to expand the Fred Moule Pavilion, modernise the animal husbandry buildings and revamp the historical David Headrick Grandstand.
It also flags the potential for a new “eat street” dining precinct including an enhanced Muglrave Rd frontage with space for pop-up restaurants and food vans to operate during events.
Meanwhile the Fearnley Street Canal — currently little more than an ugly drain running along a spine through the precinct — has been earmarked for enhancement into a “tropical public space with broad appeal” including an esplanade along the canal, pedestrian and cycling paths and attractive landscaping.
The document states the current uses of Barlow Park and West Barlow Park should be retained and enhanced, putting to bed any conjecture the sites could have been used for future plans to build a rectangular stadium.
The possibility of using establishing an RV park within the grounds has also been identified as a way of increasing the venue’s revenue during downtime.
Work in progress
Cairns MP Michael Healy said the State Government had delivered on its promise at the last election to develop the plan.
“This masterplan presents a long-term strategy for the growth and development of the
site, including the proposed divestment of under-utilised area and recycling proceeds
back into the rejuvenation of the site,” he said.
“The government is committed to working with the trustee of the site to maximise utilisation of the site.
“It also proposes the possibility of a new food and wine precinct.
“At the centre of it all is the iconic Cairns Show, which has played a pivotal role in providing a link between the state’s far north and the rest of the country since its establishment in 1891 and its relocation to its present site in 1931.”
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Finding funds
The project will not come cheap.
Cairns Show Association president Ian Allen and his committee must now weigh up its chances at funding the entire masterplan through grants or having to sell off some land — as suggested in the masterplan.
That will be a decision for another day.
For now, Mr Allen is just happy to have the vision down on paper.
“The most exciting thing is that it’s going to improve the facilities for all of the people of Cairns,” he said.
Lack of trust
The biggest hurdle now is the Cairns Regional Council, which the Cairns Post understands is less than eager to remain on as trustee of the land.
Mr Allen said those conversations could now start in earnest.
“We couldn’t get anything until the masterplan was finalised,” he said.
“Now the council will get a copy and we will go from there.”
Mr Healy said it was vital the council did not pull the plug on its trusteeship.
“The Cairns Regional Council has been intricately involved in the show, being trustee of the lands that have housed the Showgrounds since 1901 and I, like many, would like to see this continue into the future,” Mr Healy said.
“Cairns is a major domestic and international tourist destination and the Showgrounds has previously and will continue to play a major role in the region’s identity by hosting major events and being a key piece of community infrastructure.
Mayor Bob Manning had previously wanted to build a rectangular NRL stadium at the Cairns Showground — a hope that is now dead in the water.
The way forward
Advance Cairns chairman Trent Twomey said the Cairns Show Association deserved guarantees about its future.
“We need Cairns Regional Council to stop playing politics with the land tenure issue and get behind the show association,” he said.
“The land is owned by the state but the local council is the trustee for that land, and it is then leased to the Cairns Show Society.
“On the one hand, yes the ratepayers of Cairns want to make sure they are not unnecessarily burdened with the financial expense of replacing ageing infrastructure.
“But I also think they are looking for the council to show leadership and not abdicate its responsibility as the trustee and custodian of that land.
“We want local leadership on this issue.”
Mr Twomey said land sales would be an option but getting state and federal grants to fund the works should be much higher on the list of priorities than partial privatisation.
A council spokesman said the masterplan had only just been received and time was needed for its consideration.
“Council’s lease over the Cairns Showground expires October 10, 2019,” he said.
“A decision on lease will go before council prior to its expiry.”
Financial obstacles
A financial considerations report by consultant C Change attached to the masterplan reveals the Cairns Show Association cannot continue indefinitely unless drastic changes are made.
“Over the 25 year period, if operations do not become more efficient on the 2018 base, the net loss of the showground operations could be anywhere from $1.1 million to $2.2 million over the 25-year period,” it stated.
“This estimate is likely to be conservative as the remedial works that are indicated as needed may yield certain components of the precinct unusable, and thereby decrease revenue even more so than what is assumed in this assessment.”
The Cairns Show Association’s balance sheet at 2018 stated its total equity was valued at about $1.9 million, with current assets valued at $570,000.
“Even with the planned changes proposed by the Show Association (efficiency and revenue raising potentials), positive financial outcomes will not occur if net revenue is not increased substantially in the immediate term,” the assessment continues.
“Should operations become more efficient, costs controlled and further revenue raised, there is a potential to have good financial outcomes.”
Originally published as Cairns Showground masterplan unveiled: Cairns Show’s future on paper
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