Olympics: Brisbane 2032 win prompts call for new Cairns stadium

Brisbane’s successful bid for the 2032 Olympic Games has put the development of a new stadium in Cairns back in the spotlight, with one sporting leader declaring infrastructure as the “biggest hurdle” in FNQ’s push for big-ticket events.

BRISBANE’S successful bid for the 2032 Olympic Games has put the development of a new stadium in Cairns back in the spotlight, with one sporting leader declaring infrastructure as the “biggest hurdle” in FNQ’s push for big-ticket events.

The announcement on Wednesday night of the successful bid is a winner for Cairns with Barlow Park slated to host preliminary football games and a range of other opportunities, as training bases and pre-Olympic tournaments, up for consideration.

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Saints football players train at Endeavour Park. Picture: Brian Cassey

But Football Queensland North zone administrator Alex Srhoj said it should go one step further, with the 2032 Olympics, upcoming FFA Cup clash and the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023 again highlighting the need for an elite rectangular stadium.

The lack of that infrastructure, Srhoj said, is the single biggest hurdle to Cairns attracting elite events. And the city needs to act and invest now to ensure it does not miss out again.

“The area offers some amazing possibilities, but the biggest thing is we need something to attract them here,” Srhoj said.

“Until we can have a stadium that can host 10-15,000 people, with a quality surface in a great location, we will continue to miss the boat.

“The opportunity to bring more sport here, we need something, and we don’t have to keep begging for infrastructure upgrades every time we want to host something.”

There is no better example of Cairns’ need for a stadium than football.

Saints football players train at Endeavour Park. Picture: Brian Cassey

Edge Hill United’s qualification for the FFA Cup’s Round of 32 will put that lack of infrastructure in the spotlight, with the FNQ Premier League club to host Gold Coast Knights at Barlow Park due to their home ground, Tiger Park, lacking appropriate lighting and fencing.

Barlow Park boasts a world-class athletics track, which has been used by Australia’s Olympic and Paralympic teams ahead of their Tokyo 2020 campaigns, but is not ideal for sports played on rectangle fields like football, rugby league and union.

Officials are lobbying for the venue to be a training base for a FIFA Women’s World Cup team in 2023, an opportunity highly-sought by a city with a long track record of outstanding football exports, including first-time Olympian Mary Fowler.

Srhoj said a stadium would also suit rugby league and rugby union, and open the door to newer big-ticket opportunities.

“The biggest hurdle is infrastructure,” Srhoj said.

“If we want to put Cairns on the map as a sporting destination then, as a city, we need to be able to offer a high quality facility.”

Originally published as Olympics: Brisbane 2032 win prompts call for new Cairns stadium