Work has stated on the demoMlition of 1300SMILES stadium
Demolition of the former 1300SMILES stadium has begun as the Cowboys prepare for their biggest game at their new home yet.
Townsville
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Demolition of the former 1300SMILES stadium has begun as the Cowboys prepare for their biggest game at their new home yet.
The Queensland government is pulling down the old home of the Cowboys to make space for an emergency services hub.
The new site will be a multipurpose emergency services hub, which will eventually host a $30m police facility, with the construction of the first stage of police precinct expected to be compete in 2024.
“The demolition of the stadium, the former home of the North Queensland Cowboys NRL team, will herald the start of a new future for the site,” Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said.
“Looking ahead, it will be the site of a new, modern, multipurpose police complex, the first stage of which will be the construction of a new $30 million police facility.
“The demolition is the first stage of that transformation. Once the site is cleared, work can begin on the new police facility.”
Premier Palaszczuk made the announcement in August this year.
Photos began to circulate on social media on Monday, with crews seen at 1300SMILES starting the process of dismantling the buildings and infrastructure.
The Department of Energy and Public Works is managing the demolition of the existing stadium infrastructure, remediation of the site and settlement of requisite land transition.
The contract for the demolition was awarded to FK Gardner & Sons Pty Ltd. Demolition is anticipated to be completed in May 2023.
“Looking ahead, it will be the site of new, modern, multipurpose emergency services complex, with the first stage being construction of a new $30 million police facility,” Thuringowa MP Aaron Harper said.
“What is also exciting is we’ve been working to repurpose fixtures, fittings and equipment from the North Queensland Cowboys’ old home ground for the benefit of community groups in Townsville.”
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