Business leaders call for Townsville CBD changes to improve cruise ship tourism offering
Dirty streets, anti-social behaviour, vacant buildings and a lack of options for cruise ship passengers are some of the challenges facing Townsville’s CBD. See how our business leaders want to fix it.
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As Townsville prepares to welcome thousands of tourists from six cruise ships over the next fortnight, business leaders have highlighted problems plaguing the CBD, including its unsightly appearance, anti-social behaviour and its lack of offerings.
Leading the charge is the Townsville Chamber of Commerce, commercial real estate leaders, and CBD-based Gallivanter Travel owner manager Debbie Rains, who is concerned that the continued decline of our CBD will have a negative impact on future cruiseliners’ plans to visit our town.
“We have some wonderful day touring options for people who pre-purchase, however our current offering for people who wish to disembark and explore on their own is very limited,” Ms Rain said.
“After comments to the Bulletin from guests who visited recently on a Viking ship about how disappointing Townsville presented itself, I am inquiring as to what action or plans Townsville Enterprise and the Townsville City Council may have to help develop a better experience for visiting guests.”
In a letter to the editor in late 2024, Viking Orion Passenger from Shell Cove Bob Konig described the Townsville CBD as verging on a “ghost town” when he visited on a Saturday.
“No one we spoke with on-board after departing your city was overly excited about Townsville,” Mr Koning wrote.
“Apart from some well-intentioned tourism volunteer ladies distributing city centre maps, a kind shuttle driver and one ‘Welcome Viking Orion’ sign outside one shop (very few were open) — there was simply nothingness. Nothing.”
Chief among Ms Rains’ concerns were the “unsavoury behaviour from itinerants abusing staff and clients, causing clients to shop elsewhere, resulting in business closing”.
She said vacant stores created spaces for itinerants to make home causing further unsocial behaviour to fester, while vacant buildings were left to deteriorate, like the former Dimmey’s Arcade, caused the CBD to look unsightly.
The council’s lack of CBD activation over the holiday season with no Christmas tree or decorations was also noted.
She suggested several solutions including restarting the city heart marketing program with businesses contributing ideas to entice visitors, making building owners responsible for their presentation with incentives, rebuilding Reef HQ and encouraging walking tours of the street art and historic buildings.
First impressions count for the CBD
Townsville Chamber of Commerce president Miranda Mears said from a perception perspective, the CBD painted Townsville “in a really poor light”, where it was Business 101 that customers’ first impressions counted.
“When you’re walking into a CBD ... and it feels unsafe and it is dirty and empty, it leaves an impression that Townsville doesn’t have anything going for it, and there’s nothing here ... why would we come back?” Ms Mears asked.
“The streets are often filled with rubbish and dirt and not cleaned.
“The immersion experience that (cruise ship passengers) are receiving at the moment is pretty poor ... walking into an empty CBD that pretty much has tumbleweeds going down the street and they might be abused or spat on - that doesn’t make them want to spend money in our community.”
She said if the ship’s passengers were bored, with nothing much to do, feeling like they’ve wasted their time, there was a risk that the cruise ships could opt for more time in Cairns or Airlie Beach.
“We’ve seen the beautiful advertisements that Townsville Enterprise have put out, and they look amazing in terms of ‘live, work and play’, but if their first experience is not that, they’re not going to come back,” Ms Mears said.
“We’ve heard that more than one time, that people aren’t staying because they don’t feel safe. My husband has been accosted on the way to a Cowboys game in the middle of the day.
“If that’s kind of the experience you’re having when you’re coming into the CBD, you’re not really going to want to come back.”
She said by having a community-driven activation of the CBD’s empty spaces, it would identify what could go in there, while helping address the dirtiness and crime.
Rather than going from zero to 100km/hr she wanted a CBD activation solution taking “little mini steps”, focusing on immediate, medium-term, and long-term strategies.
“What could be done ... is getting all the stakeholders in a room to say, ‘what next?’”
Townsville Acting Mayor Ann-Maree Greaney says there’s not a one-size fits all solution to the city centre’s longstanding issues.
She said the council was committed to community safety, with their team working alongside QPS to move on vagrants and those displaying anti-social behaviour, while also providing support through the 130-plus CCTV cameras located in the area.
Seeing Ms Rains voice her concerns, Cr Greaney shared information about an upcoming BES•Tville event being hosted by Counterpoint Architects co-directors Zammi Rohan on February 21, which would allow the city’s best and brightest minds to share their ideas and perspectives “to shake things up and re-imagine” Townsville’s CBD.
“While it’s not solely a local government’s responsibility to invigorate the city, Council have been working to improve the amenity of the area alongside business owners, organisations like the Chamber and Townsville Enterprise, Police and different levels of government,” Cr Greaney said.
“Council sits on and meets regularly with the Cruise Ship Committee, run by the Port to discuss visitation and arrivals. From markets and dedicated bus services, to local business campaigns and organised shore excursions, cruise passengers who visit Townsville are provided with an array of choices of things to do, see and experience.”
She said the council was incentivising owners to invest in the revival of their buildings, activating vacant shopfronts and spaces through council leases, extending leases on council buildings to allow further private investment such as the C Bar expansion, and the planning and building approval of projects like the recent Castlerock development.
“In recent years Council has installed large signage to block unsightly buildings from view and are currently investigating the same treatment for the derelict Dimmy’s Arcade shopfront,” she said.
“There are a number of groups such as the Chamber and Cotters who host events within the city centre regularly, Council encourages private investment and activation and we implore city retailers to come together to explore further creative options to activate the space.”
She said increasing housing was another priority, with the council working alongside industry and government representatives to tap into funding like the state government’s $1bn housing fund, enabling the council to provide appropriate trunk infrastructure to continue growing the city.
Townsville Enterprise responds to cruise ship concerns
TEL director of visitor economy and marketing Lisa Woolfe responded to Ms Rains and Mr Koning’s CBD concerns saying it was disappointing but did not reflect the positive data they had received from 300 cruise passengers, who had an average satisfaction rating of 4.8 out of 5.
“I can assure you that extensive collaboration has taken place between TCC, TEL and the Port to ensure guests have a positive experience in our region,” Ms Woolfe said.
“As the regional tourism body, our core focus remains on cruise attraction, operator readiness, and co-ordinating guest experiences.
“TEL has been working closely with our tourism operators to ensure there is sufficient product to meet demand.”
Ms Woolfe refuted rumours circulating that a cruise ship may have altered its schedule to spend less time in the city, saying the cruise schedule and the Port of Townsville confirmed that there had been no cruise cancellations for any reason (even weather) or changes to itineraries.
She said there were several key initiatives in place for cruise ship arrivals including a shuttle bus trial, volunteer welcome program, pre-arrival passenger information, business engagement and local markets at the terminal.
“While we recognise that the CBD is still evolving, there are several major investments that will contribute to its revitalisation,including the Suncorp Regional Office, $55 million Castle Rock Office Accommodation, $35 million North Rail Yards Apartments and $180 million Great Barrier Reef Aquarium Redevelopment,” Ms Woolfe said.
“Additionally, (CEO) Heidi Turner from the Townsville Chamber has been actively involved in our cruise readiness meetings and is committed to strengthening communication with CBD traders to maximise opportunities.
“I hope all city leaders recognise the substantial economic benefits these ships bring — particularly during the low season,when they provide a crucial boost to tourism operators.”
‘Too much vacancy’ agents say
Addressing anti-social behaviour was a key issue identified by real estate agents representing CBD property owners.
Knight Frank Townsville senior partner Craig Stack said their CBD office occupancy levels had never been higher than now,with 95 per cent of office space occupied in their better quality office buildings.
Despite this, CBD office workers weren’t lingering for longer after work at the ground level of Flinders St and around Ross Creek – partially due to the impact of anti-social behaviour.
“Our company manages a lot of retail activity in privately owned retail centres and do our best to face anti-social behaviour diligently and realistically so the shoppers are less impacted, yet both Townsville City Council and state government agencies prefer to look the other way in public spaces in the city centre, and 11,000 workers in the city centre are forced to be confronted by it,” Mr Stack said.
He said there needed to be genuine wider community embrace and involvement with our CBD.
“It will be difficult to positively represent the CBD to visitors if we do not support it ourselves. I have spoken to a number of local ‘doers’ who are prepared to be involved and have advised TCC of this,” he said.
“The private sector (should) be permitted to conduct events and activities in the CBD – led by committed volunteers and existing groups, without hindrance from local and statutory groups.”
Colliers Townsville managing director Peter Wheeler said it was the core CBD that was the “real problem” — in the old mall section between Denham and Stanley streets — which had underperformed for over two decades, attracting itinerants and anti-social behaviour for as long as he could remember.
“This stems from there being too much vacancy, particularly ground level retail which, when the opposite occurs, generates foot traffic and activity which typically pushes the anti-social behaviour out as they tend to not like activity,” Mr Wheeler said.
“As an example, look at our Strand, you will see very little anti-social behaviour due to the constant foot traffic and activity it generates.
“Furthermore, it is of concern when we are now having increased cruise ship numbers visiting the city. It doesn’t showcase our city in the best light which is unfortunate as Townsville as a whole has a lot to offer all visitors.”
He noted that steps had been taken to boost the policing presence with a Mobile Police Beat in Bulletin Square, which was “definitely helpful, however seems to be a bit hit and miss now”
“This needs to be very much front and centre again as to how this problem can be dealt with and where is a safe place to move these people onto,” he said.
“Until a longer-term solution can be found … this needs to be in place 24/7 serving as a Police Beat as it keeps the anti-social behaviour more under control and makes people feel safer.”
Police explain CBD approach to anti-social behaviour
The Queensland Police Service’s Operation Kamaria has continued to focus on targeting anti-social behaviour in Townsville’s popular public spaces since 2022.
A QPS spokeswoman said they recognised that the Townsville CBD and Strand were integral to the liveability of the city and they were maintaining a constant focus on anti-social behaviour and public inebriation throughout this area.
“This includes high visibility foot patrols, business engagement, enforcement action and intelligence gathering,” the spokeswoman said.
“The Mobile Police Facility is often parked in the CBD and on The Strand and used as a police ‘base’ for the shift, increasing flexibility and agility, ensuring there is a strong police presence in the right place at the right time.
“Operation Kamaria combines the resources from the Townsville Community Police Beat (Strand), Townsville Station, Mundingburra Station and other preventive Queensland Police Service sections.”
This was separate to the Safe Night Precinct (nightclub) policing actions at night.
What do you think? Email letters@townsvillebulletin.com.au
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