Towers Jockey Club reveals ‘visionary’ renovation plans to transform facility

Grand designs await a seminal sporting institution withthe jockey club unveiling their official plans for a major renovation of the facility.

An artist's impression of the Towers Jockey Club's planned renovations. Picture: Supplied.

GRAND designs await a seminal Towers sporting institution.

Towers Jockey Club recently unveiled their official plans for a major renovation of the facility.

An unveiling at the Footys Transport Rural Race Day included artist’s impressions and drew a jubilant response from the crowd, club spokeswoman Sally Kirkwood said.

“We were overwhelmed with how excited everyone was,” she said.

“And that was exactly what we wanted to achieve; we wanted people excited and even get people involved with it.”

Steady growth of race events and a constant “chipping away” at compliance requirements have spurred the club onto bigger and better things.

“It is so great that the town has supported us and the race days are now getting bigger,” Ms Kirkwood said.

“Our numbers have grown so much over the last five years that we’ve found that we need that extra shade area just for our normal race days as well.

“We’ve accomplished many things over the years but we realised we need to do the whole picture, just to help the community.

“We’ve found there’s a real calling for a facility for weddings, engagement parties and those social events.

“The club is now growing and we think it’s time to move it forward.

“The old girl needs a tidy up.”

Towers Jockey Club secretary Jeffrey Dale, Charters Towers Mayor Liz Schmidt, club spokeswoman Sally Kirkwood and club vice president Shaun Flanagan at the Footys Transport Rural Race Day Towers Jockey Club renovations unveil. Picture: Supplied.

Ms Kirkwood was adamant that track conditions and quality standards was a priority but did not shy away from the ambitious scope of the planned renovations.

“To have a track surface that is brilliant all year round, where you can train horses on safely is a must,” she said.

“And to have a facility where we have people walk in and just go ‘wow’, I just can’t wait for that.

“To see that be fulfilled would just be brilliant.”

Renovations will be extensive with many large infrastructure changes and is viewed as a long-term project over the coming years.

In addition to extensive track upgrades some of the planned changes at the club include:

• Installation of a 40m by 12m permanent marquee
• Swapping the TAB and canteen areas
• An additional canteen
• Incorporation of a playground and a family zone
• Refurbishment of upstairs space into a meeting room
• Construction of an outdoor lounge including paving works, raised planter boxes, vine frame structures and casual seating
• General refurbishment of the existing main building
• New entry gates, landscaping and ticket booth
• Toilets to be protected and retained

Ms Kirkwood said the project goes further than a mere facility upgrade and could lead to the Towers becoming an even more sought after equine training centre.

“Charters Towers is a very big training hub — a lot of times we have more horses train here than in Townsville,” she said.

“We actually have a better climate for horses; we don’t have that humidity that Townsville does.

“I think we could offer a real feeder club, where people can train and live in the town and have horses.

“That economic benefit for the community is huge.”

Member for Traeger Robbie Katter gave the project his full-throated support.

“I commend the Towers Jockey Club on its commitment to continuing Charters Towers’ long

and proud history as a North West Queensland country horse racing hub,” he said.

“The club’s development plans are visionary, and I would say will take local racing to a whole new level and will serve the club well into the future.

“I have no doubt the entire community will back these plans, and I certainly will be offering

the club my support and assistance to turn the concept into bricks and mortar that we can

all eventually enjoy down at the track.

“Country race clubs in Queensland operate in a difficult environment, with overall limited

and largely unstable support from the State Government.

“Just a few years we had Labor trying to cut $19 million in prize money and shutting down 60 race meetings across the state, most of which were in regional Queensland.

“Thankfully though there have been some green shoots in recent years of reinvestment in

racing in western areas.

“The ongoing successes of rural clubs like the Towers Jockey Club is a testament to all the

committees who persevere to keep their clubs going during both the good and the bad

times.

“Racing is an industry but, in western areas, is as much about being a community event as it

is the sport of racing and that is a very important principle to acknowledge.”

Originally published as Towers Jockey Club reveals ‘visionary’ renovation plans to transform facility