ANIKA WELLS MP
MINISTER FOR AGED CARE
MINISTER FOR SPORT

MATT SMITH
LABOR CANDIDATE FOR LEICHHARDT

LABOR IS BACKING WOMEN’S SPORT IN CAIRNS

A re-elected Albanese Labor Government will continue backing women’s sport in Far North Queensland by investing $15 million in a local Community, Development & High-Performance Centre in Cairns, creating the city’s first ever national women’s team.

This election commitment will make Cairns the home of elite women’s sport and rugby league in Far North Queensland.

We want more young women and girls playing the sport they love and being inspired by the best in the world and that’s what this Cairns Centre will do.

Once built, the centre will used as the permanent headquarters and training facility for the North Queensland Cowboys’ NRLW team.

This facility will also be home to the Northern Pride women’s team which plays in the State Competition.
The Centre will be located right next to Barlow Park stadium in the middle of Cairns, and the facilities will include:

• A high-performance training centre.
• Office space for the day-to-day management of the Cowboys’ NRLW and Northern Pride teams.
• An indoor and outdoor field for training, which will be available to community and school groups.
• A swimming pool for recovery sessions, as well as hydrotherapy and swimming lessons for the local community.
• Elite training space for Queensland Academy of Sport and Pacific Nations athletes.

This new facility will be good for women’s sport in Cairns, good for women’s sport in Queensland and good for women’s sport in Australia.

It will also help support the local Cairns economy and community. It’s expected to bring $12.6 million to the local economy and create more than 60 new jobs.

Consistent with past practice, election commitments will be delivered in line with the Commonwealth Grants Rules and Principles.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Aged Care, Anika Wells:

“The Albanese Labor government’s $15 million investment in a high performance and community centre in Cairns will create the city’s first ever national women’s sporting team.

“Our $15 million commitment will help inspire more Tahlulah Tillett’s, ensuring Cairns league juniors have a direct pathway to the NRLW.

“Cairns is home to many of Queensland’s great male league players from Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow to Justin Hodges, but this centre will help foster a generation of Cairns female league stars.

“From our historic Play Our Way fund, to investing in the Matildas and Netball World Cup, Labor is committed to boosting women’s sport from playground to podium.”

Quotes attributable to Labor candidate for Leichhardt Matt Smith:

“I know firsthand the positive impact sport can have on an individual and the community.

“Having a facility like this in the heart of Cairns will drive female participation in sport but also drive that sense of pride in our community.

“This is a great project and I’m glad to be part of an Albanese Labor team supporting sport in our community for women and girls from a grassroots level all the way to the elite level.”

Quotes attributable to Cowboys Chairman, Lewis Ramsay:

“This is an important day in the history of our club as well as female sport in North Queensland and in particular for the region’s female rugby league players.

“I would like to thank Minister for Sport, Anika Wells and Labor Candidate for Leichhardt Matt Smith for their essential funding commitment.

“Cairns and Far North Queensland has always been an enormously important region in the identity of the Cowboys and now it will also be home to our NRLW team.

“The facility will provide high-performance infrastructure for female athletes, integrate allied health and community access features, and expand pathways for local talent – all while injecting millions into the local economy and creating jobs during construction and operation.”

Quotes attributable to Head of NRLW & Women’s Elite Pathways, Anita Creenaune:

“This facility is a game-changer for women’s rugby league in Far North Queensland. Our goal is to inspire the next generation of young girls and all female athletes, boosting community cohesion and reminding people of the benefits of sport.”

“Cairns has produced some of the best sporting talent anywhere in the country. This facility will give local girls and women the chance to train, grow and play at the highest level without having to leave home to do it.”

Quotes attributable to Cowboys legend Johnathan Thurston:

“This facility isn’t just about rugby league.

“It will also provide an opportunity for the Cowboys community team to expand and utilise a regional base in Cairns and the Far North Queensland region to help deliver our life-changing programs.

“Sport can be a uniting force in communities and help build resilience in our young people.”

TUESDAY, 29 APRIL 2025