Community, Training and High-Performance Centre
With NAIF’s $20 million loan, the North Queensland Cowboys Community, Training and High-Performance Centre in Townsville is not only helping retain and attract sporting talent but is also stimulating business and social activity in the city.
November 2019
Social Infrastructure
Townsville, Queensland
The North Queensland Cowboys Community, Training and High-Performance Centre in Townsville was supported by a NAIF loan of up to $20 million to develop a state-of-the-art facility that supports elite sport, community engagement, and regional economic development.
The project has created a vibrant hub for high-performance training, sports science and education, while strengthening connections between professional sport, Indigenous communities, and the broader Townsville region.
About the NQ Cowboys
The North Queensland Toyota Cowboys are a professional rugby league club based in Townsville and have competed in the National Rugby League since 1995. The team represents the wider northern Australia region and has a strong supporter base across Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia.
The Cowboys contribute to the local economy through tourism, events and employment, while also delivering education, Indigenous engagement and health programs that reach thousands of people each year.
The club’s achievements, including its 2015 NRL Premiership, highlight its importance to the region. The Community, Training and High-Performance Centre builds on this legacy, offering modern facilities for athletes, youth pathways and community use.
Project Overview
NAIF’s loan supported the development of the North Queensland Cowboys Community, Training and High-Performance Centre, also known as The Hutchinson Builders Centre of Excellence. Completed on 31 March 2021, the facility is providing a wide range of benefits to the North Queensland community by combining elite sporting infrastructure with public amenities, education, and cultural engagement.
One of the flagship elements of the centre is the James Cook University’s Performance Science Hub, a state-of-the-art physiology laboratory with advanced performance analytics capabilities. This sports science and research facility not only enhances athlete performance but strengthens the university’s academic offering in medical sports consulting and rehabilitation services.
The centre also offers multi-sport, high-performance training spaces including an elite gym, aquatic recovery zone, altitude chamber, and full-sized training field for the North Queensland Cowboys and other professional teams, such as the Townsville Fire Women’s National Basketball League Club. The centre is also open to other clubs, attracting touring teams and training camps.
In addition to training infrastructure, the centre houses administrative and office spaces home to the Cowboys’ corporate and football operations, supporting the day-to-day running of the club and wider organisational activities. Community use has been embedded in the design, with bookable public spaces managed in partnership with Townsville City Council, enabling a wide range of local events and activities. Cultural and educational elements are also integrated, with Indigenous design features and programs that connect Traditional Owners, youth and community organisations to sport and learning pathways. The Centre is a long-term asset for the region, helping to retain talent, foster collaboration between education and sport, and create new opportunities for community engagement and economic activity.
How We Helped
We provided a concessional loan of up to $20 million to help bring the Cowboys Community, Training and High-Performance Centre to life in Townsville.
Our support de-risked the project by providing concessional finance that gave early certainty around structure and viability, encouraged co-investment by giving confidence to other partners including the Queensland Government, James Cook University and Townsville City Council, and enabled a more ambitious design that delivered integrated facilities with broader community benefit.
Through this support, the Cowboys were able to deliver a multi-use facility that is now attracting talent, supporting jobs, and strengthening community participation, while contributing to long-term economic growth in the Townsville region.
Public Benefit
Independent analysis estimates that the infrastructure supported by our loan will generate approximately $202.1 million in economic benefits over the next 30 years through increased employment, visitor activity, local procurement and expanded health and education services. The project was projected to create 213 jobs during construction and support 58 ongoing operational roles.
The North Queensland Cowboys Community, Training and High-Performance Centre is delivering broad and lasting benefits to the region by combining community spaces, high-performance training areas, administrative offices, sports medicine facilities and advanced science labs, supporting a wide range of social and economic outcomes.
Related Links
Indigenous Engagement
- The Wulgurukaba people
Townsville, located in North Queensland, lies on the traditional lands of the Wulgurukaba and Bindal peoples. The Community, Training and High-Performance Centre is situated on Wulgurukaba Country, known as Gurrumbilbarra. The Wulgurukaba people, whose name means "canoe people," have deep-rooted cultural ties to both the mainland coast and Yunbenun (Magnetic Island), with strong connections to the saltwater country and the surrounding marine ecosystems, including the Great Barrier Reef. Their creation story features Gabul, the ancestral carpet snake, who is believed to have shaped significant parts of the region’s coastal landscape, including Magnetic Island and the Hinchinbrook Channel. Today, Townsville remains an important meeting place for many First Nations communities across North Queensland, providing essential services such as health care, education, and employment opportunities.
Indigenous Engagement Strategy Commitments
- Committed to ongoing engagement with the Gurambilbarra Wulgurukaba Traditional Owners throughout the project, including developing guiding principles for engagement, incorporating cultural protocols throughout the project lifecycle, and ensuring cultural representation in the design of the Community, Training and High-Performance Centre. Cultural competency training will be embedded across staff and contractors to ensure the facility acknowledges Traditional Owners in a culturally appropriate manner, as agreed with the local community.
- A First Nations economic participation target of 6.6% across both employment and procurement will be implemented, with contractors required to demonstrate clear strategies to meet targets.
- Procurement policies will continue to be reviewed and refined to reduce barriers for First Nations businesses and ensure economic inclusion is embedded across all operations. A preferred First Nations supplier register will be established, and tenants of the new facility will be expected to align with the club’s Indigenous Engagement Strategy (IES) and Reconciliation Action Plan.
- Employment and training pathways for First Nations peoples will be expanded through programs such as Dream, Believe, Achieve, and in partnership with the Cowboys Leagues Club, with a target of 20% First Nations employment in hospitality and merchandise outlets. All vacancies will be promoted through Indigenous media, with a focus on engaging First Nations youth through work experience opportunities and supporting players and their families through elite development programs.
- Committed to collaborating with key stakeholders, including the Gurambilbarra Wulgurukaba Traditional Owners, government agencies, and community organisations such as NRL Cowboys House, Clontarf, and the Stars Foundation, to strengthen outcomes and enhance community impact.
Indigenous Engagement Strategy Outcomes
- In 2021, head contractor Hutchinson Builders achieved 13% First Nations employment during construction. The Cowboys engaged local First Nations business ActivateOne to facilitate consultation with the Wulgurukaba Traditional Owners, whose cultural stories and knowledge such as Gabul the carpet snake were embedded in the project design. The NRL Cowboys House reported 80% First Nations staff, supporting 100% First Nations students, most of whom originate from rural and remote Indigenous communities in north Queensland.
- In 2022, the project transitioned into operations and was formally named the Hutchinson Builders Centre. The Cowboys established the Local Indigenous Advisory Committee (LIAC) and appointed an Indigenous Education Manager. Cowboys House maintained 40.5% First Nations employment, while 75% of students in the Dream, Believe, Achieve program undertook hospitality and retail training. The club renewed its Supply Nation membership and commissioned Indigenous artwork for the 2023 jersey.
- In 2023, the Cowboys Foundation achieved 48.7% First Nations employment, and 82.5% First Nations participation in the Dream, Believe, Achieve program. The Cowboys continued their engagement with the Wulgurukaba Walkabouts and conducted a number of community engagement activities to strengthen local connections.
- In 2024, the Cowboys broadened their Traditional Owner relationships, engaging the Bindal people, and extended partnerships with First Nations organisations, including ReefCast and Jarraga. The club also participated in various community events, supporting local economic and cultural inclusion.
