Member for Mulgrave Curtis Pitt said the work of his specially set up Southern Corridor Sports Taskforce has paid dividends for the local sporting community.
Mr Pitt today announced that a section of state-owned land would be dedicated as reserve and set aside as part of the new Alley Park Sporting Precinct.
“I’m absolutely delighted. One of my main aims, when I established the taskforce, was to focus on acquiring land for the Alley Park Sporting Precinct. It’s a great outcome,” Mr Pitt said.
“I couldn’t think of a better example of state and local government working together – that was the whole point of the Taskforce.”
“The Taskforce will continue to work on other issues, including the future use of land adjacent to Petersen Park at Edmonton.”
Mr Pitt said he had held many talks with his ministerial colleague, Environment and Resource Management Minister Kate Jones, to secure land that the local community could use for sporting and recreational purposes.
“Common sense won the day. Now we’ve got land at the end of Kern Street and bounded by the Bruce Highway and Sheppards Street for our local sporting community,” he said.
“This land is integral to the Cairns Regional Council’s master plan for the Alley Park Sporting Precinct,” he said.
An assessment by the Department of Environment and Resource Management determined the land was best suited for recreational purposes.
As a result, the department has surrendered its freehold title for the lot, foregoing a potential $2.145 million in revenue if it was sold on the open market.
“The lot will be dedicated as a community purpose reserve and council will be the appointed trustees.”
Mr Pitt said while the State Government would remain as the owner of the land, the reserve would be managed by the council to ensure it is used for its intended purpose.
“We will hold ultimate responsibility for the land and intend to keep it available for recreational use by the community,” he said.
“A number of options were on the table regarding the future use of the lot. I’m delighted that the new Alley Park Sporting Precinct won the day. It’s a valuable investment in the future of the region and our sporting community,” he said.
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