MEDIA RELEASE                                            4 December 2024

Community club announces plans for new Cairns’ hub

Cazalys has announced its goal to create a leading community and AFL club that will serve the northern suburbs and beaches of Cairns.

The club would be based at the site of the former Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park in Smithfield. Cazalys today announced that it had taken ownership of the site, which had been offered for sale earlier this year.

“For more than 40 years, Cazalys has built community hubs that have supported the growth of sport in the wider Cairns region and provided people with places to meet and to socialise,” Cazalys Group General Manager Jason Wale said.

“Supporting the community and promoting sport have always been our core objectives. We are grateful for the support of more than 30,000 members in these goals.

“We’re now planning the next step – a club that can service a region that has been without a community hub of this nature. We will begin to announce our plans for the site and work towards all required planning approvals. We plan to make use of the existing structure.”

“This is exciting news for the region, and we look forward to working with the wider community to bring this goal to reality.”

Mr Wale said Cazalys had taken ownership of the site with the goal of adding a community club that would feature expansive kids’ club areas, a sports bar, affordable restaurant and café dining, as well as versatile spaces for functions and entertainment.

“The origins of Cazalys emerged almost 70 years ago when a group of Cairns locals joined together to commence Australian rules football in our region,” Mr Wale said.

“The first Cazalys social club was established to help fund AFL. Cazalys has never deviated from that path of operating to fund the development of sport and the community. This next step for our club at Smithfield furthers that history.”