What’s Happening?
The Garbutt Magpies Sporting and Cultural Association celebrated the official opening of the upgraded Harold Phillips Park last weekend. The project has delivered modern changerooms, permanent sports field lighting and other improvements, giving the club better facilities for players and volunteers. Working alongside CPB Contractors, the Garbutt Magpies have transformed their home ground into a more accessible community sporting venue.
The improvements also allow the club to host evening training and matches, providing greater flexibility for local families. The opening brought together the community to recognise the project and the club’s longstanding connection to Garbutt.
The event’s invited guests included Queensland Sports Minister Tim Mander, State Member Adam Baillie and Townsville Mayor Nick Dametto. Representatives from AFL Queensland and CPB Contractors were also invited, including Carmelo Di Bella and Linda Cowie.
Why It Matters
The upgrades represent more than improved sporting facilities for the Garbutt Magpies, whose history is closely connected to local families and Indigenous culture.
The club has long provided a gathering place where sport strengthens relationships between generations and creates opportunities for young people.
Garbutt Magpies President Randal Ross said the improvements recognised the club’s history while supporting future generations.
“Harold Phillips Park is much more than a sporting ground. For more than 70 years, it has been a place where culture is celebrated, identity is strengthened and our community comes together through sport. These significant works honour the members who built the Garbutt Magpies and ensure their legacy will continue, giving future generations a place to belong, participate and thrive.”
Ross said having permanent facilities also gave the club something that represented the families who had supported it.
“The families have always been the foundation of the club, but now we have a physical building that represents those families. And it’s not just the families of the past, it’s the families of the future as well. That’s what having this facility here really means.”
For the association, the project also strengthens its ability to provide young people with a supportive environment beyond organised competition.
Local Impact
The new field lighting has already created opportunities for the Garbutt community, with interest emerging from groups wanting to use the grounds.
Ross said the club was receiving enquiries about field bookings, while the improvements would allow children to participate throughout the year.
“The night-time availability already have the community ringing to see if they can book the fields. We knew that would happen once the lights were installed, and the field itself is immaculate. The kids will now be able to train and do activities all year round, rather than on a seasonal basis. That’s the benefit of having a home venue, ground and lighting all as part of the Garbutt Magpies.”
Club Director Craig Canning said evening football could also make participation easier for families balancing sport with other commitments.
“The connection for the Magpies over the past 75 years is having something tangible to call their own, which is what’s been missing from the Garbutt Magpies family for that length of time. This is just the start of that dream and vision. Hopefully, it will lead to a clubhouse, equipment facilities and more, but most importantly, a home. From a lighting perspective, it’s common sense in Townsville because it’s much cooler to play at night. I think families who are time poor will get more value out of playing their football on a Friday evening, as weekends are often filled with things like fishing, camping and other family activities. The broader Garbutt Magpies family can come together here and play their sport on a Friday evening, then enjoy time with their immediate families and other activities over the weekend.”
Beyond football, the facilities provide a permanent gathering place for community activities and events.
By The Numbers
The Harold Phillips Park project received funding across several stages, with government and sporting organisations contributing to its delivery.
2023: The Queensland Government provided $1 million through its Active Community Infrastructure Grant, while AFL Queensland contributed $100,000.
2026: Additional contributions included $200,000 from the Queensland Government, $150,000 from AFL Queensland and a $20,000 Telstra/AFL grant. Together, these contributions brought total funding to $1.47 million.
71 years: Established in 1955, the Garbutt Magpies can now host night training and matches for the first time. CPB Contractors worked alongside the club for three years to deliver the improvements.
Zoom In
One of the project’s main priorities was creating a safe and welcoming environment where children could participate in sport and receive support.
Canning said the improved facilities would help the club encourage Indigenous children to become involved in activities through play.
“From my experience, young Indigenous children love games. It doesn’t matter what you’re playing. I remember training them on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and while the typical approach is drills, drills, drills, you’re often better off playing a game of ins and outs. They really relish that sort of activity. Getting them here on the field and involved in sport, which is a game and is supposed to be fun, is a great way to introduce them to it. Hopefully, that then gives them the confidence to keep moving forward, get involved in competition and continue participating in the game.”
The association also maintains connections with schools through the Garbutt Magpies Cup, with club elders involved in supporting young people. Ross said these relationships were central to the club’s work with children and families.
“The club is already well invested into our youth through the Garbutt Magpies Cup, and that’s why the elders of the club come out to visit the schools. That’s what it’s all about. The young people know there are elders who care for them and for those associated with the Garbutt Magpies. The whole framework we’re trying to show here is how to help children and their families. That’s why it’s important to have the elders, families and club patrons involved, as they all play a role in helping the children for the future.”
While the upgrades improve sporting activities, Canning believes their greatest benefit will be providing children with a safe place.
“I think the biggest impact is that kids have somewhere they can come and feel safe and protected. It’s a space where they can be supervised, take a moment to get themselves together and feel supported. When there’s trauma or challenges happening in their lives, it provides a safe place to be. At the end of the day, everyone wants a safe place, and this clubhouse will provide that safe space. It was purpose-built with that in mind. The competition side of things is secondary. The most important thing is having somewhere safe.”
The refurbished facilities include showers, toilets and a dedicated home base, addressing practical needs for players and volunteers. Ross said these additions were particularly meaningful for children experiencing the facilities for the first time.
“Having showers, toilets and an actual home base will be tremendous for many of the kids. That’s why the children who are here today for the first time, seeing and witnessing this historic event and the building itself, are very impressed.”
The construction work involved Townsville subcontractors and suppliers, with SHP Building Services completing the changeroom refurbishment.
Meanwhile, Pure Innovate installed the club’s first permanent field lighting system, making evening sporting activities possible.
Zoom Out
The Harold Phillips Park project also highlights the role local industry can play in supporting community sporting organisations.
CIMIC Group’s CPB Contractors provided project management support, helping the Garbutt Magpies progress through planning, funding, approvals, design and construction. CPB Contractors Project Director Carmelo Di Bella said the partnership reflected the importance of community spaces and volunteer organisations.
“Projects like this leave a lasting impact because they’re about more than infrastructure. They’re about creating spaces where communities can come together, young people can participate in sport, and volunteers have facilities that match the passion they bring to their club every week. We’re proud to have supported the Garbutt Magpies in bringing this vision to life.”
Di Bella also reflected on the company’s involvement throughout the project’s development.
“It’s a pretty proud day for our company in the region. We’ve been involved in this project since it started three or four years ago. It’s been a community project, working alongside the Garbutt Magpies and providing in-kind project management support to help take it from concept through funding and approvals, into design, and ultimately to construction. To be here today after that journey, and to see the Garbutt Magpies and wider community who will benefit from these facilities for years to come, is something CPB Contractors is very proud to be a part of.”
For club representatives, the involvement of construction companies also provides an opportunity to connect Indigenous youth with potential employment pathways.
Canning said relationships with organisations such as CPB Contractors and Ausco Modular could help children understand the opportunities available to them.
“Industry is the key. Believe it or not, industry plays a key role even in the development of young people. The kids here, especially Indigenous children, need to be able to see that there are pathways available to them. They need to know there are organisations and industries that will accept them and value them as employees should they choose to go down that path. Companies like CPB Contractors, Ausco Modular and the contractors who built this facility are all supporters of Indigenous youth. That’s why it’s important, the connection – it’s always going to be important.”
Ross shared that view, saying the club had long wanted to establish stronger relationships with industry for local children and families.
“This is absolutely huge. It’s always been a vision of the club to get industry involved because we need pathways for the children and their families. That’s why having those relationships, building those relationships and making those connections is so important. It benefits our young people, but it also benefits industry because we have the next generation coming through skilled and enabled to fulfill roles. That’s what it means to the Garbutt Magpies.”
These partnerships have helped deliver the facilities while strengthening connections between community sport, local businesses and future employment opportunities.
What To Look For Next?
With the upgraded facilities now open, the Garbutt Magpies hope to expand sporting participation and make greater use of Harold Phillips Park. Permanent lighting could encourage more Friday evening matches, while the improved grounds provide opportunities for community bookings and year-round activities.
The club also hopes to build on the project with further facilities, including a dedicated clubhouse and equipment storage. For the Garbutt Magpies, the longer-term goal remains centred on providing young people and families with a permanent place to play, connect and feel supported.
