Local firm to grow turf for North Queensland Stadium

August 30, 2019

Under the technical guidance of sports field specialists HG Sports Turf, local firm Fortini Turf is to begin growing the turf for the North Queensland Stadium.

Fortini Turf will grow 11,000 metres2 of stabilised turf for the stadium in a single plot at Gumlow, just outside of Townsville.

Townsville-based Mendi Group who are coordinating the pitch works for the Stadium engaged HG Sports Turf to design the pitch, supply the ‘ready-to-play’ technology and oversee the establishment and management of the turf, which will be grown on the Fortini farm.

The opportunity sees the Gumlow turf farmers Pat and Fabia Fortini expand their business into stadium supply for the first time.

The chosen grass - Greenlees Park Couch - is a hard-wearing semi-dwarf couch, with a deep root system and aggressive surface growth making it ideal for North Queensland conditions.

A patented system, developed by HG Sports Turf, combines natural grass as the playing surface with an underlying mesh of artificial fibres to create a vertically and horizontally stable turf.

Fabia Fortini welcomed the opportunity to learn new technical processes at the family-owned turf farm at Gumlow, which has been operational for seven years advising “growing the turf for the North Queensland Stadium, under the expert guidance of HG Sports Turf, means our team is learning new technology that is being applied in North Queensland for the first time.

“Our business is proud to be partnering with the government and the North Queensland Cowboys to deliver a quality stadium for Townsville.”

HG Sports Turf General Manager Erik Kinlon said he was excited to bring the ‘ready-to-play’ turf to Townsville for the first time.

Kinlon noted “HG Sports Turf has successfully delivered stadia playing surfaces, using our proprietary hybrid turf systems for over 20 years both here in Australia and globally and in some of the world’s most iconic stadiums.

“We will be working closely with the team at Fortini Turf to ensure everything from the irrigation and fertiliser through to the harvesting, transport and installation is to international standards.”

Queensland Minister for Sport and Public Works Mick de Brenni who met with Pat and Fabia Fortini, commented “building a world class stadium in Townsville has meant new opportunities for business development, with Fortini Turf being the latest, and arguably the highest profile of all.”

Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill said the state-of-the-art turf would ensure the new Stadium was always ready to host a range of sporting, cultural and community events all year round noting “it’s not just elite sports that will benefit from the new Stadium, the unique turf means all sorts of events and organisations will be able to use this space, benefiting our whole community.”

The North Queensland Stadium is a joint project of the Queensland Government, Australian Government and Townsville City Council and is supported by both the National Rugby League and the North Queensland Cowboys.

The project forms part of the Townsville City Deal signed in December 2016.

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