PREMIER Anna Bligh says Cairns' cultural precinct plan has the potential to "transform the city", but a promise of cash to help build it is yet to materialise.

Cairns’ civic leaders met the State Government’s top brass in Brisbane yesterday and were given over an hour to push their case for funds to make the project happen.

Mayor Val Schier, council CEO Lyn Russell and Advance Cairns head Russell Beer got no promises from the Government, but returned to Cairns smiling, saying the signs were good.

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Ms Bligh said it was hard not to be impressed by the group’s presentation.

Without doubt, this project has the capacity to transform the city of Cairns," Ms Bligh said after the meeting, which was also attended by Deputy Premier Paul Lucas, Treasurer Andrew Fraser and Trade Minister Stephen Robertson.

"We are still in the middle of the hard business of putting together the Budget in difficult circumstances, with many competing requests. They made a good pitch and they’ll get a fair hearing."

The council wants the State and Federal governments to each contribute $80 million to the $240 million project, with the council to cover the remaining third of the cost.

Pictures: Cairns Cultural Precinct plans.

Mr Lucas said he was impressed by the trio’s enthusiasm for a future vision for Cairns.

Mr Fraser said the city needed projects that would bring new business.

Mr Beer has named the project, which includes a performing arts centre, museum and public plaza, as Cairns’ top infrastructure priority.

"I’m getting a bit cynical in my old age, but I walked away from that meeting as positive as I could have been, given the economic circumstances," he said.

"We’ve all been doing this for a fair while now and I’ve certainly not had that amount of time with that level of representatives – normally you get 10 minutes if you are lucky."

Cr Schier said options for breaking the $240 million project into separate stages for progressive construction were discussed, as were the costs and details of how it would operate.

She said the Premier had heard the community’s calls for the project.

"They all reiterated what a tough Budget it was going to be and how many competing priorities they’re going to be considering, but what we were really heartened by was the Premier said it was a good project and, whilst they couldn’t make any promises, they wanted to talk more about the details."

Soapbox: Why we need the Cairns Cultural Precinct.

Ms Russell said all four ministers had a good understanding of the project before the meeting, and wanted to drill into the detail.

Cairns MP Desley Boyle, who also attended, said she had "no doubt" the project should go ahead.

"The question is how soon?"

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