Commercial · Townsville

How much do security guards cost in Townsville?

By The WTD Editorial Team · Last reviewed November 2026 · Methodology

Updated November 2026·Independently researched·11 min read

A static security guard in Townsville runs $40–$60 per hour

for a weekday day shift, as published by security firms (mostly ex GST where stated) - night, weekend, public holiday, event and patrol rates below

A Bohle transport depot that wants its gates and sheds checked every night pays $400–$1,200 per month on a nightly patrol contract, with $600 typical. A Flinders Street bar that books doors for the weekend pays by the hour instead, at $55–$85 per licensed crowd controller.

+3.4% Security Guards costs in Townsville are up around 3.4% over the past year, re-verified against 90+ sources in November 2026. Year on year

Typical static guard rate in Townsville, weekday day shift

$45

per guard per hour, Townsville 2026, as published

Static security guard, weekday day shift

$40-$60

Static guard, night or weekend shift

$55-$75

Static guard, public holiday

$80-$120

$40$45$60

Townsville security is bought three ways: by the hour for a guard on site, by the visit for a patrol, and by the event. The hourly rate for a static guard is $40–$60 on a weekday day shift, $55–$75 for a night or weekend shift and $80–$120 on a public holiday, and a firm that quotes whole shifts prices one 8-hour weekday static shift at $280–$480. Expect a minimum booking length, so a short stint at a Charters Towers Road Hermit Park shop is charged to that minimum.

Patrols suit the city's spread of depots and yards. A mobile patrol is $30–$60 per site visit, and a site at Stuart or Mount St John that sits off the firm's usual run can land higher in that band once the drive is counted; a contract of nightly patrols on one site is $400–$1,200 per month, and one 10-hour overnight site shift $500–$750 where a person needs to stay.

Event and venue work is its own line. Flinders Street and Palmer Street South Townsville venues book licensed crowd controllers at $55–$85 per guard per hour; Strand foreshore events book event security guards at $45–$70 per guard per hour; CBD and Douglas buildings book concierge or front-desk officers at $40–$65 per hour; builds book a construction site guard at $45–$70 per hour; a private party or wedding with 2 guards for 6 hours is $660–$840 per event; and a council-run hall that sets its own event security charge prices the guard at $68–$198 per guard per hour.

Quick answerA static security guard in Townsville costs $40–$60 per hour for a weekday day shift in 2026, with $45 typical, $55–$75 per hour for a night or weekend shift and $80–$120 per hour on a public holiday. Event security guards run $45–$70 per guard per hour, licensed crowd controllers $55–$85 per guard per hour and a mobile patrol $30–$60 per site visit. Prices are as published by security firms and councils, mostly ex GST where a basis is stated. Get free Townsville quotes →

Security Guards Prices in Townsville 2026: Cost Table, Price List and Hourly Rates

Service	Low	Typical	High
Static security guard, weekday day shift	$40per hour	$45	$60
Event security guard	$45per guard per hour	$55	$70
Licensed crowd controller (venues, events)	$55per guard per hour	$60	$85
Mobile patrol, per site visit	$30per visit	$35	$60
Static guard, public holiday	$80per hour	$100	$120
Static guard, night or weekend shift	$55per hour	$65	$75
Concierge or front-desk security officer	$40per hour	$50	$65
Construction site guard	$45per hour	$50	$70
Overnight site guard, one 10-hour shift	$500per shift	$650	$750
Static guard, one 8-hour weekday shift	$280per shift	$360	$480
Mobile patrol contract, one site, nightly patrols	$400per month	$600	$1,200
Private party or wedding, 2 guards for 6 hours	$660per event	$780	$840
Event security guard at a council venue (council-set hourly charge)	$68per guard per hour	$80	$198

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Prices are as published by security firms and councils, mostly ex GST where a basis is stated. Townsville, November 2026.

How much does a security guard cost per hour in Townsville?$40–$60 per hour for a static guard on a weekday day shift, $45 typical. The rate climbs to $55–$75 per hour for a night or weekend shift and $80–$120 per hour on a public holiday, and one 8-hour weekday shift is priced at $280–$480 per shift.

What do event security and patrols cost in Townsville?Event security guards run $45–$70 per guard per hour and licensed crowd controllers $55–$85 per guard per hour. A mobile patrol is $30–$60 per site visit, or $400–$1,200 per month on a contract of nightly patrols for one site.

Worked Security Guards Cost Scenarios — Townsville

Three Townsville examples priced from this page's rows: the Flinders Street late venues, a Bohle depot on nightly patrols and a Strand foreshore event. Each names the row it uses; your own quote prices your site and roster.

Flinders Street late venues. A bar and live-music room on Flinders Street rosters licensed crowd controllers at $55–$85 per guard per hour ($60 typical) on Friday and Saturday, adds a static guard at $55–$75 per hour for a Sunday trading night, and pays $80–$120 per hour for the public holiday weekend.
Bohle depot, nightly patrols. A freight operator with a fenced depot at Bohle signs a contract of nightly patrols at $400–$1,200 per month ($600 typical), books extra single visits at $30–$60 per site visit when trucks are parked loaded, and brings in one overnight site guard at $500–$750 per 10-hour shift for the nights a high-value load waits for collection.
Strand foreshore event. An organiser running an evening market on The Strand books event security guards at $45–$70 per guard per hour ($55 typical) from set-up to pack-down, with licensed crowd controllers at $55–$85 per guard per hour near the bar area, and the guard count by hour written on the quote.

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Prices are as published by security firms and councils, mostly ex GST where a basis is stated. Townsville, November 2026.

Security Guards Costs by Sector in Townsville

Townsville guard bookings come from the venues of Flinders Street and Palmer Street South Townsville, the events on The Strand and around the Magnetic Island ferry precinct, the depots and yards of Garbutt, Bohle, Mount St John and Stuart, the centres at Stockland Townsville, Castletown and Willows, and the offices of the CBD and Douglas.

Venues: Flinders Street, Palmer Street South Townsville - Licensed crowd controllers at $55–$85 per guard per hour on weekend doors, with a mobile patrol at $30–$60 per site visit checking the premises after close; ask for the controller count by night.
Events: The Strand, the Magnetic Island ferry precinct - Event security guards at $45–$70 per guard per hour for markets, concerts and community days, a private party or wedding of 2 guards for 6 hours at $660–$840 per event, and a council-run hall's own charge of $68–$198 per guard per hour where it sets one.
Depots and yards: Garbutt, Bohle, Mount St John, Stuart - Nightly patrol contracts at $400–$1,200 per month, construction site guards at $45–$70 per hour on new sheds, and one 10-hour overnight guard at $500–$750 when loads or plant stay on site.
Retail centres: Stockland Townsville, Castletown, Willows - A store guard at $40–$60 per hour on weekdays or one 8-hour weekday shift at $280–$480, with weekend and late-trading shifts at $55–$75 per hour; check what the centre's own guards already cover.
Offices: the CBD, Douglas - Concierge or front-desk officers at $40–$65 per hour for a building reception, with a static guard at $40–$60 per hour for weekday cover beyond the desk.

What Townsville Security Guards Jobs Actually Cost

Weekday Townsville bookings sit close to the typical rates. A CBD or Douglas reception books a concierge officer around $50 per hour, and a Stockland Townsville store guard on a weekday around $45 per hour within the $40–$60 band. The figures rise as the work moves to nights and weekends at $55–$75 per hour and public holidays at $80–$120, which is where Flinders Street and Palmer Street South Townsville venue doors sit, booking crowd controllers at $55–$85 per guard per hour.

Depots and builds buy by the visit and the shift. A Bohle or Stuart transport yard pays $30–$60 per mobile patrol visit or $400–$1,200 per month on a nightly contract, and a Garbutt or Mount St John build keeps a construction guard at $45–$70 per hour by day and an overnight guard at $500–$750 per 10-hour shift. Strand events book event guards at $45–$70 per guard per hour, and a council-run hall that sets its own charge prices the guard at $68–$198 per guard per hour.

What Affects Security Guards Costs in Townsville

In Townsville, a guard quote moves with the distance between depots, the weekend venue strip and whether a site needs a person through the night.

Spread-out depots and yards - A mobile patrol is $30–$60 per site visit, and depots at Stuart or Mount St John that sit off the firm's usual run can price higher in that band; ask how travel is counted.
Weekend doors on Flinders Street - Venues book licensed crowd controllers at $55–$85 per guard per hour, and the number of controllers on each night is the line that sets the quote.
Loads and plant left overnight - A depot or build that keeps loaded trucks or plant on site overnight pays $500–$750 per 10-hour shift for a guard who stays, against $400–$1,200 per month for nightly patrols that only visit.
Long weekends and public holidays - A static guard is $80–$120 per hour on a public holiday and $55–$75 per hour for nights and weekends, against $40–$60 on a weekday day shift.
Event length and crowd size - Strand and ferry precinct events book event guards at $45–$70 per guard per hour; the guard count follows the expected crowd, and set-up and pack-down hours are billed as part of the booking.
Construction stage - Garbutt and Mount St John builds pay $45–$70 per hour for a gate guard while plant and materials arrive, then can drop to patrols once the building locks.

How to Control Security Guards Costs in Townsville

In Townsville, the savings come from using patrols for the depots, keeping a person on site only on the nights that carry risk, and pricing every venue night on the same rate card.

A Bohle or Garbutt depot can book extra single patrol visits at $30–$60 for nights when loads are parked, instead of an overnight guard every night of the week.
Choose a firm whose patrol run already passes Stuart or Mount St John, so less of each visit is spent driving to the site.
Flinders Street venues can ask for a smaller early door team and the full crowd controller count only for the late hours of the night.
For a Strand foreshore event, fix the guard count, the set-up time and the pack-down time in writing so the booking is not billed for hours nobody agreed.

What a Compliant Security Guards Quote Includes — Cost in Townsville

Before comparing Townsville quotes, check each one prices the same shifts at the same rate type - weekday day, night or weekend, public holiday - states the minimum booking, and lists event guards, crowd controllers, concierge officers and patrols on their own lines with the GST basis stated.

The hourly rate for each shift type: weekday day shifts at $40–$60, night or weekend shifts at $55–$75 and public holidays at $80–$120 per hour
The minimum booking length, and what a whole shift comes to - one 8-hour weekday shift at $280–$480 or one 10-hour overnight shift at $500–$750
Event security guards at $45–$70 and licensed crowd controllers at $55–$85 per guard per hour, with the guard count and the hours on site written down
Mobile patrols at $30–$60 per site visit, or a nightly patrol contract at $400–$1,200 per month, with the visits per night and what each visit checks
Construction site guards at $45–$70 per hour, with day cover and overnight cover shown as separate lines
Concierge or front-desk security officers at $40–$65 per hour, with the duties - visitor sign-in, deliveries, floor rounds - listed
For a private party or wedding, the per-event price of $660–$840 for 2 guards for 6 hours; at a council venue, whether the council's own charge of $68–$198 per guard per hour applies instead
The licence numbers held by each guard and by the company supplying them, with the company's ABN and public liability insurance
A single GST basis across every line, with public holiday dates, cancellation terms and any travel charge for an outlying site stated

Security guards cost in Townsville: Flinders Street doors, Strand events and Bohle depots

Security guards cost in Townsville is a rate per hour that follows the shift: $40–$60 per hour on a weekday day shift (typically $45), $55–$75 per hour for a night or weekend shift (typically $65) and $80–$120 per hour on a public holiday (typically $100). Whole shifts are quoted too: one 8-hour weekday static shift at $280–$480 and one 10-hour overnight site shift at $500–$750.

The kind of site decides the rest of a Townsville quote. Flinders Street and Palmer Street doors book crowd controllers at $55–$85 per guard per hour; Strand events book event guards at $45–$70; CBD and Douglas receptions book concierge officers at $40–$65 per hour; Garbutt and Mount St John builds book construction guards at $45–$70 per hour; and a Bohle or Stuart yard that only needs checking pays $30–$60 per patrol visit or $400–$1,200 per month on a nightly contract. A wedding with 2 guards for 6 hours is $660–$840 per event, and a council-run hall with its own event security charge prices guards at $68–$198 per guard per hour.

The Queensland Government's fair trading pages say that to work as a crowd controller in Queensland you need a Queensland security provider class 1 licence, and that a business needs a security firm licence if it supplies staff to provide security services. In Townsville, ask for the class 1 licence number of every crowd controller rostered, the licence number of every other guard and the supplying company's security firm licence number to be written on the quote.

Security guards cost by shift type and site in Townsville

Quick answerTownsville pricing steps with the shift and the site: a Charters Towers Road Hermit Park shop books a few hours at $40–$60 per hour, a Flinders Street door crowd controllers at $55–$85 per guard per hour, a Douglas reception a concierge at $40–$65 per hour, and a Bohle depot patrols at $30–$60 per visit or an overnight guard at $500–$750.

The rate changes with the day before it changes with anything else. Weekday day cover is $40–$60 per hour, a night or weekend $55–$75 and a public holiday $80–$120, so a Willows or Castletown store with a guard through the Christmas weeks pays different rates on the same roster. As shifts, 8 weekday hours cost $280–$480 and a 10-hour overnight $500–$750.

Then the site chooses the officer. A Stockland Townsville tenancy needs a static guard; a Palmer Street South Townsville venue crowd controllers at $55–$85 per guard per hour; a Strand concert event guards at $45–$70; and a Garbutt or Stuart yard can be covered by a nightly patrol contract at $400–$1,200 per month rather than a guard sitting on site, with a private party or wedding of 2 guards for 6 hours at $660–$840 per event.

Frequently Asked Questions — Security Guards Cost in Townsville

What is the price of security guards in Townsville?

From our Townsville table: a static guard is $40–$60 per hour on a weekday day shift (typically $45), $55–$75 per hour for a night or weekend shift (typically $65) and $80–$120 per hour on a public holiday (typically $100); a mobile patrol is $30–$60 per site visit.

How much does a security guard cost per hour in Townsville?

A static guard on a weekday day shift costs $40–$60 per hour in Townsville, with $45 typical, and a concierge or front-desk security officer $40–$65 per hour, typically $50. A CBD or Douglas office reception is usually a weekday roster with the same officer; a Hermit Park shop that wants a guard for a few nights after a break-in pays the firm's minimum booking each night.

How much does event security cost in Townsville?

Going by our Townsville table, an event security guard is $45–$70 per guard per hour, typically $55, and a licensed crowd controller $55–$85 per guard per hour, typically $60. The Strand and Magnetic Island ferry precinct events and Flinders Street venue doors are the usual Townsville event bookings; ask the firm to price event guards and crowd controllers on separate lines and to state the hours on site.

What does a mobile security patrol cost in Townsville?

A mobile patrol is $30–$60 per site visit on our Townsville table, with $35 typical, and a contract of nightly patrols on one site $400–$1,200 per month, typically $600; the visit count and what each visit checks decide where a quote lands.

What licence should a Townsville security company hold?

The Queensland Government's fair trading pages say that to work as a crowd controller in Queensland you need a Queensland security provider class 1 licence, and that a business needs a security firm licence if it supplies staff to provide security services. In Townsville, check the licence numbers on the quote against the guards rostered on the night, and ask whether any shift is subcontracted to another firm.

How much does a construction site security guard cost in Townsville?

A construction site guard is $45–$70 per hour on our Townsville table, with $50 typical; where the cover runs through the night, an overnight site guard on one 10-hour shift is priced at $500–$750 per shift.

What do security guards cost on weekends and public holidays in Townsville?

A static guard costs $55–$75 per hour for a night or weekend shift in Townsville, with $65 typical, and $80–$120 per hour on a public holiday, typically $100. Flinders Street venues and Stockland Townsville or Castletown retailers that trade across long weekends should get weekday, weekend and public holiday rates on one quote before the roster is fixed.

How much does security for a private party or wedding cost in Townsville?

A private party or wedding with 2 guards for 6 hours is $660–$840 per event on our Townsville table, with $780 typical; at a council venue that sets its own event security charge, the guard is priced at $68–$198 per guard per hour, typically $80. For a Townsville wedding on The Strand or near the Magnetic Island ferry precinct, ask whether the venue books its own guards and agree in writing when the booked guards finish.

What does a full security shift cost in Townsville?

One 8-hour weekday shift for a static guard costs $280–$480 per shift on our Townsville table, with $360 typical, and one 10-hour overnight site shift $500–$750, typically $650. In Townsville, ask whether an overnight shift at a Bohle or Garbutt depot includes a hand-over report, and how a shift that runs past its booked hours is billed.