Cox Architecture, the studio behind the Jakarta International Velodrome, has been appointed to design a 25,000-capacity stadium for the North Queensland Cowboys rugby league team.

The project has been unveiled by the Townsville and Queensland Government, and will have a AS$250m (£146.1m, US$180.8m, €174.1m) budget.

It has been slated to be ready in time for the 2020 National Rugby League (NRL) season.

According to the architects, the stadium has been designed to replicate the shape of the Pandanus, a tree native to Northern Australia, with a tapered roof that moves around three-quarters of the stadium.

Townsville mayor Jenny Hill said the venue “may very well become quite an iconic building, not just for us in North Queensland, but around Australia”.

The stadium is expected to create around 750 jobs in an area of growing unemployment.

“Not only will the stadium create those short-term jobs, but it will unlock a wave of new confidence and investment in the region at a time when we need it most,” said Townsville MP Scott Stewart.