Cross River Rail’s Albert Street Station PDA Declared

The Queensland Government has declared a Cross River Rail Priority Development Area (PDA) to support the delivery of the new underground Albert Street station in the heart of the CBD.

The Albert Street Cross River Rail PDA was declared by a regulation on the 14th of December 2018 and consists of an area approximately 3,858sqm in size. The PDA comprises two core land areas separated by Albert Street. Each of the core land areas also have frontage to Mary Street.

The PDA is located adjacent to a key Brisbane City Centre intersection and along two important movement corridors that connect the Queen Street Mall and City Botanic Gardens via Albert Street and riverside activity hubs at Queen’s Wharf Brisbane and the Eagle Street precinct via Mary Street.

Deputy Premier and Treasurer Jackie Trad said the Government was getting on with the job of delivering the major infrastructure Queenslanders need now to serve our growing population into the future.

“The $5.4 billion Cross River Rail will unlock the bottleneck at the core of the transport network allowing more trains to run more often by enabling a world-class turn-up-and-go transport network with benefits across the whole of South East Queensland,” Ms Trad said.

“Albert Street will be the first CBD station built in 120 years and will dramatically improve connectivity to the southern part of the CBD, opening new access routes to city attractions and key business precincts.”

The 10.2-kilometre rail line from Dutton Park to Bowen Hills will include a 5.9-kilometre tunnel under the Brisbane River and Brisbane CBD and signify the CBD’s second priority development area in three years following the Queen’s Wharf PDA.

Vision

1. Delivering exceptional subtropical design and architecture of outstanding merit that contributes to Brisbane’s unique identity and lifestyle.
2. Integrating appropriately with existing development adjacent to the PDA, and within the PDA, including addressing amenity impacts from infrastructure associated with the station.
3. Protecting the functional requirements of rail transport infrastructure, state transport corridor and future state transport corridor to ensure the operational efficiency, integrity and safety of the transport network is maintained.
4. Ensuring any street buildings frame the street and provide fine-grain, permeable active uses addressing the street.
5. Ensuring any towers above street buildings contribute to the city’s distinctive skyline, deliver effective climatic performance and ensure adequate separation, amenity and privacy to adjacent development.
6. Ensuring the public realm is highly-legible and designed to cater to high-volume pedestrian movements including a generously landscaped, pedestrian-oriented streetscape along:

   • Albert Street that supports connectivity from Albert Street Cross River Rail station to the Queen Street Mall and contributes to the delivery of the Albert Street Station and Green Spine Overlay88 For further guidance refer to Cross River Rail Albert Street Station & Green Spine Overlay, 21 August 2018 available at www.crossriverrail.qld.gov.au .

   • Mary Street that supports connectivity from Albert Street Cross River Rail station to Queen’s Wharf Brisbane and the Eagle Street business and commercial precinct.

7. Maintaining or improving views and vistas from the public realm to the City Botanic Gardens and Queen Street Mall.

Acting Planning Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said the change would cut red tape for the delivery of the station.

“The PDA covers two land areas on the corner of Albert and Mary Streets in Brisbane’s CBD with an Interim Land Use Plan to be in place while a development scheme is prepared for the site,” Mr Hinchliffe said.

“This is another step towards construction and provides the eventual contractors and the Cross River Rail Delivery Authority with the necessary powers to deliver the station and surrounding areas.”

Member for McConnel Grace Grace said Cross River Rail was a game-changer for her community.

“This new station fundamentally changes how people will move around the City with the project to support Council’s plans for a green spine which would run along Albert Street connecting Roma Street Parklands through to the City Botanic Gardens,” Ms Grace said.

“The station will become the main pedestrian feeder point for Queen Street Mall, QUT’s Gardens Point campus, the Parliamentary precinct, the new Queen’s Wharf Brisbane development and an upgraded Eagle Street business district.”

Under the PDA, the government will be allowed to develop future residential or commercial towers over the station portals however the applications will require public notice if the development is a residential tower with site cover greater than 45% or a non-residential tower with site cover greater than 50%.

The community will have an opportunity to comment on the proposed development scheme for the Albert Street PDA when it is publicly notified during 2019.

There are three shortlisted proponents currently bidding for the major Tunnel, Station and Development package of works for the Cross River Rail project.

While the underground Albert Street station will be located on the corner of Albert Street and Mary Street, the final tunnel alignment, station entrances and construction methodology will be known when the preferred tenderer has been announced by mid-2019.