The Labor Government has released details about major plans to expand South Bank around the river to Hockings St, South Brisbane. The plan has been in the making for around six months and is called ‘South Bank 2’.
Premier Anna Bligh said “we have a vision that can make the Queensland capital one of the most people-friendly river cities in the world,” she said. “We are on the cusp of unprecedented prosperity in Queensland and our job is to guide private investment in ways that can benefit all Queenslanders.”
It is understood that the 27ha expansion of South Bank will be controlled by the highly successful South Bank Corporation.
South Bank 2 will require the resumption of private industrial land along the river including the Parmalat site which is to be purchased by the government. The project will be cash neutral which means that it will come at no cost to taxpayers as residential and commercial development will be included to offset costs.
The project is said to include:
- A new cultural institution
- Olympic size pool
- Entertainment, retail and dining precinct
- Parkland
- South Bank Corporation to become responsible for the area along the river stretching from the Goodwill Bridge to Hockings Street.
- New riverfront parklands to be established, to include expanded green space, a Olympic sized pool and aquatic play area, picnic and BBQ areas in addition to art spaces, markets and a retail and dining precinct.
- Hope Street and Montague Road to become vibrant destinations, similar to James Street (Fortitude Valley) and Little Stanley Street (South Brisbane).
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I think this is a great idea. The Government continually says they want Brisbane to become a World City and World Cities need a lot of parkland. Look at New York! However, as good as this plan seems, I cannot foresee Labor maintaining power after this election. So goodbye South Bank 2.
I agree with the Mayor on this, if you allow this in a flood area, you have to revisit the Story Bridge site. Both sites can only go ahead if one or other is approved, so Anna needs to sort this out. She has opened a can of worms election time.
this will not be minimalist-style, New Yorkesque, tasteful parkland, it will no doubt be a collection of overpriced & vulgar eateries for the proletariat smashed together with some equally vulgar apartments for the middle class aspirant types. The new park atop the Kangaroo Point cliffs isn’t bad, but we should be quite suspicious of any “cost neutral” development, especially one that is based around so many buildings of historical significance. And as if South Bank 1 wasn’t bad enough by itself?
Southbank 1 is one of Australia’s most successful ‘private/public’ built development. Any repeat of the original Southbank will only be a good thing for Brisbane.
They should create a sister ‘grand arbour’, in either copy or in homage.
This will not go ahead on the scale suggested…
I think its a fantastic idea the city needs way more open public space now we just need to get past the idiots who squashed Northbank bring that debate back too
Yes Viv, good idea another grand arbour, and they also need a canoe trail up to this area for riverlife centre.
Northbank could do with a super jetty that runs right along this area. Same idea as the bike path but turn it into a wide padestrain only area for entertainers and people with some deckchairs and umbrella’s. Huge scale of course, big unbrella.s the size of a small shed. We could all then just lounge around all week. hehe
Queensland has The Great Barrier Reef.Brisbane is the Capitol.
Brisbane needs a major draw card, Brisbane needs an Icon to set it apart from the rest of the world. What about the worlds largest Coral Reef Aquarium to be built on this site. Visitors would walk through gardens of coral flanking them on each side, 5 maybe 10 storeys high. It could have education centres, Aquarium tanks, touching pools, huge fish tanks. maybe the building itself could be in the shape of a whale. Visitors could travel to the tail fin which could also act as a observation deck. Inside could also contain rainforest gardens as the building would need constant temp. control. Not only coral gardens but rainforest gardens and waterfalls could sit side by side throughout the entire building. The out side would need to be made of glass. Blue (dark) what else. Imagine a huge glass whale shaped building lying along the edge of the river. Southbank 2 could encircle the building and create new and exciting precincts. Its tail section and observation deck could be positioned to hang out over the river to some degree.