Visy Site Transformation: 7.1ha Riverfront Land Opens For High-Rise Mixed-Use Proposals

The Queensland Government has unveiled plans to redevelop Brisbane’s former Visy glass factory site into a major new mixed-use riverfront precinct, scrapping the previously proposed “South Bank 2.0” concept.

Rather than proceeding with a state-led cultural precinct tied to the 2032 Olympics, the government will now invite private developers to propose a new high-density neighbourhood with more than 4,000 homes, commercial buildings, parkland and public amenities.

Located along Montague Road between South Bank and West End, the 7.1-hectare riverfront site sits just 1.3 kilometres from the CBD and will be vacated by Visy in 2027. The government purchased the land in 2022 with the intent to use it as the International Broadcast Centre during the Games, before transitioning it into a major urban renewal precinct.

Premier David Crisafulli described the opportunity as “one of the last golden stretches of riverfront to create a world-class legacy precinct that all Queenslanders can be proud of.”

Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning Jarrod Bleijie said the decision would reverse what he described as Labor’s “white elephant” plans for the site.

“Labor’s plan for the Visy site was to waste more taxpayer money on yet another project that didn’t stack up and delivered no new homes for Queenslanders,” Mr Bleijie said.

“Instead, the Crisafulli Government will partner with the private sector to deliver more homes, more jobs and a vibrant precinct generations of Queenslanders can be proud of.”

Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said the announcement aligned with Council’s broader Kurilpa Precinct vision, which is expected to deliver over 5,000 new homes.

“This builds on our plan to transform this area into one of Brisbane’s most liveable communities,” Cr Schrinner said. “Our planning has helped transform areas like James Street and Howard Smith Wharves and the Kurilpa Plan will do much the same for South Brisbane.”

Economic Development Queensland (EDQ) will now call for private-sector expressions of interest, with a shortlist to be developed for detailed proposals and potential development agreements.

Artist impressions released by the government show multiple slender towers at Brisbane’s maximum height limit of approximately 274 metres high (around 80 storeys), set around a landscaped riverfront with boardwalks, an over-river pool, boating facilities and event lawns.

The state says the project aims to deliver a new “world-class legacy precinct” featuring entertainment spaces, community infrastructure and mixed-use commercial and residential development.

The Visy site adjoins the former Hanson Concrete Plant on Nott Street, where Heidelberg Materials has lodged an application for three mixed-use towers up to 50 storeys high, incorporating 5,400 square metres of public riverside parkland.

Further north, the 1.8-hectare Lactalis dairy plant under the William Jolly Bridge remains operational but occupies another significant riverfront site in the corridor.

Collectively, the transformation of these industrial properties will reshape the Montague Road and Kurilpa Peninsula area as one of Brisbane’s densest inner-city residential precincts.

While the new approach prioritises housing supply and private investment, it also places delivery responsibility with developers. Infrastructure coordination, transport access and public-space integration will be central to how the project is received, particularly due to mass transit being out of walking reach for this precinct.

Visy’s lease runs until 2027, meaning redevelopment work is unlikely to commence until after that date. The government expects to shortlist development proponents through 2025 following the initial expression-of-interest process.

If successful, the precinct could help ease Brisbane’s housing shortage by adding more than 4,000 dwellings in an established riverside location, while activating one of the few remaining undeveloped stretches of the inner-city riverfront.

Under the former Labor government, state-led urban renewal sites and Priority Development Areas (PDAs) were often subject to requirements that a portion of new dwellings include social or affordable housing. Those provisions have now been removed under the new LNP government, which argues such mandates slowed delivery and deterred private investment.

While the change may accelerate housing supply, it also means new projects on government-owned sites such as the Visy precinct are expected to deliver housing at full market prices, levels that are increasingly out of reach for many Brisbane residents.