New Gold CityGlider bus route and battery-powered ferry for Brisbane

A new high-frequency bus service – the Gold CityGlider – will roll out in Brisbane as part of the council’s $4.3 billion budget.

The Gold CityGlider, co-funded with the Queensland government, will travel from Northshore Hamilton to Woolloongabba via Bowen Hills and the new Waterfront Brisbane and Queen’s Wharf developments.

An artist’s impression of the proposed Gold CityGlider, promised in the Brisbane City Council budget.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said the areas would experience significant population growth in future years.

“Obviously, this route has Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games venues at each end starting near The Gabba stadium with the ability to extend the service to a future athletes village at Northshore Hamilton,” he said, handing down Brisbane City Council’s budget on Wednesday morning.

The budget will also include feasibility work for Brisbane’s first electric ferry, to be called the EVCat.

The study, with $435,000 allocated over the next year, will assess the viability of a new battery-powered vessel, in partnership with operator River City Ferries and local ship builder Aus Ships.

Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner with a model of an EVCat, which would be smaller than a CityCat but larger than a KittyCat.Credit: Brisbane Times

The proposed 15-metre prototype catamaran vessel is expected to carry more than 50 passengers and would be larger than a KittyKat, but smaller than a CityCat.

The primary role of the EVCat would be cross-river services, and Schrinner said it would be “ideal” for the Bulimba to Teneriffe route.

“If successful, we’ll investigate further opportunities to introduce lower emission vessels into our fleet,” he said.

“What else can this technology apply to? Can it apply to KittyCats? Can it apply to future CityCats?”

The Brisbane City Council budget featured $2.3 billion for transport projects, including $35 million on new and improved ferry terminals including the under-construction Dockside terminal, and $150 million over the next four years on zero-emissions buses.

There was $775 million over the next three years for Brisbane Metro, with services to begin in late 2024.