New vision for South Brisbane revealed as draft Games report sent to Bleijie

A 3.5-kilometre “linear park” has been proposed to connect Woolloongabba, the Mater precinct, South Bank and Kurilpa, utilising “forgotten spaces” such as areas beneath elevated railway lines.

Landscape architect Matthew Durning from Aspect Studios, the agency behind the plan, said the “Corril Connector” could add seven hectares of green space on both public and private land.

Durning shared the plans as the first draft of the 100-day Brisbane 2032 Olympic infrastructure review was delivered to Jarrod Bleijie, starting the process to finalise the venues and connections needed for the event.

Concept design for the ‘Corril Connector’ linear park between Woolloongabba and Kurilpa.Credit: Aspect Studios

While the terms of reference did not allow for Durning’s proposal to be considered by the Games Independent Infrastructure and Co-ordination Authority (GIICA), he argued it went to the heart of the Games experience.

He said the “Queensland vernacular” tradition was one of verandahs and undercroft balconies, “the spaces which we tend to inhabit the most”.

“Undercroft spaces actually work quite well in Brisbane, because we are always looking for shade,” he said.

The 3.5-kilomete ‘linear park’.Credit: Aspect Studios

“They’re actually some of the most accessible spaces.”

Durning said the Kurilpa Sustainable Growth Precinct Plan allowed for an extra 22,000 residents and 10,000 dwellings in Kurilpa and South Brisbane – population growth that would require 11 more hectares of green space.

He said Paris, which hosted last year’s summer Olympics, had a strong focus on public space, with heavy investment in the streets and “not so much in the stadia”.

“We’ve got a real opportunity in Brisbane. The landscape is something we can really deliver with some confidence, especially our big trees, outdoor lifestyle, greenery,” he said.

“It’s what we’re about, our DNA.”

Durning, the Queensland vice president of the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects, said Aspect planned to present the vision to the government, Brisbane City Council, Queensland Rail and private landowners over the next few months.

“Paris did what I think Brisbane wanted to do, which was use the existing stadium and then spend the money on public infrastructure,” he said.

“It’s a bit of a shame we’ve got to this stage, but it is what it is.”

A spokesman for Bleijie confirmed the deputy premier received the draft report from GIICA over the weekend. The final report is due on March 8.

After two weeks of stakeholder consultation, it will go to cabinet on March 24, with the final stadium strategy to be announced at a business lunch the following day.

GIICA received more than 5000 submissions during the review.

The most mentioned topic was the debate about Brisbane’s new centrepiece stadium, with suggestions for and against Victoria Park, and a proposal for a new Gabba West stadium.

There were also submissions about the locations of other major and minor venues, including a swimming centre at Mount Coot-tha or Victoria Park, and a secondary rectangular stadium at Perry Park to complement the larger Suncorp Stadium.

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