$17m Brisbane ferry terminal connected by rotting boardwalk no-one can use

Commuters using a new $17m Brisbane ferry terminal this week will be forced to find a way around a rotting boardwalk leading to the dock that has been closed for safety reasons for almost a year.

David Keating who lives at Dockside within Kangaroo Point suburb is still wondering when the dockside walkway will be fixed to a standard that people can once again use it. Picture David Clark

Commuters using a new $17m Brisbane ferry terminal this week will be forced to walk around a rotting boardwalk leading to the dock, with parts of the boardwalk shuttered due to safety concerns.

The state government has been urged to take action against the lessee of the timber boardwalk at Dockside, between Cairns Street Drydock and Rotherham Street, by both the Council and residents. The boardwalk has been closed to the public since May last year.

Brisbane will have a revamped $17m Dockside ferry terminal at Kangaroo Point from Tuesday – but the Council has been forced to tell locals large sections of the boardwalk will remain closed off after falling into an unsafe state over several years.

“This State Government owned boardwalk needs urgent repairs and this is something we have been raising for sometime,” a Council spokesman said.

“We will continue to raise this and work with the State Government to improve access to this area.

“To ensure the safety of all passengers, semipermanent balustrades have been installed at the entrance of the new terminal to prevent access to the boardwalk.”

The boardwalk has been closed to the public since May last year. Picture David Clark

Furious local residents have been battling the state government and the Department of Resources over the boardwalk, urging them to take action against Dockside Marina lessee Ken Allsop to get the section repaired.

A joint letter from residents obtained by The Courier-Mail states: “those of us who live in riverside precincts like Kangaroo Point take immense pride in our riverwalk.

“So why is it that the government agencies that have the ultimate ownership of this asset – who are responsible for ensuring it is maintained in good repair, kept safe and ‘fit-for-purpose’ – are so utterly dismissive of their responsibilities and treat it with complete contempt and neglect?

“Rather than acting swiftly and responsibly when the problem of the rotting, splintering boardwalk and rusting supporting beams was first brought to DOR’s attention in 2020 … DOR’s instructed ‘closure’ of this ‘Kangaroo Point Link’ came only after the alarming increase in injuries experienced by locals and tourists alike as a consequence of the seriously degraded and dilapidated surface, and after literally years of warnings to DOR by local residents.”

Minister Stewart told The Courier-Mail “I understand why people are frustrated about this issue”.

“The Department of Resources has issued the lessee with a safety notice in relation to public safety issues caused by lack of maintenance of the boardwalk at the Dockside Marina and I expect the lessee to comply with those obligations.

“If they do not I expect action to be taken.”

A Department of Resources spokesman said the Department was given “a timeline of when repairs to the boardwalk will be completed to address safety concerns”.

While the timeline was not specified, The Courier-Mail understands it to be late this year.

“We expect the lessee to meet that timeline and will act if he fails to comply with these commitments and the conditions of his lease,” the spokesman said.

A representative of Mr Allsop’s company Brisbane River Pty Ltd said consultation with the involved stakeholders was ongoing.