Radical plan to transform Brisbane wastelands into thriving precincts

Ambitious plans to transform hundreds of hectares of polluted and flood prone catchments into thriving outdoor hubs have been revealed.

Linus Kurz-Morris enjoying the new Victoria Park Urban Pump Track. Picture: David Clark

Brisbane has an opportunity to create a green canopy skyline and a highly connected series of venues and precincts to improve the city’s connectivity and lifestyle.

There is also an ambitious plan to transform hundreds of hectares of under-utilised suburban areas to attract wildlife and people back to some of the city’s most polluted and flood prone catchments.

Managing partner of urban planning consultancy Urbis James Tuma said Brisbane will be a different city to live in the wake of the 2032 Games.

This story is part of The Courier-Mail’s annual Future Brisbane series advocating for a focus on the right legacy outcomes from the hosting of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. You can read all of our coverage here.

He said it will be much greener, shadier, more inclusive and accessible through public transport, walking, cycling, bridges, rivers edge parks.

“There will be no Olympic Park per se, but there will be an opportunity to create a highly connected series of venues and precincts which ultimately are more useful in terms of maintaining our lifestyle and green space agenda,” he said.

The Oxley Creek Common will be a centrepiece of Brisbane’s future.

“What you might expect to see are opportunities that are explored to really double down on green connections that might make the experience of walking the city during 2032, and much more importantly for future generations, more palatable.”

Mr Tuma said leveraging the city’s reputation as the “natural capital” will make Brisbane quite attractive globally from a tourism and investment perspective.

“One of the things that the International Olympic Committee are most enamoured by the idea of in 2032, is the natural setting of the city,” he said.

“While other cities and other editions of the Games have had quite iconic backdrops, I think we often underwrite and undersell the fact that we have something different to offer the world.

“The Games is being hosted in a series of different venues and locations up and down the Queensland coast, all in proximity to amazing natural assets, rainforests and mountain ranges and world heritage listed waterways.

“I think it makes sense that we continue to accelerate and leverage that.”

Mr Tuma said investors and residents globally were demanding greener and more sustainable developments.

He said this uniquely placed Brisbane to build a more climate resistant city.

“Expectations around amenity and the quality of green space and the amount of landscape available to residents is just the standard setting now,” he said.

“We’re uniquely positioned in Australia to have this incredible city that is so different to all the other capitals because we can actually grow vegetation almost anywhere we want because of the climate and because we’re quite a young city.

“Every single time a building goes up, it’s actually incrementally greener so by the time we get to 2032, 2042 and 2052, I think every building will have a much more significant role to play in terms of not just its visual experience of greenness, but its performance and sustainability.”

For the 1996 Atlanta Games, Centennial Olympic Park transformed a previously run-down urban area of the city into the largest urban green space created in the USA in the previous 25 years.

Mr Tuma said Brisbane City itself could not house a new equivalent nine hectare green site.

But what could replicate the success of Centennial Olympic Park is the transformation of Victoria Park, which is more than seven times the size of the Atlanta site.

Victoria Park is already set to host the Olympic BMX freestyle and equestrian cross-country events, with a decision to house a major stadium still under review.

Otto Malinowski tearing up the new Victoria Park Urban Pump Track. Picture: David Clark

Funding from all three levels of government has already been secured through the SEQ City Deal Liveability Fund, allowing significant new works to commence next financial year.

This includes the all-ages, all-abilities “Adventurescape” playground, a two-kilometre “parkway loop” boulevard linking the existing land bridge over the Inner City Bypass and the Brisbane Metro and busway station, a new active transport bridge at the entrance of the park, road and intersection upgrades, new administration and operations buildings, new signs and public art, and additional carparking.

Its newest action-packed attraction opened this month, accommodating BMX riders of all ages and abilities to take on a 260m track.

BMX enthusiast Linus Kurz-Morris, 15, who last year ranked eighth in Queensland, said the track was a game changer for Brisbane and that he would be making it his second home during the school holidays.

“There’s nothing like this so close to the city which makes it very special,” Linus said.

“The jumps are great, I’ve seen more advanced riders and also little kids giving it a go.”

Otto Malinowski enjoying the new Victoria Park Urban Pump Track. Picture: David Clark

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said delivering a major transformation of a public park alongside an Olympic and Paralympic venue required vision and imagination from the outset.

“We’ve always been determined to maximise the opportunities in Victoria Park and, just like South Bank continued to evolve after Expo ’88, Victoria Park will do the same,” he said.

“Having all three levels of government working together was one of the reasons the mayors of Southeast Queensland first pursued an Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“Now we have all three levels of government on board with our vision for Victoria Park, we’re keen to get on with work to help make it even better now, during the Games and beyond.”

Another major urban green project Brisbane City Council has been progressing in the inner suburbs is the Oxley Creek Transformation.

The Oxley Creek Transformation aims to transform a 120-hectare site into an outdoor activity hub.

New artist impressions have revealed the vision for next phase of the 20-year plan, dubbed the Oxley Creek Common, which will convert an old farm into a 120-hectare site just 7km from the CBD.

It will feature birdwatching, canoeing and kayaking facilities, an educational city farm, a metropolitan-scale public park with farm-themed playground, dog park, outdoor fitness equipment, shaded lawns and picnic shelters.

Cr Schrinner said Oxley Creek was by far the largest creek catchment in Brisbane but, traditionally has also been the most urbanised and polluted.

“Brisbane’s natural environment is one of the things that sets us apart from other cities,” he said.

“Our river and creeks are places for both wildlife and people and this will no doubt be part of the unique ‘Brisbane’ experience for people visiting before, during and after the 2032 Games.

“Our ambitious plan is transforming hundreds of hectares of under-utilised parts of Brisbane into an incredible lifestyle destination for everyone.”

Renders of the Oxley Creek Transformation.

Council is finalising the transfer of the Oxley Creek site from the state government, which is expected to be finalised next year.

Also next year, consultation will start to gather ideas on what the community wants for the Wynnum, Lota and Manly foreshores.

Funding was allocated in the 2024-25 budget to progress a 20-year masterplan to build on the works undertaken years ago and add to the $1.2 million upgrade of the children’s playground near the Wynnum Wading Pool.

Council is also progressing the $85 million Kedron Brook Revitalisation Vision to transform the flood prone 110 sqkm kilometre catchment that runs through 14 suburbs from Ferny Grove to Nudgee.

Further investigations and technical work are underway into reinstating vegetation, bank stabilisation, creating room for water to flow and more spaces for recreation with seating and shade.