Woolloongabba priority development area boundaries locked in ahead of 2032 Games

The official boundaries of the state government’s major redevelopment of Woolloongabba - which includes new pedestrian walkways and a rebuilt Gabba stadium - ahead of the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games have been declared.

The official boundaries of the state government’s major redevelopment of Woolloongabba ahead of the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games have been declared.

It is the latest step in securing the state government’s plan of having pedestrian walkways across the city, thousands of new homes and a rebuilt Gabba Stadium as legacies of the Games.

A total of 106ha, the equivalent of about 142 rugby league fields, will be sucked into the Woolloongabba Priority Development area with the zone officially gazetted on Friday.

It means planning and development approvals across the area will be handled by the state government, with an interim land use plan to be in effect for 12 months while a detailed scheme is drawn up.

Deputy Premier Steven Miles, who is also the state development and planning minister, said the larger PDA would “transform the area as the southern gateway to Brisbane’s city centre”.

Woolloongabba priority development area map.

“Major projects like the Gabba redevelopment, Cross River Rail, and Brisbane Metro will bring investment to the area and we’ll see more jobs and more housing,” he said.

“It will also allow for better connections into the CBD and beyond and more active transport options, including a walkable spine from The Gabba to Roma Street through South Bank.

“This planning approach will mean we can build on the unique opportunities an inner-city suburb offers and it will uplift the amenities locals can enjoy, like green space, retail and entertainment.”

The new PDA expands on the previous Woolloongabba Cross River Rail PDA and maintains the commitment to 50 per cent open space in the Cross River Rial and Stadium precinct.

The state government affirmed the existing houses and properties within the PDA weren’t being resumed, noting a PDA was about “providing a consistent vision for a whole area”.

Greens MP for South Brisbane Amy MacMahon has been critical of the PDA because community consultation requirements and transparency around how decisions are made are limited.

Consultation on the development scheme will likely start around April 2024, with the document finalised around September 2024.

Vulture St, starting at Stephens Rd and ending at Lisburn St, is the spine of the PDA area, with the zone including areas covering the Mater Hospital down Annerley Rd to Park Rd.

The zone also goes through Stanley St, traversing the southeast busway to junction where it intersects with Ipswich Rd on a map, through to Balaclava St.

It includes Deshon St to Mountjoy St up through Albion St and Hampton St and into Overend St before curving around to Lisburn St until it meets with Vulture St.

The PDA also extends up Main St to the intersection with Bromley St then cutting through Duke St to Linton St