Howard Smith Wharves pontoons delayed as Queen’s Wharf set to open

The opening of Brisbane’s Howard Smith Wharves pontoons, designed to be a ritzy tourist gateway to Moreton Bay’s North Stradbroke Island, has been pushed back. Here’s why.

Concrete pylons have been put down at Dunwich where the state government is building a new pontoon and fishing jetty to replace one that has been maintained by Redland City Council. Picture: Simon Walker

Construction delays have pushed back the opening times for two new river tourist pontoons at Brisbane’s Howard Smith Wharves, both designed to service North Stradbroke Island, Tangalooma and Moreton Bay.

The two structures were to be completed by March but last week’s budget Estimates revealed progress had been delayed until at least June next year, but with no timeframe set for completion.

The delay means the pontoons will not be in service for the planned opening of Queen’s Wharf this month.

A new $2.2 million pontoon and jetty at Dunwich, on North Stradbroke Island, is also unlikely to be completed in time for the September school holidays, bringing to five years the wait for the island’s old jetty to be replaced.

Tourism Innovation and Sport Director-General Andrew Hopper was grilled about the delays during last week’s sitting.

Mr Hopper said the time frame for the Brisbane pontoons was pushed back after the designs were required to be rescoped and redesigned and because of delays with associated approval requirements.

Director-General Andrew Hopper revealed the delays. Picture: Tourism and Events Queensland

“The development application for upstream and downstream commercial pontoons was granted by Brisbane City Council on February 7, 2024,” he said.

“We are currently working with the proponent to progress delivery under revised timelines, with the remaining two pontoons currently estimated to be delivered by June 30, 2025.”

The Howard Smith Wharves pontoons, to be funded with a $5.5 million tourism fund, are expected to be used for both commercial and public use.

Commercial tour operators and private vessels up to 24m are already accessing a pontoon at Howard Smith Wharves including River to Bay boats.

The River to Bay operator has had partial success running day and night guided brewery tours which started in February along the Brisbane River and to Dunwich at Straddie.

However, the boat operator pulled back on services in March citing Redland City Council landing fees of more than $78,000.

It is envisaged that boats will leave the busy restaurant precinct, under the Story Bridge, and take more than two hours to reach Dunwich on North Stradbroke Island.

It is likely that the new Dunwich replacement jetty will be used for boats from Brisbane to dock and as a fishing pier.

Its costs blew out from an initial $750,000 to $2.2 million over the course of its planning and construction.

Howard Smith Wharves chief executive Luke Fraser said finer details for construction and use of all the pontoons were still being finalised.

Howard Smith Wharves chief executive Luke Fraser. Picture: Tara Croser

“We envisage this will become a world-famous Brisbane experience – a river’s edge tourism and dining hub in the heart of the city that provides a connection to the river and Moreton Bay, Tangalooma and island region,” he said.

“As we prepare to welcome the world with the 2032 Olympics and Paralympics, we’re dreaming bigger than ever and this new tourism gateway will provide a whole range of opportunities for people to experience the very best that southeast Queensland has to offer.”

Stradbroke Flyer owner and operator John Groom, who started a similar river to bay venture in 2018, said there had been limited information on which commercial operators would be using the Howard Smith Wharves pontoons.

Stradbroke Flyer owner and operator John Groom says services from the Brisbane River to Straddie need government subsidies to be sustainable. Picture: Contributed

“We had concerns about the fairness of the situation, and even though public infrastructure is a positive development, the way it is managed and funded could disadvantage smaller operators,” he said.

“In 2018, we started a similar ferry service which ultimately proved unsuccessful due to a lack of state government support.

“The preferential treatment given to larger companies undermines competition and fairness in the industry.

“Government grants should be available to all in an open and level playing field not just to some in the inner-circle of the tourism industry.”