Councillors say it’s time to unlock the south bank of the river
Three councillors claim the south bank of the Brisbane River has lagged behind the north bank in terms of unlocking its development potential, and are calling for action.
Southeast
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WITH major development and projects under way along the south bank of the Brisbane River from Bulimba to Murarrie, southeast Queensland councillors agree more has to be done to connect public access along the riverside.
All three councillors with riverside wards in the southeast, represented by Greens, Labor and LNP, say it is time to embrace the river, and are looking for opportunities to improve public access.
While the Riverwalk connects the northside from the city to New Farm, the southern banks to the east of the city has fragmented parks, river walks and bikeways with poor connections between major attractions from Oxford St Bulimba to the Gateway Bridge.
With the inner city’s largest redevelopment in a decade at the 20ha Bulimba Barracks riverside site and 30ha of riverfront land under construction for the Rivermakers development at Morningside, a major upgrade ahead for Colmslie Beach Reserve, the new Murarrie Recreation Hub, new craft brewery destinations Brewdog at Murarrie, Revel Brewing Company at Bulimba and Brisbane Brew Partners at Morningside, along with major hubs like the Colmslie Recreation Reserve, the Oxford Street precinct and Mowbray Park, the councillors agreed better connections were needed.
Cr Jonathan Sri (Woolloongabba) said the city had done a good job in preserving public access in inner suburbs around South Bank Parklands with the 9km bikeway from West End to South Brisbane and the 5km Kangaroo Point river walk.
However from Norman Creek at East Brisbane bikeways and pedestrian links were fragmented.
The bikeway between Mowbray Park and Kangaroo Point also ends abruptly before Shafston College.
“If we completed these riverside pathways to make walking and riding more convenient, we could reduce traffic congestion and also reduce conflicts between e-scooters and pedestrians on existing narrow footpaths,” Cr Sri said.
Cr Kara Cook (Morningside) said eastern suburbs had been neglected by the LNP council when it came to cycling infrastructure.
“Inner southside cycling infrastructure has lagged behind our inner northside counterparts. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that they are LNP wards,” Cr Cook said.
“The Morningside Ward has one of the highest number of development applications in the city and we need to see those infrastructure charges received from developers invested in these suburbs where we are seeing such high levels of growth.
“We are only asking for a fair allocation of resources, nothing more.”
Cr Lisa Atwood (Doboy) declined to be in the above photo, indicating council was in discussions with neighbouring landholders.
She said connections down to the foreshore as opposed to along the river were important.
Cr Atwood said council was not about to shut down riverfront industry such as Queensland Bulk Terminals at Murarrie.
However she said it was important to link areas such as Colmslie Beach Reserve.
“It is that balance between some (access) along the river, some behind it,” she said.
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