River taxis, overwater helipads, bay ferries: Brisbane’s 2032 legacy
Water taxis linking Brisbane’s riverside precincts, overwater helipads, and ferries direct from the CBD are all on the list as leaders consider how to boost the city’s global tourism standing.
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Water taxis linking Brisbane’s riverside precincts, new overwater helipads, and ferries direct from the central business district to Redcliffe and Bribie Island are all on the list as leaders consider how to boost the city’s global tourism standing in the lead-up to the 2032 Games.
River-based businesses are also working to establish more inner-city moorings to harness the tourism potential of the southeast’s signature “superpower” over the next few years.
Brisbane City Council has identified 21 locations for potential river activation opportunities, while the City of Moreton Bay continues to push for a new fast ferry service.
But all say red tape is stifling investment opportunities.
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.
In 1992, the Olympic and Paralympic Games transformed Barcelona into a truly global tourism mecca – with key drivers being the transformation there of neglected waterfronts and infrastructure, and industrial areas that were in dire need of redevelopment.
Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said the city was losing tourism and investment opportunities because of the complicated management of the river – that includes the Brisbane City Council, the state departments of Tourism, Sport, Natural Resources and Development, as well as Maritime Safety Queensland and its Harbour Master.
“The challenge with the river has always been that there are lots of different agencies with fingers in the pie and approving anything on or near the river can be really problematic, and it’s really held back opportunities,” the Lord Mayor said.
“Brisbane has made this incredible transition over the last sort of 30 or 40 years, from being a city that turned its back on the river … to being a city that embraces the river.
“There are so many amazing riverside precincts that have developed like Southbank, Howard Smith Wharves, New Farm Park – but there’s actually the opportunity to do so much more. We need a better way of envisioning what can happen on the river, but also a more streamlined approval process to make them happen.”
He said an example of lost investment was the North Quay helicopter landing pad, which never reopened after an aircraft toppled into the river in 2004.
Mr Schrinner said that type of infrastructure would likely be needed in the future to service new types of air transport.
“There was a number of private investors that wanted to build a new helicopter landing pad on the Brisbane River but a whole range of red tape and hurdles came up and it just never happened,” he said.
“When you look at the opportunities in the future, like air taxis, they need somewhere in the
CBD to land, and that’s either going to be on the top of a building or it’s going to be potentially on the river.
“So if we can make it easier and there is investment that will occur that will benefit the wider community and the city, we need to get a simple and streamlined process to make sure that can happen.”
Electric boat hire business Go Boat started as a pop-up at the Dockside Marina before moving in 2021 to the Breakfast Creek Lifestyle Precinct under a 10-year lease. It is now keen to find a second viable inner-city location along the river between South Bank and Eagle St.
Go Boat Australia National Operations Manager Jonathon Rodgers said customers wanting to float under the Story Bridge needed a three-hour booking from Breakfast Creek. From Dockside, it was an hour.
Travel times prompted the company to invest in building their own bigger and faster boat to slash an hour off the trip to the Story Bridge and back, depending on tides.
Mr Rodgers said: “To have the Breakfast Creek location and then have an inner-city location somewhere that our boats could be within half an hour of the bridge … would definitely be feasible for us.”
He said establishing a river authority, similar to the Gold Coast Waterways Authority, could help businesses better navigate and streamline commercial potential.
“Definitely there would be an opportunity there to have a central kind of organisation, whether that be council or state run,” Mr Rodgers said.
“I think the biggest thing is just opening the conversation that in the river there is a lot of opportunity for inner-city moorings, whether that be private or government assets.
“To have that overnight inner-city mooring, whether that be for small vessels like ourselves, or larger … it will give a greater population of people access to the river.”
Howard Smith Wharves is meanwhile progressing plans to construct a series of new pontoons as another gateway to Moreton Bay and the river – which chief executive Luke Fraser describes as the city’s “superpower”.
“There will be a whole range of vessels that can pull up,” Mr Fraser said.
“There can be boats that can go fast on the river and get out to Moreton Bay and then still go out to some of the islands. You can do river tours and whale watching too. The river can be used in some really exciting ways moving forward.”
Mr Fraser said it was only a matter of time before Uber-style water taxis would be an option for people to travel between the riverside precincts.
Cr Schrinner said council would like to see more water taxi opportunities – and he said a significant private investment opportunity was for new facilities to connect the Brisbane International Cruise Terminal with the rest of the river via a charter boat service, to avoid the need for ship passengers to travel by road through the industrial suburb of Pinkenba.
“If you’re on a cruise ship, to get on a charter vessel and then be let off in the heart of the city … what a beautiful introduction,” Mr Schrinner said.
City of Moreton Bay Mayor Peter Flannery said his council was continuing to investigate the viability of a ferry service linking Bribie Island, Redcliffe and Shorncliffe to the International Cruise Terminal.
He said the service would ease congestion on the Bruce Highway and Gympie Road.
A ferry trip from Bongaree Pier on Bribie Island to the cruise terminal, at an average speed of 18 knots per hour, would take 70 minutes
– compared to 130 minutes by car, and 210 minutes by bus in peak times.
A peak trip from Redcliffe to the cruise terminal could take as little as 37 minutes, compared to two hours by car when congestion is at its worst.
Mr Flannery said: “Why wouldn’t you want to get on a Bay Cat and travel to the city to work – where you can actually sit on the boat, with a better environment around you working on your laptop on a boat, as opposed to getting in a car and spending time in traffic.”
He hoped the Bay Cats service would be operational well before 2032, with the next step a formal feasibility study to determine required infrastructure and the design of the vessels.
“It’s not only needed now for communities and tourism opportunities … but also, as we move towards the Olympics, it’s critical and catalytic infrastructure that can be delivered for a once in a lifetime opportunity with the Olympics coming,” Mr Flannery said.
Environment and Tourism Minister Andrew Powell said the state’s natural assets, like the Brisbane River, were the gem in our tourism crown – and he would work with local councils to “hero our state”.
“For too long, innovative eco-tourism proposals have had the door slammed shut,” Mr Powell said. “Brisbane River’s waterfront must be activated ahead of the Games.” He agreed it was a golden opportunity to create better connections using the river.
While not specific to the Brisbane River, the Crisafulli government last week established a subcommittee of Cabinet to streamline approvals for new tourism projects.
While everything from luxury yachts to fishing boats and kayaks will soon be able to dock outside the city’s new $3.6 billion Queen’s Wharf precinct.
The Star Brisbane Finger Wharves will open within weeks in a major boost for transport and tourism services on the river.
It could open up a raft of new experiences for visitors to the River City, including more services to Moreton and North Stradbroke islands, and inland to tourism destinations like Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary.
“The Finger Wharves and the floating pontoon are an exciting addition to the city’s future accessibility and connectivity,” Star Brisbane CEO Daniel Finch said.
“They are a brand new asset for the city as a marine drop off and pick up point for people wanting to explore even more of what the city’s waterways have to offer as well being a conduit into the CBD.
“This is another way The Star is helping to reinvigorate a once under-utilised stretch of the river.”
Originally published as River taxis, overwater helipads, bay ferries: Brisbane’s 2032 legacy
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