South Bank’s new 30-year vision revealed – with one eye on 2032

The news

A new treetop walk, bigger beach and lagoon area, more active transport and green space, along with renewal of the popular South Bank precinct’s least-visited and “unfinished” southern gateway, are on the cards under a new 30-year vision.

But only some elements of the unfunded final master plan, still subject to ongoing design after public consultation, will be prioritised ahead of 2032 to help connect key Gabba and Roma Street areas with a “walkable spine” under a new effort to link landmark sites.

“We hope to have in place, a lot of it of course, by the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games,” State Development Minister Grace Grace told journalists at a media conference to release the Future South Bank Master Plan and Connected Precincts Program on Saturday.

The plan identifies three priority projects before then: renewing the “unfinished” southern gateway around the Goodwill Bridge, reconfiguring Grey Street to boost footpath width, greenery, retail appeal and incorporate an “alternate” bikeway route, and “transforming” the cultural forecourt.

How we got here

The finalised version of November 2022’s public consultation draft was expected to be released late last year, after initially being slated as a two-year project with the South Bank Corporation – which manages the site – to coincide with Expo’s 30th anniversary in 2018.

Premier Steven Miles said last month that it was important for the master plan to incorporate into Games venue planning, which saw question marks raised around a Gabba rebuild in December before it was dumped in March.

Why it matters

The consultation process for the draft South Bank plan attracted more than 15,000 pieces of feedback, with 89 per cent said to be supportive of its vision and top themes, including active transport and green space growth, followed by “southern gateway renewal”.

But “strong opposition” from residents to a proposed Little Tribune Street to better manage vehicle access to the area has prompted a rethink, as other stakeholders raised concerns about the potential for loss of parking in the area and along Grey Street.

What they said

“For more than 30 years, South Bank Parklands has been Brisbane’s premier lifestyle and cultural destination, visited by around 14 million people every year,” Grace said in a statement.

“Its master plan envisions how South Bank can help create our next big legacy.”

South Bank Corporation chair Susan Forrester AM said the body would work closely with the government to plan for and invest in the precinct’s next phase.

Where to from here

Mentions of a new proposed site for the financially troubled Maritime Museum in the draft plan have been scrubbed in the final version, instead referencing a new “Southern Gateway building” south of the dry dock.

Potential redevelopment of QCA is also mentioned, with a shared pedestrian and vehicle zone through that site now pitched to replace road access from the Vulture Street side and reduce conflicts between pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles at the Goodwill Bridge landing.

Part of Little Stanley Street is proposed to be closed to traffic, and another converted to a one-way shared zone, with parkland expanded and a new dining and market precinct created.

Renewal of the 30-year-old lagoon’s infrastructure is pitched as a chance to extend it and a new water play zone past a “waterfront” Plough Inn toward plaza space, potential Queensland Conservatorium additions, and a treetop walk entry, replacing the Piazza sometime after its 2032 Games role.