Vision released for Brisbane’s ‘re-wilded’ Victoria Park

Brisbane’s only inner-city golf course would soon be “re-wilded”, Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said as he unveiled concept designs for the revamped Victoria Park.

A giant treehouse providing panoramic views over the city and the D’Aguilar Range, ropes courses, edible and specialty gardens, elevated walkways, Indigenous history areas and large expanses of water play areas are shown in the master plan.

A new treehouse and cafe is planned for Brisbane’s new Victoria Park/Barrambin.

“We are not just going to be focused on what is going to be built here, we are focused on what is going to be planted here as well,” Schrinner said.

“One of the exciting parts of this plan is to re-wild Victoria Park.

“That means increasing the tree cover from 10 per cent to 60 per cent — a 50 per cent increase [sic] in tree space in this wonderful green space.”

More than 18 kilometres of pathways are in the planned redevelopment.

Two new pedestrian and cycling bridges over the Inner City Bypass were also shown in the plans released on Tuesday morning.

An impression of one of two new pedestrian and cycle bridges to run over the Inner City Bypass to link the Herston and Spring Hill sides of Victoria Park/Barrambin.

They were a sneak peek of the 64-hectare green “lungs” for the city that planners hope will be Brisbane’s equivalent of New York’s Central Park in 15 years.

The plans were for a “natural space that celebrates Brisbane’s shared Aboriginal and European heritage” and recognises that the area had been an “important gathering point for different cultures for thousands of years”.

It will be known as Victoria Park/Barrambin, reflecting its First Nations history.

Schrinner said more than 10,000 trees, including 80 native species, had already been planted since Victoria Park Golf Course closed its fairways.

What Brisbane’s new Victoria Park will include over the next decade

• Adventure Valley with mountain bike track and high ropes course.
• Treehouse lookout and cafe.
• Upgraded pedestrian and cycle bridges linking the Spring Hill and Herston sides.
• Nature play water gully.
• Water play and natural lagoon areas.
• Elevated walkway.
• Community edible garden.
• Reinvigorated York’s Hollow wetlands beside the Inner City Bypass.
• Visitor centre and education hub.
• Community sports precinct.

Where to from here?

• December 2022 - Draft master plan comments incorporated in final master plan.
• January 2023 - Obtain approvals for the master plan.
• Late January 2023 - Begin early projects included in the master plan.

He said the parklands would be four times bigger than South Bank and 20 per cent larger than Mount Coot-tha Botanic Gardens.

“It will create the biggest new green space and parkland area our city has seen in 50 years,” he said.

“We have one chance to get it right, and we are determined to create something truly special here.”

The final cost and staging works are as yet unknown, but Brisbane City Council allocated $83 million over four years for the upfront design and early construction costs in 2020.

Aerial impression of the new Victoria Park/Barrambin.

Schrinner said money would be obtained from the recently signed SEQ City Deal to finance the new pedestrian and cycle bridges from a $30 million fund set in the City Deal.

Victoria Park/Barrambin has been nominated to host the equestrian cross-country and BMX bike events at the 2032 Olympic Games.

“These will be a temporary use, and we have incorporated them into our planning, but what we are seeing is the long-term legacy well beyond the 2032 Games,” Schrinner said.

The draft master plan for Victoria Park/Barrambin is open for public comment until Sunday, October 30.

A final master plan will be assembled between November and December, with approvals sought in January 2023 for work on early projects.