There’s no denying it – Brisbane is booming!
There are currently billions of dollars of Major Brisbane Infrastructure Projects either underway or well into the planning stages. These infrastructure projects are not only providing vital employment, now and in the future, but are also changing the face of Brisbane.
Our city is currently experiencing what has been described by some as a “once in a generation” infrastructure boom. Whilst in the short term there will be disruptions for residents, once these projects are complete they will improve our transportation options, lifestyle options, employment opportunities and tourism offerings.
The Major Brisbane infrastructure projects include the Cross River Rail, Brisbane Metro, Queen’s Wharf, Brisbane Live, Victoria Park, Waterfront Precinct, Herston Quarter, International Cruise Terminal, West Village. There are so many projects which are also discussed on the Brisbane Property Podcast. You can listen here.
Already completed major projects are the new Brisbane airport runway and the redevelopment of Howard Smith Wharves. The new runway officially opened mid-July after 8 years of construction. This $1.1b project aims to bring the most efficient runway system in Australia to Brisbane. Once air travel is back up and running this will enable Brisbane to be the hub to the Asia Pacific.
Located under the Story Bridge Howard Smith Wharves has given Brisbane locals and tourists another picturesque riverside destination for picnics, restaurants, bars and functions. “Weekends on the lawn” are popular and relaxed family friendly events.
Now, let’s have a look at what the current infrastructure projects are and which suburbs in Brisbane are going to benefit from them.
Brisbane Infrastructure Projects
Cross River Rail
“Cross River Rail is a new 10.2 kilometre rail line from Dutton Park to Bowen Hills, which includes 5.9 kilometres of twin tunnels under the Brisbane River and the CBD.”
As our population increases, we are experiencing more strain on our public transport system. We need faster access for suburban residents to access major employment hubs including the CBD. Currently, Brisbane only has one river crossing for trains and only 4 stations in the CBD. This creates a bottleneck and impedes the number of trains that can run and cross the city at any one time.
The Cross River Rail will bring 4 new stations at Albert St, Boggo Rd, Wooloongabba, and Roma St plus upgrades to rail stations that already exist including Exhibition Station in Herston. You can read more information on these stations here. As well as benefiting Brisbane residents and visitors, the Cross River Rail will shorten travel time to and from the Gold Coast enhancing the connectivity between the tourist and employment hubs.
On Brisbane’s south-side 6 stations will benefit from significant upgrades and therefore the greater communities of these areas. They are:
- Salisbury
- Rocklea
- Moorooka
- Yeerongpilly
- Yeronga
- Fairfield
You can keep up to date with current progress on the Cross River Rail Facebook Page.
Brisbane Metro
The Brisbane Metro was originally proposed to be a high-frequency subway but has now progressed to an electric busway system. The buses will be 24 metres long and split into three carriages. Services in peak hours will be fast with a bus every 3 mins and outside of these hours there will be 5 minute services. This will be a drastic improvement to the current public transport services available.
There will be two different lines for the Brisbane Metro. Line 1 will run from Eight Mile Plains to Roma Street. Line 2 will run from the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital in Herston to the University of QLD in St Lucia.
There are plans to extend to Chermside and Carindale in the future. All of these suburbs will benefit greatly from the completion of this infrastructure.
Although separate to the state government’s Cross River Rail project they will share interchanges at Boggo Road and Roma St stations. The Brisbane Metro is expected to start services by the end of 2023. Suburbs that will benefit directly from the metro are below and their neighbouring suburbs will also benefit.
- Eight Mile Plains
- Upper Mt Gravatt
- Mt Gravatt
- Nathan
- Holland Park
- Holland Park West
- Greenslopes
- Buranda
- Wooloongabba
- West End
- Southbank
- Kelvin Grove
- Red Hill
- Herston
- Dutton Park
- St Lucia
Brisbane Live
In alignment with the Cross River Rail Project and building the new underground station at Roma Street, a new entertainment arena complex will be constructed in place of the old transit centre.
This $2 billion + redevelopment will revitalise this part of the city with the arena and retail shops and “unlock under-utilised land in the heart of the city”. The multi-purpose arena complex with proposed 17,000-18,000 seat capacity has been designed in the New York Madison Square Garden style and will allow greater accessibility to big sporting, music and arts events in Brisbane.
There will be retail spaces on the Roma Street side as well as a “Sky Lounge” that can operate as a function area when there are no events taking place.
This project will benefit all Brisbane residents who like to attend events and will no longer have to travel to the Boondall Entertainment Centre north of Brisbane. You can access updates on Brisbane Development’s project page here.
Queens Wharf
The old non-heritage buildings have been demolished and development of the $3.6 billion dollar Queen’s Wharf integrated resort development is underway. Covering more than 26 hectares across land and the river, the development will merge contemporary architecture with restored heritage buildings. There will be four integrated resort towers with luxury hotels, residence apartments, restaurants, cafes, bars, retail shops, a casino and a Sky Deck.
A new pedestrian bridge – the Neville Bonner Pedestrian Bridge – will be built to link this revitalised area of the city to South Bank. This will be a major drawcard for tourists to come to Brisbane and also provide a new area for all locals to explore and shop.
Watch the fly through video here.
Already redeveloped and opened as part of the Queen’s Wharf project are Mangrove Walk and the first section of the bicentennial bikeway opening up a 500 metre stretch of land underneath the Riverside Expressway.
Maritime work at The Landing has already started in the Brisbane River for the construction of the piled suspended concrete slab that will provide 6,500m2 of new public space. The scheduled completion date for the Queen’s Wharf Development is 2023. You can keep up to date with construction progress on their Facebook page or here.
Victoria Park
The current 18-hole Victoria Park golf course will be closing in June 2021 to make way for Brisbane’s biggest new park in 50 years. The Victoria Park Vision will create 45 hectares of public parkland space which is more than double the size of the Brisbane City Botanical Gardens. The current putt putt course, driving range and function centre will remain. Plans are yet to be finalised but you can have a look at the visual representation of the draft vision here.
Feedback has been gathered after a 6 month consultation period and final plans will be released at the end of this year.
Victoria Park will become a natural retreat, an urban park for adventure, discovery and reconnection.A Cultural Hub will celebrate Brisbane’s heritage and natural environment. The park will feature native bushland pockets and waterholes where visitors can enjoy kayaking and swimming lagoons.Architecture will mimic the landscape with suspended canopy walks and a tree house so visitors can connect with nature, day and night.This prime inner-city location will include a community garden, giving visitors more to see and do.It will be culturally authentic, celebrating the many layers of human contact with the landscape and the site’s significance to Aboriginal people.
Waterfront Brisbane
Waterfront Brisbane will deliver on quite a few key items from the City Reach Waterfront Master Plan (Brisbane City Council’s plan to revitalise the waterfront from the City Botanic Gardens through to Howard Smith Wharves).
The $2.1billion dollar project will redevlop Eagle Street Pier and open up 7,900m2 of space, increase the size of the current Riverwalk (including extending the width to 6 metres) to a 1.2km waterfront promenade for pedestrians and cyclists.
The old Eagle Street Pier building will be demolished and in its place there will be two new towers which allow better access to the river and its views. There will be improved linkages from the city to the river for pedestrians and cyclists.
The plan also details space for a proposed public riverside lap pool, relocation of the current city cat terminal and integration with the proposed Kangaroo Point green bridge.
For more details here’s the link to the Brisbane Development website. You can download the full Master Plan here.
Kangaroo Point Pedestrian Bridge
This is another key project to deliver on the City Reach Waterfront Master Plan. The proposed green bridge, connecting City Reach to the Kangaroo Point peninsula, will dramatically improve access to and along the waterfront and fundamentally re-shape City Reach’s profile.
Connecting to the City Botanic Gardens Riverwalk and River Access Hub, this bridge will be for pedestrians and cyclists only. To have a look at the proposed design click here.
Wooloongabba Precinct
In alignment with the new station being built at Wooloongabba for the Cross River Rail project, there is an area set aside for redevelopment above the underground station including the GABBA stadium. The renewal plan can be accessed here. Below is the video of the concept.
International Cruise Terminal
The Port Of Brisbane has a brand new international cruise terminal in development worth $177 million. It has been designed to cater for the biggest cruise ships in the world which although aren’t currently running will increase Brisbane and Queensland’s tourism capacity once COVID-19 is under control. For information and videos on construction updates click through to the Port of Brisbane’s website here.
Other projects to link in with existing or planned Brisbane infrastructure projects are:
Herston Quarter – in March 2017 the $1.1b redevelopment of the 5 hectare site began. This is located within the Herston Health Precinct and is proposed to be a mixed-use community which will cater for health, residential, commercial and retail development. For more information click here.
West Village – stage 1 and 2 are already complete of the new West Village. This project is rejuvenating an industrial area in West End bringing more public green space and retail opportunities to the community and restoring heritage buildings.
Lamington Markets Lutwyche – a large integrated mixed-use transit development is proposed for a vacant site in Lutwyche. The proposal includes a large fresh food market hall, boutique cinema complex, retail stores, and residential apartments. You can read more about this and see artists’ impressions of the Lamington Markets Lutwyche here.
Howard Smith wharves ferry terminal – The Howard Smith Wharves ferry terminal will provide new access for residents and visitors to Howard Smith Wharves and further enhance the existing ferry network. It will also provide a connection to the New Farm Riverwalk and surrounding areas as well as proposed to link to North Stradbroke Island.
South Bank Ferry Terminal upgrade – for information click here.
There are many more Brisbane Infrastructure Projects planned for the city. For access to information and updates on these projects go the the Brisbane Development website.
QPAC Arts Theatre upgrades at the Playhouse Green – for details click here.
So as you can see there are billions of dollars worth of Brisbane infrastructure projects either underway or in planning. These projects will have a direct positive impact on the suburbs mentioned above, increasing their livability and their growth potential.
To make an informed decision about choosing the best suburb to invest or buy your home in, you can cross-check the suburbs that benefit from these projects against those that are affected by adverse risk factors. Our blog on noise from the runway and flight paths can be read here. You can also read about 9 Due Diligence Checks to take into consideration before buying.
We hope this has helped you understand the suburbs that are going to benefit from the current and planned Brisbane infrastructure projects. Please get in touch if you would like further help with your property search.