Attracting more than 16.6 million visitors each year, South Bank is one of the key areas of the Brisbane riverside precinct ahead of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The proposed renewal would include a new lagoon, upgraded public spaces and opportunities for integrated commercial development, while preserving the parklands and community spaces that make South Bank a popular destination.
South Bank Corporation Chair Karen Howard said the process was about protecting what people valued about South Bank while planning responsibly for its future. “For more than three decades, South Bank has been shaped through investment, partnerships and thoughtful planning. South Bank has always evolved while protecting what people love most.”
The Queensland Government and South Bank Corporation have released an Invitation for Pre-Qualification (IFP) to gauge industry interest in the precinct’s future. The process is an early step in exploring potential partnerships and does not represent approval for a specific development. The process will also explore integrated commercial development and improved connections across the precinct.
“This is about exploring bold ideas and opportunities for the precinct’s future while ensuring it remains quintessentially South Bank by protecting what makes it special, including delivering a new lagoon, preserving much-loved parkland and community spaces and continuing to be a place for everyone,” said Jarrod Bleijie, Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning
At the centre of the opportunity is the Main Lagoon and surrounding parkland, retail and public spaces. The Government says a new lagoon and upgraded open public space are non-negotiable outcomes, with future investment expected to improve the visitor experience while preserving the qualities that make South Bank a public destination. The existing Streets Beach lagoon has recorded water losses of up to 112,000 litres a day at peak levels and requires regular maintenance, according to the Queensland Government.
The distinction between the opportunity area and the wider precinct is important. South Bank Corporation’s area covers 42 hectares, including approximately 14 hectares of parklands. The invitation does not identify that entire area for redevelopment.
The brief sets out four objectives:
- Improving the public realm
- Introducing new water features
- Strengthening community connections and activity
- Integrating commercial development
South Bank Corporation has stated that South Bank will remain a public precinct. Private investment is being explored as a way to support renewal and the precinct’s long-term sustainability, with commercial uses expected to complement the public spaces and visitor experience. It points to the existing combination of public spaces and complementary commercial, residential, education and cultural uses, and says future opportunities must deliver community benefit and retain South Bank’s character.