No wharf without the river
Amid all the hype about ritzy hotels, casinos, premium shops, bars and restaurants, let’s not lose sight of the name of Brisbane’s massive new CBD integrated resort precinct – Queen’s Wharf. WHARF!
There can be no wharf without the river, our iconic Brisbane River. We are the River City and we need to ensure our new ‘wharf’ is as much about access to and enjoyment of the river as it is about dollars and development. So, what do we know so far?
We unpick the plans
We have taken a close look at Echo Entertainment Group’s plans for Queen’s Wharf Brisbane, focusing on their intentions for its 700m of river frontage. Before we go into that, though, here’s a quick potted history.
Queen’s Wharf is a location largely forgotten. Generations had probably never heard the name until it was adopted for the integrated resort initiative. After all, what remained of Queen’s Wharf was demolished when the Riverside Expressway went up in the 1970s. Only a road still exists underneath bearing that name.
But the National Trust reminds us Queen’s Wharf was central to the early development of Brisbane and Queensland. The Moreton Bay Penal Settlement’s first wharf was on the riverbank beside the Commissariat Store (1829). It appears to have taken on the name Queen’s Wharf when Victoria rose to the throne in 1837.
For the rest of the 19th century, it was where the Brisbane-Ipswich steamers docked, where overseas immigrants stepped ashore, and where official journeys made by the Queensland Government Yacht, luxury paddle wheel steamer Lucinda, departed.
Butcher, businessman and Alderman Patrick Mayne owned a pub there – Brisbane’s first Ship Inn – although it fell into the river within five years of him buying it in 1859, and Mayne died a year later. The area was variously occupied by the commandant’s garden, a sawmill, warehouses and government offices.
So now, after nearly 50 years languishing under the expressway, Queen’s Wharf – a place that actually doesn’t have a wharf – is going to be pivotal to Brisbane’s future once again. ‘Transformational’, they say. And that is wonderful. Because, this place is important.
Echo and partners (Destination Brisbane Consortium) won the right to go ahead with their $2 billion proposal integrating tourism, residential and public infrastructure elements. We’ve all heard about the five new hotels, ‘Arc’ building with spectacular Sky Deck, world-class shopping, and myriad restaurants and bars. It will be an incredible addition to Brisbane.
But let’s zero in on the riverfront. Echo describes “enhancement of the Brisbane riverfront and public parklands in the precinct, including a new pedestrian and cycle bridge to South Bank to improve the connectivity and amenity along the waterfront, activating 12 football fields of new and revitalised public space.”
These elements meet a specific State Government requirement and address the objectives of Brisbane City Council’s 2013 River’s Edge Strategy. Any proposal for this site had to “enhance connectivity between the Brisbane CBD and the river front, providing new and reinvigorated areas of public open space which support recreation opportunities as well as access and enjoyment of the Brisbane River.”
So what is planned? A close look at material released by Echo shows an area called The Landing, what they describe as a ‘green wharf’ event, picnic and water-based recreation space with a beach providing direct river access and a river ramp for kayaks and non-motorised craft. Excellent!
Also shown are a water taxi landing, re-use of the existing QUT pontoon, “existing and transplanted” mangrove zones (surely they are not bring more in!), ramps to river level and seating for river viewing, a pedestrian boardwalk over the water, and terraced areas around a dredged (minor) ‘Cove’. All great stuff.
In terms of boating access, the drawings show North Quay (BCC to upgrade the CityCat stop), “improved tourist operator / river cruise facilities”, “existing finger wharves” and, critically, “Queen’s Wharf Brisbane”, which they allocate as short stay berthing for private boats.
Now, we know plans are still only conceptual. But we are concerned that, while they describe facilities being “upgraded” and “Improved”, there doesn’t seem to be much mention of expansion. Are we just going to have fancier versions of facilities we already have? How much additional landing space will there be?
We’re delighted about the facilities for private craft to berth. But again, the drawings suggest not much more than a drop-off jetty or pontoon. Will there be space to tie up for a visit, to enjoy all the new shops, bars and restaurants?
We also wonder how they will deal with the tides, especially in regard to kayak and canoe landings. Strong tidal flow, tidal height differentials, and the need to ensure facilities are flood-proof make this a big challenge.
As plans for Queen’s Wharf Brisbane advance, and the detail is filled in, we urge everyone involved to put the Brisbane River at the forefront of planning deliberations. This is an amazing opportunity to take our River City to the next level, and we simply must get it right.
Make the most of our amazing waterway. Make Queen’s Wharf Brisbane worthy of the name ‘Wharf’!
