South Brisbane Could Score a New Seven-Hectare Riverside Parkland After the 2032 Olympics

Bridges and parklands. If there's two things that Brisbane's inner city has quite a bit of, it's places to cross the river and sprawling spots filled with greenery. This town of ours is getting more bridges, too, and it's now likely to nab a new riverside parkland as well — although the latter won't happen for at least 11 years.

If that timeframe rings a bell, that's thanks to the city's biggest news this year (and of any other recent year, to be honest). As every Brisbanite definitely knows, will talk about for the next decade-plus and won't stop hearing about for the rest of their lives, Brisbane is set to host the 2032 Olympic Games, with the city officially getting the nod just last week. Obviously, that means that plenty of parts of town will be changing.

Before the big announcement, the Queensland Government had already revealed that it'd tear down and rebuild the Gabba if the games were headed our way. Now, the Brisbane City Council has unveiled plans to transform a seven-hectare stretch of South Brisbane into the event's International Broadcast Centre, and then turn it into a new public space by the river afterwards. The latter is earmarked for Montague Road, where factories currently sit, and would give Brissie a second South Bank-type precinct.

"The mayors of southeast Queensland began the journey to pursue these games because they realised the incredible legacy this would create for Brisbane and the rest of the region. This new area on the banks of the Brisbane River is precisely the type of legacy they envisaged — great new assets that would benefit all residents and make our wonderful city even better," said Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner.

"For a decade and more, people have talked about South Bank being extended along this part of our river and I am so pleased we're now moving forward to make those dreams become a reality," he continued.

It took Brisbane hosting World Expo 88 for South Bank to become the spot it is, with the location revamped as a public space afterwards. So, that's the exact template that BCC has in mind for Montague Road, with the council announcing that negotiations have begun with the owner of the industrial business currently on the site.

Exactly what the parkland will entail is yet to be revealed, other than comparisons to South Bank, but the International Broadcast Centre will span a temporary 57,000-metre space.

This isn't the first time that a plan for the area past the Gallery of Modern Art, the Kurilpa Bridge and Kurilpa Point Park has been floated, with the the State Government suggesting a similar idea back in 2012 — involving a combination of public and commercial space along the river, including an entertainment, retail and dining precinct, as well as parkland.

Brisbane will host the 2032 Olympics from July 23–August 8, 2032. We'll update you with further information about the plans for Montague Road as they're announced.

Top image: Google Maps.