The excavation phase has progressed to the construction phase with the first of ten cranes being installed on the Queen’s Wharf development site this week, reports brisbanedevelopment.com.

The crane situated between Queen’s Wharf Road and William Street will be used to construct the first of two towers for the Star Grand Hotel. 

Once complete, the development will comprise of 26 hectares across land and water  (equivalent to 12 football fields) which includes a casino, hotels, dining, entertainment and parklands.

The excavation phase will be completed by the end of June, with nearly 400,000m3 of material being removed, with much being re-used by Brisbane Airport to build the $300 million Auto Mall.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the project will transform the CBD and create many jobs. 

“At peak construction there will be as many as 2000 workers on site and once completed Queen’s Wharf will create up to 10,000 more jobs.

“The vibrant Queen’s Wharf precinct will feature new stand-out, signature infrastructure that will grow and enhance our tourism industry.”

Tourism Minister Kate Jones said we’ll see an extra 1.39 million tourists and a $1.69 billion increase in spending as a result of the new development. 

Hannah Schuhmann says the progress of the $3.6 billion project is great for the Brisbane CBD, especially the property market. With CoreLogic-Moody’s Analytics predicting a 5.6% increase in CBD apartment values in 2020, followed by a further 5.8% rise in 2021, we anticipate investors will be taking considerable interest in the city in the coming months.

For a complete update on the Queen’s Wharf development including concept images and masterplan, visit  https://brisbanedevelopment.com/queens-wharf-precinct/. 

The latest Tourism and Events Queensland International Visitor Survey has been released and Brisbane is a star performer with record highs in both international visitation and total expenditure. 

For the year to March 2019, international visitation saw an increase of 4.5 per cent to 1.4 million people and expenditure grew a whopping 15 per cent $2.8 billion. 

Queensland as a whole had a big jump in expenditure, up 8.6 per cent on the previous year to $6 billion. The main purpose of the visits was for a holiday (1.848M), visiting family and relatives (719,000), business (206,000), and education (121,000). Interestingly, education has the biggest increase in the purpose for visitation with a 14 percent year-on-year increase. 

Tourism Industry Development Minister Kate Jones said tourism is a key industry for the state.  

“Queensland’s tourism industry continues to grow because we’re partnering with the private sector to invest more than ever before in this sector.

“Tourism is a cornerstone of our economy and vital to jobs growth in Queensland,” said Ms Jones. 

The top markets based on expenditure were as follows

• China - $1,567M
• New Zealand - $563M
• UK - $437M
• Japan - $427M
• USA - $405M
• Taiwan - $248M
• Korea - $218M
• Hong Kong - $179M
• Germany - $164M
• Singapore - $150M

Hannah Schuhmann said  tourism figures are set to explode with Qantas just announcing direct flights to Chicago and San Francisco,  and the second airport runway due to open early next year. 

The Brisbane to Chicago direct flights will begin in April 2020 and will run four times per week, making the 16.5 hour route the fourth largest passenger flight in the world. 

Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said the launch of the direct 787 flights from Brisbane to the USA is a win for Queensland, and it shows confidence in the local tourism industry. 

"These new services will connect both Australian business travellers and holidaymakers with key centres of commerce, industry and culture in the United States," said Mr Joyce.  

In another big transport announcement for the City, Brisbane City Council has released its plans to convert Adelaide Street with a new boulevard and tunnel for the Brisbane Metro, reports brisbanedevelopment.com. 

The draft vision for the transformation of the hundred-year old transit corridor is one of a “world class transit boulevard” that would include streamlined bus stops, a new pocket park and a tree-line boulevard for pedestrian use. 

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said the plan is in line with changing needs within the community, and will ensure residents get home safer and quicker.

“Adelaide Street is already one of Brisbane’s most well-known streetscapes and has served as a transport hub for more than a century – first as a dirt track and then for trams.” 

“As our city experiences increased pedestrian and public transport activity, we want to transform this corridor into a world-class transit boulevard.

“The $944 million Brisbane Metro is a key driver for this vision, with the project delivering a new tunnel under Adelaide Street to link North Quay to the King George Square Bus Station.

“We need to plan a desirable entry point into the heart of the city ahead of the high-frequency Brisbane Metro, which is expected to increase passenger numbers to King George Square by 120 per cent,” Cr Schrinner said.

The next steps for the draft vision is community consultation, which will be open for feedback until 24 June, 2019. 

Hannah Schuhmann said these plans for further transport investment are vital, as the city will need the infrastructure to support the predicted 30% increase in visitation by 2020.  Many big projects that are on the horizon will contribute to the increase, such as Queens Wharf, Cross River Rail, and the Brisbane Quarter to name but a few. We are well on our way to being a World City!

To view artist impression images of the changes, visit  https://brisbanedevelopment.com/council-plans-transit-boulevard-for-adelaide-street/

Being the ‘River City,’ it’s only fitting we have the walk/cycleways to enjoy the spectacular views! 

Major construction works for Brisbane’s newest Riverwalk along the river edge at the City Botanic Gardens have commenced, reports brisbanedevelopment.com.

The City Botanic Gardens Riverwalk will connect the South Bank and the city’s inner north. Currently, a missing link is present between the intersection of Edward and Alice Streets between New Farm and South Bank.

The $21 million new section of the walkway will include bi-directional cycling and pedestrian pathway, a viewing platform and lighting, and will extend 187 metres from the Eagle Street section of the City Reach Boardwalk to the Bunya Walk.

The new Riverwalk is part of Brisbane City Council’s $100 million infrastructure investment for bikeways throughout the city.  

Deputy Mayor, Krista Adams said the new Riverwalk is a great investment for the city. 

“Brisbane is Australia’s River City and we are committed to protecting its lifestyle by building infrastructure for the Brisbane of tomorrow.

“More than 3000 pedestrians and cyclists already use this path every day and many more will be able to make the most of our fantastic river lifestyle with the construction of the city’s newest Riverwalk,” Ms Adams said. 

CEO of Bicycle Queensland, Anne Savage and the cycling community is on board with the shared community space that encourages a healthy and active life.

“Importantly, it will set us up for connectivity with the proposed Kangaroo Point Green Bridge, helping to deliver on the vision to make Brisbane one of the world’s best cities for walking and cycling.

“Vital investments such as this one enable residents and visitors to be fit and active, creating a brighter horizon for community health and wellbeing,” Ms Savage said. 

The City Botanic Gardens Riverwalk is predicted to be open to the public in 2020. 

For artist impression drawings visit  https://brisbanedevelopment.com/construction-commences-on-brisbanes-newest-riverwalk/.

 The Queensland State Government has announced funding to the tune of $250 million and plans have been unveiled for the Roma Street busway interchange.

The 650m long underground interchange, which will be located directly under Roma Street plaza, is set to create a “seamless connection” for the Inner Northern Busway to the $5.4 billion Cross River Rail. 

Deputy Premier Jackie Trad said the additional transport infrastructure project will work towards more jobs for the south-east. 

“The Cross River Rail will unlock much-needed extra capacity for the entire South East Queensland rail network and generate 7,700 jobs.” 

“Value-adding a new, $250 million high-capacity underground interchange for the Inner Northern Busway to the Cross River Rail Project will support 480 jobs and a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape the Roma Street Station precinct,” Ms Trad said. 

Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said the upgrade will help take cars off the road and make for a better experience at “Queensland’s busiest public transport hub.”

“Queenslanders are backing public transport, with a record 182 million trips taken across the south east last financial year.”

“Having the Roma Street section of the Northern Busway underground will mean better integration of bus services with the new underground train station, which will make it more convenient for commuters,” Mr Bailey said. 

The new and improved Roma Street Station is anticipated to be 27 metres below ground level and will includes 220m platforms which will accommodate nine-car trains.

Crossriverrail.qld.gov.au states the demolishment of the existing Roma Street Station buildings will take place later this year, with the entire precinct to be completed by 2025.  

Concept pictures can be viewed at  https://crossriverrail.qld.gov.au/info/stations/roma-street-station/

Hannah Schuhmann is confident the proposed improvement of the Roma Street busway will encourage more visitors to the City, while making the commute for those who live and work in the CBD much easier. This planned upgrade is just one of many infrastructure projects currently underway and places Brisbane on track to become a World City within the next 5 years.