BRISBANE City Council will create a development “fast lane”, pursue 50,000 new homes and expand the Metro and ferry networks under an ambitious plan to ensure the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games leave the city permanently better off.
Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner unveiled the Brisbane City Legacy Plan exactly six years before the Games’ Opening Ceremony, declaring the real test of Brisbane 2032 would come a decade after the Olympic flame was extinguished.
Rather than focusing solely on major Games venues, Cr Schrinner said the 21-point plan would target housing, transport, parks, public spaces, sport, culture, volunteering and economic growth across Brisbane’s suburbs.
“The stadium will get built. The National Aquatic Centre will get built. Other venues will get built,” he said.
“But legacy is also found in the parks and sporting grounds across Brisbane. It’s in the ferry terminal you use on a Wednesday morning.”
The plan includes unlocking an estimated 50,000 new homes by 2032, expanding Brisbane Metro, improving the CityCat and ferry network and creating a “Green and Gold Grid” of better walking connections.
Council will also establish a Major Development Legacy Stream to accelerate the assessment of major housing and commercial projects capable of being delivered before the Games.
Cr Schrinner said Brisbane’s development assessments were already an average of 57 per cent faster than comparable councils in Sydney and Melbourne.
“This is about getting homes built and precincts activated before 2032,” he said.
Businesses and organisations will also be invited to pitch privately backed projects through a new Brisbane Legacy Partnerships Program.
Proposals will need to attract investment, create jobs or deliver wider community benefits to receive priority consideration.
Cr Schrinner warned council would not entertain “pie-in-the-sky ideas” without financial backing.
“If you’ve got a great idea but expect someone else to pay for it, it’s probably not going to qualify,” he said.
“But if you’re prepared to invest, let’s work together.”
The Lord Mayor promised businesses would receive a “fast yes” or “fast no” to prevent proponents wasting time and money.
Among the first projects will be improvements to the pedestrian connection between the CBD and Suncorp Stadium, including Roma Street, Caxton Street and Victoria Bridge.
Council wants key works completed before the 2027 Rugby World Cup so they can be tested ahead of Brisbane 2032.
Plans to install shade on Victoria Bridge are also understood to be only weeks away from final approval.
On the river, council has funded a complete upgrade of the North Quay ferry terminal as CityCat patronage continues to grow.
A new volunteering passport will allow people working with sporting clubs, charities and community organisations to build experience ahead of the Games.
Cr Schrinner said every part of the city, including the bayside, should benefit from the Olympic opportunity.
“From the bayside to the west, from the northside to the southside, every community should share in the opportunities created by 2032,” he said.
More than 82,000 people visited the legacy plan’s consultation website and about 20,000 votes were cast.
Residents identified better transport, appropriately located housing, greener neighbourhoods, walkable precincts and greater access to sport, culture and community activities as key priorities.
Cr Schrinner said council had a “contract of trust” with residents to deliver more than several weeks of Olympic excitement.
“We don’t just want Brisbane to be busier and more exciting for a few weeks,” he said.
“We want Brisbane to be permanently better.”
Delivery of the plan will be tracked by council’s executive leadership team and Legacy Committee.
“The time for strategies and documents has passed,” Cr Schrinner said.
“The time for delivery is now.”
