Government cancels North Bank development

The Premier has listened to the people of South East Queensland and announced the North Bank development will be cancelled.

Ms Bligh said the public has sent a clear message, with submissions following the recent Enquiry by Design (EBD) process showing that 93 per cent of people do not support the proposed North Bank development in its current form.

“The public have spoken and said overwhelmingly they do not want to see development in the Brisbane river,” said Ms Bligh

“It is my job and the responsibility of government to listen to the will of the people.

“80% of people have previously said they wanted something done and that’s why we went to the Enquiry by Design, but clearly Brisbane does not want this development.

“We are still committed to improving this area within the difficult engineering constraints imposed on us by the Riverside Expressway, a legacy of the Bjelke-Petersen era.

“A safety audit will now be undertaken to look at upgrades to the make the area better for walkers and cyclists.

“This part of Brisbane will still become somewhere the people of this city can enjoy safely.

“I’ve spoken to the local Member of Parliament Grace Grace and she strongly supports this decision as the right one for her local community.”

2275 submissions were received from the general public and other stakeholders, with 93% against the proposed North Bank development.

The main concerns raised were development in the river, the impact of buildings on views and the heritage precinct.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Infrastructure and Planning Paul Lucas said he was impressed by the large number of personally written submissions, instead of form letters.

“People clearly have a strong view on North Bank and I’m not afraid to say we listened,” said Mr Lucas.

“This is a once in a lifetime project and we’re better off waiting until the longer term, when the possibility of taking the Riverside Expressway underground could present the opportunity for a North Bank that would truly give the river back to the people.

“In the meantime this decision will address safety issues and preserve our options.”

On 29 April 2008, the Premier announced that the current process for the North Bank project would be suspended and an Enquiry By Design would be undertaken to seek alternative designs for the project.

On 27 August 2008 the full report on the findings were released for public comment for a period of four weeks.

Media: Premiers office 32244500.