Gasworks has the potential to be one of Queensland’s most significant urban renewal projects; located on the river at Newstead, 2 km from the city centre and 8km from the airport. The 17.4 hectare site is centred around Brisbane’s iconic gasometer frame and commands a prominent position between the Brisbane River and Bowen Hills, a key gateway to the city.
Three separate owners, FKP, Mirvac and Watpac Property are independently progressing the development of their portions of the site under an integrated master plan. As planning policy changed after the launch of the South East Queensland Regional Plan, the developers were required to amend the master plan, necessitating further community engagement. This process was particularly sensitive as it required consultation about public access to the river and socially significant view corridors.
THI was engaged by Urban Renewal Brisbane (a section of Brisbane City Council) to design and deliver an inclusive program of community consultation on behalf of all three developers. An added complication was that the strategy had to be agreed by both the Mayor and the Chair of the Urban Planning and Economic Development Committee (who came from opposing political factions).
