Brisbane’s Roma Street station precinct is shaping up to become the city’s main transportation hub, offering easy access to a key Olympics venue, new housing, and expanded park lands.
As work continues on construction of the new underground station, part of Queensland’s Cross River Rail project, Queensland Deputy Premier Steven Miles said the finalised scheme for the Roma Street Priority Development Area (PDA) presented exciting opportunities for the coming decade.
“Hosting the 2032 Games will mean a 10-year pipeline of construction jobs, trade and investment opportunities, and legacy projects that will benefit Queenslanders for decades to come,” Mr Miles said.
The proposed development scheme was publicly notified from Thursday 18 February to Thursday 1 April 2021. It covers approximately 32 hectares of land in the north-western edge of Brisbane’s city centre.
As part of the precinct, the new underground train station will connect to bus services to create the state’s busiest public transport interchange.
Just to the north, more than two hectares of new publicly accessible open space will be added to the Roma Street Parklands, around new residential buildings that will include social and affordable housing.
New cycling and pedestrian pathways will be built throughout the precinct, connecting to a new indoor arena built to host events for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics and Paralympics.
It will also stimulate private sector development opportunities to create new commercial and residential hubs in what the Queensland Government says is ‘one of the city’s most under-utilised areas.’
Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said Roma Street Parklands would be protected and expanded under a finalised development scheme for the area.
“The Palaszczuk Government is building the infrastructure and drawing the blueprints now to support jobs as part of Queensland’s COVID-19 Economic Recovery Plan and set our state up for success in 2032,” Mr Bailey said.
“The 11 hectares of publicly accessible open space within the Roma Street Parklands will be protected forever and expanded by more than two hectares.”
Mr Bailey said the new Roma Street station and precinct would be an integral part of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, with a proposed arena likely to host swimming and water polo events.
“The progress underway at Cross River Rail’s Roma Street site is a terrific example of how we’re getting Olympics ready, already,” Mr Bailey said.
Two Tunnel Boring Machines – Else and Merle – are currently making their way beneath Brisbane CBD and are expected to arrive at the site this month.
The underground cavern for Cross River Rail’s new Roma Street station is almost fully excavated, with more than 130 workers excavating 33 meters below ground to create the 280-metre-long cavern. Excavation continues above ground at both the service and station building shafts.
Brisbane will host the 2032 Olympic Games from July 23 to August 8, with the Paralympics scheduled to follow.
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