Suncorp Stadium’s ASM Global CEO Harvey Lister has called for the conversion of Brisbane’s inner-city Defence base, Victoria Barracks at Petrie Terrace, into a vibrant heritage precinct.
During a recent Committee for Brisbane forum, Lister argued that the site should not be dominated by high-rise apartments but rather follow the heritage revival of The Barracks and cater to community needs.
Mr Lister suggested that the redevelopment of Brisbane’s railway station at Roma Street provided an opportunity for authorities to revisit a dedicated walkway to Caxton Street. Lister also said that Suncorp Stadium in Milton should always have included a bridge across Countess Street from Roma Street and past or through Victoria Barracks.
“Every time we have an event at Suncorp Stadium, we have to provide a barricade, take out one lane of Roma Street for people to be able to walk along that fairly narrow footpath,” Mr Lister said in an interview.
He described the massive foot traffic in these areas and said that there have been options to solve this with footbrige but there are “complexities” to the execution.
“The pathway to Suncorp Stadium was always in the plans but unfortunately it couldn’t be delivered at that time the stadium was developed. It was always intended it would be developed at a future stage,” added Mr Lister.
Design Charrette 14 Roma Street Precinct from Architectus on Vimeo.
Deputy Premier Steven Miles recently indicated that better pedestrian and transport connections would be incorporated into the precinct. However, Queensland Walks executive officer Anna Campbell shocked delegates when she revealed that 6,500 Brisbane streets did not have a footpath, with 4,000 of them without a footpath on either side.
Council’s opposition leader Cr Jared Cassidy called for funds for footpaths to increase in the 2023-24 council budget, saying that providing footpaths is basic for any local government.
Australian planning firm Architectus is one of several companies with images of how Victoria Barracks on Petrie Terrace could be blended in with Roma Street Parklands over Countess Street. The forum also heard calls to make areas of Brisbane more accessible before looking to work required for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Published 12-May-2023