The next Brisbane precinct tipped for ‘inevitable growth and transformation’

Brisbane’s inner-city economy is increasingly diversifying beyond office and retail, with the arts and culture and education sectors key drivers of activity, according to the latest snapshot from the Committee for Brisbane.

But the not-for-profit advocacy organisation, which counts dozens of large businesses and government entities as members, raised concern that transport remained a weakness for the city centre, with 50c fares failing to make a dent in congestion.

The annual Inner City Vitality Report breaks Brisbane’s centre down into seven precincts: Brisbane City, South Brisbane, Fortitude Valley, Spring Hill, Woolloongabba, Kangaroo Point, and for the first time, the “Olympic Precinct” around Victoria Park.

Chief executive Jen Williams told this masthead before the release of the report on Thursday that each area was starting to specialise, with growth in the arts and culture sector particularly strong in Fortitude Valley and South Brisbane.

Attendance at events at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Queensland Museum, Queensland Performing Arts Centre and Queensland Art Gallery were “back on track to exceed pre-COVID numbers”, the report said.

“In our major institutions, like the Queensland Museum, we’re seeing phenomenal growth in patronage and visitor numbers,” Williams added.

“It’ll be exciting to see, when we have the new Glasshouse open at QPAC, what patronage is going to look like when we can have two major musicals running in the city at the same time, along with all of the other great festivals and shows that we have on.”

Since the announcement that Brisbane’s Olympic main stadium would be built in Victoria Park earlier this year, the committee added the area around Herston, Kelvin Grove and the Showgrounds to its list of precincts, predicting it would see “inevitable growth and transformation”.

Williams described it as a critical precinct that would need new active and public transport connections to Fortitude Valley, Spring Hill and the CBD as it developed.

She said the committee was watching increasing numbers of people using electric scooters and bikes to get around, especially for the “last mile” between public transport and their home or work.

“Going forward as a city, we really need to look at how we can increase patronage on public transport,” she said.

“We know congestion is one of the biggest issues for us, and utilisation of public transport is vital.”

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