The Tourism and Transport Forum Australia (TTF) has welcomed the announcement of the Echo-led Destination Brisbane consortium as the preferred proponent for the Queen’s Wharf project in Brisbane.
The redevelopment of state-owned land located between the Brisbane River and George Street and between Alice and Queen Streets is expected to generate around 8,000 jobs and bring up to 1.4 million additional tourists to Brisbane each year.
TTF CEO Margy Osmond said the announcement of a preferred proponent marked an important step forward in the development of Queen’s Wharf, which would dramatically enhance Brisbane’s tourist appeal.
“I am delighted that the Palaszczuk Government has made it a priority to push on with the development of Queen’s Wharf. With a preferred proponent now announced, I am sure the project will quickly become an exciting reality for Brisbane, Queensland and the many visitors who will come here to enjoy the great facilities,” Osmond said.
“Queen’s Wharf will turn an already vibrant city into a truly exciting world-class destination that attracts new visitors and investment to the State.
“The development will transform Brisbane by reconnecting the activity of the city centre to the river, while preserving and celebrating its heritage.
“Queen’s Wharf Brisbane will be the hub that connects the defining parts of the city – the Botanic Gardens, the Queen Street Mall, the Cultural Precinct, South Bank, the Parliamentary Precinct and the Brisbane River.
“When completed, the project will not only boost Brisbane’s tourism appeal, it will also deliver high quality public spaces for the local community.
“The Queensland Government was faced with a tough choice, receiving world-class submissions from two outstanding businesses.
“The high quality of the proposals, and the work that went into making them, is in itself a strong vote of confidence in Queensland’s visitor’s economy.
“This is a city building project with the potential to provide significant benefit to the State, transforming Brisbane into an internationally distinguished city. I look forward to seeing the project become a reality,” she said.