A development application has been lodged for an eight-storey mixed-use development at 624 Main Street Kangaroo Point.
Based on the application lodged by Urban Strategies on behalf of developer Peter Yang, the multi-residential tower will feature ground floor retail tenancies and will replace the old Kangaroo Point motel currently on the site if approved.
Designed by Red Door Architecture, the tower would have 52 two-bedroom units and 16 three-bedroom units, a total of 68 apartment units in all. The design plans showed there will be 88 carparks and an 85-bicycle parking.
The building will adhere to Brisbane government’s “Buildings That Breathe” design guideline, which calls for provision of lush landscaping, shade and comfort in new buildings that will be built in the city.
It’s been a while since a major application like this was proposed in the riverside Kangaroo Point. If approved, this will likely accommodate the increasing number of people in the suburb.
Kangaroo Point is the most densely populated suburb in Brisbane, according to the 2018 report by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The latest data revealed there are 9152 people living within just 1.3 square kilometres in the suburb.
Due to the growing population in Kangaroo Point, Brisbane City Council is planning to allow developments that can go up to 20 storeys. The existing Kangaroo Point Peninsula Neighbourhood Plan limits buildings in the peninsula to 10 storeys.
The Story Bridge has stood the test of time but as it approaches its 80th year in 2020, Brisbane City Council has initiated a 5-year, major restoration to continue to help residents get home quickly and safely.
With an aim to prolong the life of the 79-year-old bridge connecting Fortitude Valley to Kangaroo Point, BCC is planning to blast bare, paint and restore it.
Planning for the Story Bridge restoration began in February 2019, wherein the Council will discuss stripping old paint, cleaning it and giving it a 105,000-square-metre face lift.
Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said the restoration will require more than 33,000 litres of paint. The Story Bridge’s steely-grey colour will be retained but they will scrape and blast off the old paint and then completely repaint the bridge the same colour.
Cr Quirk said it was vital that the Council continued to maintain the Story Bridge to ensure it continued to stand as an iconic figure on Brisbane’s skyline.
“Works are expected to commence after Riverfire and will be carried out in stages over a five-year period to ensure the Story Bridge can continue to be used by traffic and feature in some of our city’s favourite festivities,” Cr Quirk said.
The Story Bridge will not close during the paint job but some lanes will be closed during some stages.
Story Bridge History
The bridge’s construction, which lasted for more than five years, began in May 1935. The design for the bridge was based heavily on that of the Jacques Cartier Bridge in Montreal, completed in 1930. John Bradfield, the appointed consulting engineer to the Bureau of Industry, recommended a steel cantilever bridge.
Kangaroo Point during construction of the Story Bridge Brisbane, 1938 (Photo credit: slq.gov.au)
Back then, 400 people were employed to build the bridge at the height of the construction, making it one of Queensland’s main employment-generating projects during the 1930s Depression.
The bridge was named after John Douglas Story, a senior and influential public servant who had advocated strongly for the bridge’s construction.
Locals are naturally proud of Kangaroo Point as a suburb with lots of wanderlust potential. Kangaroo Point Cliff, for instance, attracts tourists because it’s a great destination for rock climbing and abseiling. Then there is Story Bridge with its panoramic view of the river.
For locals and visitors alike, there is a lot more to Kangaroo Point than meets the eye. Did you know that Kangaroo Point is one of the oldest suburbs in Brisbane? The city is home to a number of heritage trails, walking trails, and history trails.
When you want to know more about Queensland’s pioneering scientists and researchers, the Kangaroo Point Natural History Trail is worth seeing. It extends from the C.T. White Park up to the Brisbane Jazz Club. At the same time, it’s an opportunity to pack a picnic and bond with loved ones while you walk back in time.
It is the Brisbane City Council’s project in an aim to recognize the contribution of Queensland’s pioneers through a series of interpretative and botanical signs in the parks.
Kangaroo Point During the 1800s
Before the British settlement in early 1800s, it was occupied by Turrbal people. Explorer John Oxley described them as “the strongest and best-made muscular men” he had ever seen in any country.
The first land sales took place in 1843 when the British settled in Brisbane. Surveyor James Warner built the first house at Kangaroo Point in 1844. He was known for his deep religious convictions, his extensive knowledge of botany, and his role of the first secretary and treasurer of the Queensland Institute of Surveyors.
James Warner’s story can be seen when you hop in to the Natural History Trail. Aside from Warner, here are the other personalities features in Kangaroo Point Natural History Trail:
Frederick Manson Bailey
A colonial botanist of Queensland from 1881 to 1915, Bailey contributed his encyclopedic knowledge to the long list of published works on Queensland flora. This helped in the colony’s fledging agricultural and pastoral industries.
Silvester Diggles
His flair for music result in the founding of the Brisbane Choral Society in 1859 and the Brisbane Philharmonic Society in 1861. Aside from being an artist and musician, he was known as one of the notable naturalists during the 19th century.
Harry Oakman
He served as the Council’s Superintendent of Parks from 1946 to 1962. The distinctive subtropical style of many Brisbane parks and streetscapes were all because of his passion for lush tropical foliage and flowering plants.
Cyril Tenison White
White was best known for his expertise on identifying plants by sights. His thousands of illustrations were published in his grandfather Frederick Manson Bailey’s Comprehensive Catalogue of Queensland Plants. He served as a botanist for the Queensland Government from 1917 until his death in 1950.
Oscar Werner Tiegs
Tiegs, born at Kangaroo Point in 1897, was a world-class entomologist and zoologist. As a child, he had a great fascination with insects and that passion eventually led to his outstanding career in zoology.
Kangaroo Point in the Present
It does not come as a surprise that it was once home to Queensland’s best naturalists. With their beautiful surroundings, parks all over Kangaroo Point are perfect destinations for simple relaxation, family-friendly games, and city cycling.
Motorists driving along the Story Bridge, the nation’s longest cantilever bridge, are urged to “slow down and take care merging.” The heritage-listed bridge that links Kangaroo Point to Fortitude Valley has been top-ranked for having the most crash reports, the latest report revealed.
Between 1 January 2015 and 31 October 2018, insurance claims records show that there have been 36 crash reports on the Story Bridge, the State’s peak motoring body, RACQ reported. Captain Cook Bridge and Gateway Bridge followed with 29 and 14 reported crashes, respectively.
“These bridges are often heavily congested, high volume, multi-lane crossings, making them hot spots for multi-vehicle crashes,” RACQ spokesperson Lucinda Ross said.
“Most are peak hour rear-end collisions, or sideswipes where drivers fail to give way changing lanes. Drivers need to take care merging and leave plenty of room between cars,” she said
Rounding out the top six are William Jolly Bridge (11), Walter Taylor Bridge (10), and Go Between Bridge (4).
Ms Ross suggested that apart from public transport, the government also needs to invest on projects that will provide alternative routes to minimise congestions and offer vehicle access to and from Brisbane City such as upgrading Roma Street, North Quay, Stanley, and Vulture streets.
Kangaroo Point has another brewpub in town. Sea Legs Brewing Co. recently set up shop to further boost Brisbane’s profile as the fastest-growing craft beer destination in Queensland.
But the Sea Legs Brewing Co. site isn’t just a pub located on Main Street. Beneath the shop near the Story Bridge heritage site is a warehouse with a 15-hectolitre brewery system that can ferment 9,000 litres of different kinds of beers every day.
Co-owners Chris Davies, Jon Fuchs, Dave Machin, Harvey McKibbon and Tim Wyatt have been planning to open Sea Legs Brewing Co at Kangaroo Point three years ago. However, it took the group a while to secure council approvals.
Despite some delays and obstacles, construction was finally completed by the end of 2018. Finally, Sea Legs Brewing Co. opened its doors to the public in late December.
The bustling venue is close to other hangouts like the Brisbane Jazz Club and the Story Bridge Hotel. But Sea Legs Brewing Co. stands out because it brews its beers on site.
During its opening day, the pub offered more than 130 freshly-brewed batches of craft beer to its guests. Sea Legs Brewing Co. caters to all types of beer drinkers, wine lovers and even non-drinkers, with its lagers, IPAs, spirits, cocktails, and hand-selected wines. Aside from the drinks, the pub also serves burgers, wings, and hand-stretched pizzas.
Patrons can also buy bottles of brews at the brick-and-mortar store to enjoy at home. The owners also revealed they will be introducing experimental and seasonal beer flavours too.
Sea Legs is the first of more new dining and shopping sites opening on Main Street. Brisbane City Council has been pushing to bolster this part of the city as part of its improvement projects.
One of the most popular activities for the Australia Day festival in Brisbane, the Cockroach Races, is coming up on Saturday, 26 January 2019. The Story Bridge Hotel in Kangaroo Point will once again be packed with this and other fun activities and entertainment as they celebrate the much-anticipated event.
Photo credit: Story Bridge Hotel/Facebook
Celebrating its 38th year, the Cockroach Races will be having a full day of entertainment for everyone to enjoy. Live music, sporting races, competitions with great prizes, Aussie themed food vendors, and lots more await at the Story Bridge Hotel.
Event Details
What: Cockroach Races 2019
When: Saturday, 26 January 2019; gates open 11:00 a.m.
Where: Story Bridge Hotel, 200 Main St, Kangaroo Point
This year, the annual Cockroach Races will be hosting its first Thousand Guineas Short Horn BBQ Cook-Off. The competition will see eight people show off their skills on the grill. The best cook will win a dinner for up to 10 people worth $1,000.
Photo credit: Story Bridge Hotel/Facebook
Think you’ve got what it takes to win this cook-off? All you have to do is convince them why you are the best BBQ cook in all of Brisbane. Your answer may include photos or videos. Remember to submit your entry to the Story Bridge Hotel before 23 January 2019.
Photo credit: Story Bridge Hotel/Facebook
Can’t cook? Round-up your friends instead and join the Best Dressed Team Costume competition for a chance to win a $2000 party at the Story Bridge Hotel. Those who want to join should be there by midday and report to the Stewards’ desk to register.
Photo credit: Story Bridge Hotel/Facebook
Furthermore, lovely ladies can also enter for a chance to be crowned as the next Queen of Cockroach racing. The lucky winner will win $200 on the day.
Photo credit: Story Bridge Hotel/Facebook
Of course, the event won’t be complete without the main event. The Cockroach Races is the biggest event of the day so make sure to come in early.
Food and Entertainment
Photo credit: Abbiocco Food Truck/Facebook
There will be food trucks and street stalls offering the Story Bridge Hotel’s Australian Street Food Menu. Live music and DJs will be in the Hotel as well as on the street stage.
Australian artists Busby Marou will be headlining the entertainment line up. Other artists joining the event include Nick Trovis, Aussie Boogaloo, Forever Road, Mick Evans, The Dan Munn Duo, and Aaron Wright.
Gates are open at 11:00 a.m. and entry is a simple gold coin donation. All proceeds will go to Youngcare.
A pop-up lego bar and ball pit exclusively for adults is coming to Kangaroo Point.
After making waves in Melbourne, The Brick Bar is bringing their pop-up bar and ball pit to Brisbane on Saturday, 12 January 2019.
Credit: JAMES FARRELL/YouTube
The Brick Bar will be serving up a great deal of nostalgia with its one-of-a-kind brick bar and ball pit party at The Story Bridge Hotel, Kangaroo Point for one night only.
If you’ve missed building with your blocks a lot, this pop-up will feature over 1 million blocks so you can once again get creative with your friends. Take note that lots of prizes are in store for the best builders.
The bar will also showcase sculptures made completely from building blocks.
This adult playground includes a giant ball pit that you can dive in, ready to bring out the kid in you, except this time you’re allowed to drink. Moreover, local DJ’s will also be present, spinning tunes all day.
Photo credit: The Brick Bar/Facebook
Limited tickets for The Brick Bar and Ball Pit Party will be sold on a first-come, first-serve basis and the event will only run for one night. This is probably one of those parties that you’d hate to miss out so make sure to book early.
Guests under 18 must be accompanied by an adult and should attend prior to the 6:00 p.m. time slot. Ticket price for this event includes an entry for 90 minutes and food and beverage will be available for purchase at the bar.
More than half of Brisbane apartment units sold off-the-plan, over fifty percent of new apartments sold starting mid-2017, now have a valuation that is lower than what their buyers paid for, CoreLogic’s Settlement Risk report revealed.
However, experts say that the apartment market may have already bottomed out. Experts are optimistic that the worst is already over for the Brisbane unit market and areas in the 5-km inner-ring around the CBD, such as Kangaroo Point, may be the first to turn.
This same optimism is shared by researchers at Place Projects. According to Place Projects’Apartment Magazine summer edition report, current supply of new apartment is steadily tightening, declining to about 10 percent in September quarter 2018. Should the trend remain, available apartment supply will be absorbed by the end of 2019, the report said.
From its peak in 2015, the Brisbane market sales volume overall has since experienced a decline, albeit minimal sales volume decrease in the housing market. It is the unit market, however, that experienced a significant weakening in sales volume.
Sales volumes during the September quarter 2018 are still comparatively lower than previous long-term levels. Latest data, however, indicate rising buyers interest in the Brisbane unit market as sales volume has doubled compared to the previous quarter. The September quarter also saw the weighted average apartment sale price reach a new record high of $740,489, up by over $100,000 or 17 percent.
Kangaroo Point | Queensland 4169, Australia
Although the Brisbane unit market suffered due to oversupply in 2018, the coming months will see a decreasing supply as 60 percent of future projects are either currently deferred or abandoned. This trend will likely continue on with every quarter. Also, new applications now only account for eight percent of the future apartment market pipeline and the remaining 32 percent represents those applications that have been approved.
On the other hand, industry experts say that inner-city urban areas such as Kangaroo Point, are benefiting from strong owner-occupier demand, especially from the “downsizers” segment of the market.
Of the 342 units available for sale in Kangaroo Point, only 39 remain as of end of Q3 2018, Apartment Magazine summer edition report said. Apartments are the most sought-after properties in Kangaroo Point, according to Domain, with a median price going up to $534,000 in 2018 from $525,000 in 2017.
Overall, Brisbane market is primed for future growth. Queensland, in fact, is becoming Australia’s top destination for interstate migration primarily due to its housing affordability. Brisbane is 90 percent cheaper than Sydney and 43 percent cheaper than Melbourne. Coupled with Brisbane’s infrastructure commitments, liveability, and job opportunities, demand has increased, notably for high quality apartments.
The event promises to fill New Year’s Eve with good food, drinks, and a lot of dancing. With its ideal location by the Brisbane River, the venue also provides a fantastic view of the New Years Eve fireworks.
Riverlife Brisbane’s outdoor venue includes five different areas. Guests can either sit and relax with their family and friends or let loose on the dance floor. Dancing the night away is probably a good idea to stay awake until the fireworks light up the Brisbane sky.
On the evening of NYE, Riverside will be featuring the amazing BenJam Roving Band who will be bringing the hits from the ’80s, ’90s, and now. Furthermore, there will be a Brazilian-themed Carnaval Entertainment complete with Brazilian dancers and much more.
Bookings are required for the event and all tickets include unlimited food and two drinks.
Photo credit: Riverlife/Facebook
Take note that the food will be laid out festival style. The night’s menu has been curated by Head Chef Catherine Orbell and will be served from pop-up wooden food stalls.
Food options on-offer will include buffalo chicken wings with blue cheese dressing and garlic corn cobette, slow-cooked pulled lamb brioche sliders with slaw, crispy sesame pork belly with steamed rice and sticky BBQ sauce, dagwood dog and chunky chips, and more.
Gluten-free and vegan options will also be available including Thai vegetable curry, steamed rice, and shoot salad. Remember to make a note when booking if you have any specific dietary requirements.
The Carnaval Themed New Year Party will start from 7:00 p.m. and will end past midnight. For further information, check out their official website.
Brisbane City Council has released the “Transport Plan for Brisbane — Strategic Directions,” Brisbane’s guide to how its transport network will transform over the next 25 years. Transport projects already lined-up or underway include the Woolloongabba Bikeway, Kangaroo Point Bikeway, Cross River Rail, and Brisbane Metro.
The transport plan aims to address the challenges and opportunities, as well as outlines the specific directions the Council will take in order to meet the current and future needs of Brisbane residents and visitors. It also highlights the importance of partnership with the private sector and other levels of government to ensure success in delivering and managing future transport solutions. The Transport Plan for Brisbane – Strategic Directions identifies 15 desired outcomes and spread across these outcomes are 80 transport directions.
The transport directions framework are guided by the following community desired outcomes:
A clean, green, sustainable city
Community health and wellbeing
Meeting people’s needs
Better journey experience
Sustained growth of business and industry
Convenient commuting
Safe and efficient freight movement
Supporting the tourism and visitor economy
Innovative transport systems
Technology-enabled solutions
Robust organisations and partnerships
Integrated land use and transport
Well planned, designed and managed networks
Travel demand management and behaviour change
Safe transport networks.
Woolloongabba Bikeway project
Video Credit: Brisbane City Council/YouTube
Key aspects of the Transport Directions include encouraging the use of sustainable transport options like walking, cycling, and public transport through high-quality public and active travel infrastructures. The plan also considers the uptake of electric vehicles and technology to improve efficiency and reduce emissions and noise.
To provide a more efficient way of transporting goods to, from, and within the city, the Transport Plan will include proposals to maximise the use of rail network for container and bulk material transport to and from the Port. The freight transport network plan will also take advantage of emerging technologies such as automation and drones.
Bicycle Queensland lauded the Council’s transport plan stating that its vision was “bold, brave, brilliant.” In particular, the community cycling organisation noted how the plan recognized the need to tap public and active transport towards shifting to a healthier and sustainable means to travel that is quicker, safer, and more affordable.
Property Council of Australia also provided feedback during previous consultation on the Transport Plan. They pointed out that with employment in Brisbane predicted to move towards knowledge and health related jobs, there is a need to understand where, how, and what infrastructure will be required and implemented to facilitate this growth and address its needs.
