Redlands reveals plans for 62ha precinct including lagoon

REDLAND CITY: Redland City Council has revealed ambitious plans for the Birkdale Community Precinct, a 62-hectare development designed as a major tourism and leisure hub approximately 23 kilometers southeast of Brisbane. At the heart of the project is a 2,000-square-meter outdoor lagoon, which acting mayor Julie Talty boldly claims will surpass Brisbane's popular South Bank Beach.

“

We've got a small minority of naysayers in this city who want to shout 'white elephant' every time it's mentioned.

The precinct is slated for completion by 2030, with construction expected to commence in mid-2027. Beyond the lagoon, the development will feature a diverse range of amenities, including restaurants, hotels, a zip-line, an event venue, bushwalking tracks, and a unique "dive-in" movie screen. The project is strategically linked to the Whitewater Centre, a venue designated for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games, which will be situated adjacent to the new precinct.

Cr Talty addressed concerns about the financial viability of the Whitewater Centre post-Olympics, asserting that council's financial modeling indicates it will be self-sustaining and, crucially, will help subsidize the costs associated with the lagoon precinct. She pushed back against critics who label the Whitewater Centre a "white elephant," emphasizing the community's long-standing desire for a lagoon facility.

“

I've been in council for 14 years and the one thing the community have been asking for the whole time is a lagoon like South Bank.

"I've been in council for 14 years and the one thing the community have been asking for the whole time is a lagoon like South Bank," Cr Talty said. "It will be better than Brisbane's [lagoon]. For a small council like us, we don't have the ability to provide that standalone, but the opportunity of the Olympics and the Whitewater Centre means we can do all of this."

“

It will be better than Brisbane's [lagoon].

Furthermore, Cr Talty explained that the Whitewater Centre will serve a dual purpose, functioning as a lazy river during periods when it is not utilized for Olympic events or emergency service training programs. The council plans to manage and operate the centre at the expense of ratepayers, but Talty remains confident in its economic contribution to the broader precinct.

“

For a small council like us, we don't have the ability to provide that standalone, but the opportunity of the Olympics and the Whitewater Centre means we can do all of this.