A 45-hectare golf course in the heart of Brisbane will be transformed into the city’s largest public park in over 50 years, set to rival the likes of Central Park in New York City and Hyde Park in London.
The Victoria Park Golf Course in the inner Brisbane suburb of Herston is to be closed and reshaped as part of Brisbane Council’s Victoria Park Vision to become Brisbane’s second biggest park behind the 52-hectare Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens.
The golf course site, entirely owned by Brisbane Council, has seen patronage numbers decrease by 16 per cent over the past eight years, prompting calls for a new area of urban open space.
“We’re turning Victoria Park Golf Course into the biggest park we’ve seen in 50 years, more than double the size of City Botanic Gardens in the CBD,” lord mayor Adrian Schrinner said.
“The Victoria Park Vision will double the size of the existing park and deliver a green link that boosts the connectivity of the city fringe, including Kelvin Grove, Herston, Bowen Hills and the Brisbane Showgrounds.”
“When you think of some of great parklands across the globe, Central Park in New York City, Lumphini Park in Bangkok and Hyde Park in London come to mind for their hundreds of trees, free attractions and for offering people a green sanctuary within a busy capital city.”
Brisbane council will allocate $1 million to the project in the upcoming budget and will begin work on the project in 2021, when the existing golf course will be permanently closed following a two-year transition period.
Schrinner said the council would consider a range of opportunities for the new area of urban open space, including pop-up cinemas, markets and play areas for all ages.
Council has committed to work with the current tenants to ensure the popular driving range, putt-putt course, wedding venue and function centre are part of the new parkland.
“Council will involve the community in every step of this planning process and will hold forums and public consultation as well as engage experts to create the best design for this green space,” Schrinner said.
Work is also under way to improve access to the park, where car parking is available while both lines of the high-frequency Brisbane Metro will transport passengers directly to the parkland using the future Herston and Kelvin Grove stations.
