To the casual visitor, a trip to the South Bank precinct is a visit to the heart of Brisbane and the best that life in Queensland offers. The lush, shady gardens and groves, the sunny lawns that overlook the CBD and the Brisbane River, the vivid bougainvillea-clad Grand Arbour that snakes along its length, the sounds of birds – all are memorable. Within walking distance of the CBD, one can dine or snack al fresco, swim in turquoise lagoons, meet friends and colleagues and connect with the city’s cultural life. The Convention Centre and cinemas, the Cultural Precinct with its theatres, concert halls, museum and galleries, and Griffith University’s art school and conservatorium of music are all either on site or within walking distance. So too are hospitals, hotels, offices, schools, a TAFE and the growing neighbourhoods of West End and South Brisbane. With so much on offer, South Bank is often touted as an ideal place to live or work.
As one of three inner-Brisbane precincts first conceived in the 1980s, South Bank has evolved since World Expo established South Bank Corporation as a government-owned statutory authority with an independent board. This structure – unique at the time – meant that South Bank alone had a commercial dimension to fund precinct upkeep and contribute capital to site redevelopment. Considered a success, this governance model has now become the preferred form of precinct development, governance and management throughout the state.
