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What Is The ‘Esky Lid’? Cross River Rail’s Massive Flood Protection Explained

An 80-tonne “Esky lid” is being tested at Brisbane’s new Albert Street Station, with the unusual flood barrier designed to seal the station’s main entrance during a flood event.

Read: Fascinating Finds from 1880s Unearthed at the Cross River Rail Project

The enormous structure measures 22 metres by 10 metres and is the largest of 18 individual barriers being installed across the station.

So, what exactly is an “Esky lid”?

The nickname comes from the way the barrier works. The structure is designed to close over the gap above the escalators at the station’s main entrance, which lead down to the mezzanine and platform levels beneath Brisbane’s streets.

Photo credit: YouTube/Cross River Rail Delivery Authority

When it is not in use, the barrier is stowed in the ceiling of the station’s 17-metre-high canopy, where it is designed to blend into the structure. During a flood, the barrier can be lowered into position using an automated hoisting system. Once in place, it is clamped down against the surrounding walls by a team using hand tools.

A Second Line Of Defence For Albert Street

The “Esky lid” is not the station’s only protection against flooding. Albert Street Station has been designed with the floor levels of both entrances above the 1-in-100-year Brisbane River flood level. That level is higher than those reached during the major Brisbane floods of 2011 and 2022.

The additional barriers are designed to provide further protection, with the 18 flood barriers helping protect the station against a flood level of about 10.3 metres above street level. That corresponds to a 1-in-10,000-year flood event, according to Cross River Rail.

The system includes a combination of automatic and manual methods to cover doors and lifts, alongside the large barrier at the main entrance.

The approach reflects the particular requirements of building Brisbane’s deepest Cross River Rail station in what has historically been a low-lying and flood-prone part of the city.

Cross River Rail Delivery Authority Program Director Jeremy Kruger said the flood protection system had been designed specifically for the project’s deepest station and its location. He said the additional system was designed to protect the underground station from flood levels far beyond those previously experienced in Brisbane’s CBD.

Testing The 80-Tonne Barrier

Photo credit: Cross River Rail Delivery Authority

The flood protection system is now undergoing testing as construction continues at the station. The main station canopy has been completed and rises 17 metres above Albert Street. The “Esky lid” will remain stowed within the canopy when it is not in use.

Installing the barrier was itself a complex construction effort. During construction, the structure sat on top of the concrete walls surrounding the escalators. To allow architectural panels to be installed on its underside so it could blend into the canopy ceiling, the barrier had to be lifted into its stowed position.

The same mechanical hoisting system used to move the barrier during construction will be used if the “Esky lid” needs to be deployed during a flood. Testing is now being carried out on the large barrier alongside the station’s other flood protection measures, which use both automatic and manual methods.

Read: Cross River Rail Debate Intensifies Amid Cost and Timeline Dispute

In a flood, the structure can be lowered from the canopy and positioned above the escalators to protect the station entrance. At Albert Street Station, the “Esky lid” has a specific purpose: helping keep floodwater out of one of Brisbane’s deepest underground stations.

Published 11-September-2026

Remembering Yayoi Kusama Through Her Brisbane Artwork

Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama has died aged 97, leaving behind a body of work that remains visible in Brisbane through her permanent public artwork outside the Queen Elizabeth II Courts of Law.

Read: Brisbane Artist Renee Kire Brings Colour and Movement to Museum of Brisbane Entryway

Kusama died in a hospital in Tokyo on 14 August 2026, according to a statement from the Yayoi Kusama Museum. Her death marked the end of a career spanning more than seven decades, during which she became an internationally recognised figure in contemporary art.

At 415 George Street, one of Brisbane’s visible reminders of Kusama is Eyes Are Singing Out, where 312 steel and enamel eyes stretch along a curved wall beside the courts.

Created for the Queen Elizabeth II Courts of Law, the artwork was installed in 2012. The 90-metre installation occupies the public plaza between the Supreme Court and Magistrates Court buildings, placing Kusama’s work directly within Brisbane’s public streetscape.

Visible from George Street, the installation sits alongside the formal architecture of the courts. The artwork has been interpreted as engaging with ideas of observation and transparency in the context of its setting beside the courts.

The Life Of Yayoi Kusama

Born in Matsumoto, Japan, in 1929, Kusama developed an interest in art from an early age. She began producing drawings and paintings before developing the repeated forms, patterns and dots that would eventually become hallmarks of her practice.

Her career encompassed a wide range of artistic forms. Sculpture and installation became central to her work, while she also explored painting, performance, film and video, fashion, poetry and fiction.

Across these different forms, she repeatedly explored repetition, accumulation and infinity, themes that became closely associated with her practice. Her work also incorporated autobiographical and psychological themes drawn from her own experiences.

In the late 1950s, Kusama moved to the United States and settled in New York, where she became part of the city’s avant-garde art scene. During the 1960s, she produced large-scale installations and performances, including works that incorporated her developing use of repetition, dots and audience participation.

Her polka dots became particularly recognisable, appearing across paintings, sculptures, rooms and public spaces. The repeated patterns became a way of exploring ideas of infinity and self-obliteration.

Kusama spoke publicly about experiences that influenced her artistic practice, including hallucinations and psychological distress. She later returned to Japan, where she continued to produce paintings, sculptures and installations throughout the following decades.

A Long Connection With Brisbane

‘Look Now, See Forever’ by Yayoi Kusama (Photo credit: qagoma.qld.gov.au)

Kusama had an established connection with Brisbane before Eyes Are Singing Out was installed. She first exhibited at the Queensland Art Gallery in 1989 and later collaborated with the Gallery on The obliteration room for the 2002 Asia Pacific Triennial.

The interactive work was developed as a children’s project before being reworked and enlarged for Kusama’s 2011 GOMA exhibition, Yayoi Kusama: Look Now, See Forever. Visitors gradually transformed the initially white room by placing brightly coloured dot stickers across its surfaces.

The 2011-12 exhibition brought together Kusama’s painting, sculpture, video and installation work at GOMA. She returned to the gallery in 2017 for Life is the Heart of a Rainbow, an exhibition spanning her career and artistic practice.

Read: Sydney-based Artist Mirra Whale Brings ‘Quiet and Still’ Beauty to Fortitude Valley

Her distinctive installations and immersive works helped bring her art to audiences well beyond conventional gallery spaces. By her later years, Kusama was an internationally recognised artist whose work had been exhibited by institutions around the world.

In Brisbane, her legacy can still be encountered in the city’s public spaces. The eyes on George Street remain in place as a permanent Brisbane work by an artist whose distinctive use of repetition, dots, colour and immersive installations became recognised internationally.

Published 10-September-2026

Two Fortitude Valley Streets Among Brisbane’s Top Five Parking Fine Hotspots

McLachlan Street and Green Square Close have recorded a combined 1,279 parking infringement notices in 2026, placing Fortitude Valley twice among Brisbane’s five highest-ranked static camera locations.

Together, the two Fortitude Valley locations account for 1,279 infringement notices.

McLachlan Street ranks fourth in the available data, behind Graham Street in South Brisbane with 1,879 notices, Park Road in Milton with 1,227 and Latrobe Terrace in Paddington with 806. Green Square Close ranks fifth.

Across Brisbane, council has issued 176,494 parking infringement notices worth $34,941,602 this year through static cameras, mobile enforcement vehicles and officers on foot. More than 8,000 notices have been attributed to the static camera network.

Cameras operate around the clock at enforcement sites

Brisbane City Council’s static parking camera program began with four trial locations in early 2025 before expanding to more than 40 sites.

The cameras operate around the clock at designated locations and monitor vehicles stopped illegally in clearways, no-stopping zones, bus zones, loading zones and areas marked by yellow edge lines.

Council rules state motorists cannot stop or park on a yellow line at any time. No-stopping restrictions prohibit vehicles from stopping during the period shown on signs, while clearways can operate during specified hours or continuously where no times are displayed.

Illegal stopping can carry higher penalties

Parking penalties vary according to the offence. From July 1, 2026, stopping on a yellow edge line, in a no-stopping zone or in a bus zone carries a $345 fine, while stopping illegally on a clearway attracts a $518 penalty.

Separate penalties apply to loading zones and paid-parking offences. Council has linked the camera program to traffic flow and road safety, saying vehicles stopped in restricted areas can delay other road users even when the stop is brief.

Motorists can dispute an infringement

Drivers who believe a Brisbane City Council parking infringement was incorrectly issued can lodge a dispute. Council requires review requests to be submitted within 28 days of the fine being issued and advises motorists to provide supporting evidence.

Published 8-Sept-2026

Only One of 10 Brisbane City Toilet Listings Lacks an Accessible Toilet

Photo Credit: Google Maps/Sean Nairn

Nine of the 10 publicly available toilet facilities listed under Brisbane City are recorded as having an accessible toilet, according to the National Public Toilet Map.

A September 2026 export of the national directory shows Cathedral House at Penola Place, 229 Elizabeth Street, as the only one of the 10 Brisbane City records with an “Accessible = FALSE” designation. The remaining nine are recorded as having accessible toilets.

The result gives the inner-city group an accessibility rate of 90 per cent among the records examined. The calculation is limited to facilities whose suburb or town field is listed specifically as “Brisbane City” in the September export and does not represent a complete inventory of every toilet in the CBD.

Major transport, shopping and civic sites carry accessible listings

Facilities recorded with accessible toilets include Roma Street Railway Station, Post Office Square, Wintergarden, QueensPlaza, Macarthur Central, Queen’s Wharf and Brisbane Square Library.

Other accessible entries in the Brisbane City group include the Roma Street Parkland Amphitheatre and a facility at Little Stanley Street. Cathedral House at Penola Place is the sole record among the 10 without an accessible toilet listed.

The National Public Toilet Map contains facilities at public and private locations that are available for public use. Brisbane City Council draws its own public toilet dataset from the national map and geographically filters records to the Brisbane local government area.

Facility	Type	Address	Accessible toilet recorded?
Roma Street Railway Station	Train station	Roma Street	Yes
Post Office Square	Shopping centre	235 Adelaide Street	Yes
Wintergarden	Shopping centre	162 Elizabeth Street	Yes
QueensPlaza	Shopping centre	226 Queen Street	Yes
Macarthur Central	Shopping centre	259 Queen Street	Yes
Cathedral House at Penola Place	Community building	229 Elizabeth Street	No
Little Stanley Street – Block 3	Other	10 Little Stanley Street	Yes
Roma Street Parkland Amphitheatre	Other	1 Parkland Boulevard	Yes
Queen’s Wharf	Other	25 Queens Wharf Road	Yes
Brisbane Square Library	Community building	266 George Street	Yes

An “Accessible = FALSE” designation does not establish that a venue has breached building standards or disability-access laws. It means the facility is recorded in the National Public Toilet Map as not having an accessible toilet.

CBD result contrasts with suburban snapshots

The Brisbane City records show a markedly different result from several suburban groups examined in the same September dataset.

Tingalpa had four of six facilities recorded without an accessible toilet, while Holland Park West had three of four. Indooroopilly had three of eight and Albion had two of four. The comparisons are based on small numbers of listed facilities and should not be treated as complete audits of toilet accessibility in each suburb.

Across Brisbane more broadly, recent analysis of National Public Toilet Map data found 105 of 580 publicly available toilet facilities were recorded as not having an accessible toilet, or about 18 per cent.

Council maps accessible routes and facilities in the city centre

Brisbane City Council provides a dedicated Mobility Map for people with impaired mobility in the CBD and City Botanic Gardens. The map identifies accessible toilets, disability parking, taxi ranks, drop-off zones, seating and path gradients to help people plan movement through the city centre.

Council also lists several accessible facilities at Brisbane City Hall, including accessible toilets on the ground floor and level three, ambulant toilets on several levels and a Changing Places facility with a ceiling hoist and adult-sized changing table.

Separately, Brisbane Square Library is listed by Council as wheelchair accessible and equipped with wheelchair-accessible toilets.

Paralympian has raised concerns over everyday access

Former Paralympian and disability advocate Karni Liddell has previously raised concerns that inadequate access to suitable toilets can restrict social participation for people who use wheelchairs and create health risks when appropriate facilities are unavailable.

Accessibility has attracted increased attention as Brisbane prepares to host the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The strong result among the 10 Brisbane City records sits alongside Council measures specifically aimed at helping people with limited mobility navigate the CBD.

The figures remain a snapshot of information held in the National Public Toilet Map rather than the findings of a building or disability-access compliance audit.

Published 8-Sept-2026

Level X Brings High-End Fitness, Recovery, And Dining To Queen’s Wharf

Level X is preparing to open a $30 million fitness and wellness club at Brisbane’s Queen’s Wharf precinct, bringing together training, recovery, dining, and workspaces under one roof.

Read: Brisbane City Markets to Bring Fresh Finds to Queen’s Wharf Every Thursday

The project is being developed by property entrepreneurs Emil Juresic and his wife, Giselle Kramer Juresic, with more than 3,000 square metres planned across multiple levels. Rather than focusing solely on conventional gym facilities, the proposed club will combine fitness and performance spaces with recovery services, wellness facilities, hospitality, and work areas.

Level X has also promoted the Queen’s Wharf venue as featuring what it describes as Australia’s largest HYROX and performance space, alongside classes, a bathhouse, recovery facilities, childcare, workspaces, restaurants and retail.

Construction is expected to begin shortly, with the gym and performance areas targeted for completion by the end of January. The wellness component is expected to follow about a month later.

Performance and recovery take centre stage

A 50-metre performance zone is planned as one of the major features of the fitness offering. Level X said the space will be Australia’s largest HYROX and performance area. HYROX combines running with functional exercises, while the planned performance zone will form a major part of the club’s training offering.

Recovery is another major component of the planned venue. The project includes a dedicated bathhouse with hammams and saunas, as well as cryotherapy, massage facilities, red-light therapy and relaxation areas.

A full MRI facility is also planned, according to the project details. Level X also believes the project could be the largest recovery centre of its kind in Australia.

The wider offering will include separate yoga and Pilates rooms, childcare facilities, co-working areas and boardrooms. Food will also form part of the venue, with two restaurants planned. Level X has promoted the restaurants as offering nutritionally designed food.

The interiors are being designed by Julia Tamatea of Bearspace Studio. The concept combines natural materials including rock and stone with polished finishes, stronger colours and gold detailing.

Memberships to reach $1000 a week

Memberships are planned to start at $189 a week, with the highest tier reaching $1,000 a week. The top membership is expected to include access to a private upstairs VIP area, complimentary massages and other benefits.

Alongside the $30 million construction and fitout investment, another $10 million is planned for gym and performance equipment, recovery facilities and wellness and longevity technology. The project represents an expansion into the health and wellness sector for the Juresics, whose backgrounds include property development and business.

Level X Queen’s Wharf will be the flagship for the brand, with Level X Toowong having recently opened. The project will form part of the Queen’s Wharf precinct, a 12-hectare riverfront development that began its staged opening in August 2024.

Read: Free ‘Fan Land’ Opens at Queen’s Wharf for NRL Magic Round

The precinct includes hotels, restaurants and bars, entertainment, gaming, retail and public spaces, alongside landscaped riverside areas and public attractions. Level X will add a fitness and wellness offering with memberships ranging from $189 to $1,000 a week.

The club is being positioned by its operators as a broader health, fitness and wellness destination rather than a conventional gym, with training, recovery, preventative health, food and workspaces incorporated into the same venue.

Published 8-September-2026

Fortitude Valley Travel Guide for Riverfire 2026

Photo Credit: Brisbane Festival

Fortitude Valley will sit on the edge of some of Riverfire’s biggest traffic restrictions, with Story Bridge access, nearby streets and riverside routes affected as crowds move towards viewing areas around Howard Smith Wharves and New Farm.

Riverfire will be held on Saturday, 5 September, with Royal Australian Air Force flyovers scheduled from 4:45 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and fireworks beginning at 7:00 p.m. The display opens Brisbane Festival and is free to attend.

Howard Smith Wharves will draw spectators towards the river

Howard Smith Wharves is one of the official Riverfire viewing locations and places spectators directly beside the Brisbane River beneath the Story Bridge.

The precinct combines river views with dining and hospitality venues, making it one of the closest viewing options for people approaching from Fortitude Valley. Wilson Outlook Reserve, on the New Farm side of the precinct, is another elevated viewing location overlooking the Story Bridge and city skyline.

People heading towards either location will be moving through streets affected by temporary traffic controls before and during the fireworks.

Story Bridge access closes during the busiest period

The Story Bridge will be closed to traffic from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., cutting the direct road connection between Fortitude Valley and Kangaroo Point while the display is under way.

Several streets leading towards the bridge and Howard Smith Wharves will also close or lose lanes between 6:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Full closures include sections of Ivory Street, Martin Street, Harrison Lane and Bowen Terrace.

Kemp Place will have a partial closure, while lane restrictions will apply on Ann Street, Gipps Street and Wickham Street. Brisbane City Council says signed detours, traffic controllers and police will be in place to manage movements through the affected area.

Ann Street and Wickham Street will remain open with restrictions

Fortitude Valley’s main north-south roads will not be completely shut, but motorists can expect reduced capacity near the Story Bridge approaches.

One of four southwest-bound lanes on Ann Street between Kemp Place and Brunswick Street will close during the Riverfire period. A north-eastbound lane on Wickham Street between Gotha Street and Gipps Street will also close, while two of three lanes on Gipps Street between Wickham Street and Barry Parade will be unavailable.

Drivers travelling through the Valley rather than attending Riverfire may encounter delays around these approaches between 6:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.

Trains remain a key option for Valley travellers

Fortitude Valley railway station will continue to provide access to the broader train network, while Translink is adding services across the network after the fireworks.

Free post-event travel will run from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. from selected inner-city train and bus stations. Central and Roma Street stations are included in the free-travel zone, but Fortitude Valley station is not listed among the designated free departure points.

Passengers using buses should also check Riverfire service changes before travelling. Translink has advised that major alterations will apply to many Brisbane City bus services after the fireworks, and some additional services will not appear in journey-planning or real-time information.

RIVERFIRE TRANSPORTATION CHANGES

Saturday night crowds will extend beyond the fireworks

Riverfire falls on a Saturday night in a precinct already known for late-night dining, entertainment and nightlife. Road restrictions around the Story Bridge and Howard Smith Wharves will overlap with regular evening activity in Fortitude Valley.

People moving between the Valley, CBD and riverside precincts will therefore face a different transport pattern before and immediately after the 7:00 p.m. display. Story Bridge access will reopen after 8:00 p.m., but other event-related traffic controls may remain in place longer as crowds disperse.

Riverfire opens three weeks of Brisbane Festival

Riverfire marks the opening weekend of Brisbane Festival, but the citywide program continues well beyond Saturday night. Brisbane Festival runs from 4–26 September, with theatre, music, dance, installations, family activities and free events scheduled across Brisbane, including a substantial program at South Bank. Events range from Bright Nights, running throughout the festival, to concerts, workshops, community celebrations and performances at Festival Village.

CHECK FULL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Published 4-Sept-2026

NOMAD Brisbane Confirmed For Former Gerard’s Site On James Street

A Sydney restaurant is heading north, with NOMAD set to open its first Queensland venue on James Street in Fortitude Valley in 2026.

Read: End of the Road for Gerard’s Bistro on James Street

The restaurant will take over the former Gerard’s Bistro site, bringing NOMAD’s produce-led, fire-based cooking to the James Street address.

For NOMAD, the Brisbane opening marks its first Queensland venue. The restaurant began in Sydney in 2013 before expanding to Melbourne, where it has continued its focus on locally sourced produce and cooking with flame and smoke.

James Street (Photo credit: Google Street View)

The James Street location also gives the restaurant a direct connection to a well-known chapter of Brisbane’s food scene. Gerard’s operated from the site for 14 years before closing on July 4, 2026.

NOMAD said it plans to retain elements of the site’s history while creating a restaurant with its own identity. “We can’t wait to create a NOMAD that reflects Brisbane’s incredible dining culture and Queensland’s world-class produce,” the restaurant says on its Brisbane website.

The new venue will draw on the approach already established at NOMAD’s Sydney and Melbourne restaurants, where menus are influenced by Spain, Morocco and the Middle East and built around produce and fire.

The Brisbane restaurant will adapt that approach to its Queensland setting. Local produce will be central to the menu, with the city’s climate also influencing the style of the food. Lighter and fresher dishes are expected, although the exact Brisbane menu has not yet been released.

Behind the kitchen will be Edition Group Culinary Director Michael Greenlaw, working alongside NOMAD Melbourne Head Chef Jeremy Swann.

Several members of the existing NOMAD and edition Group teams will also make the move north. Long-time NOMAD Melbourne team member Robbie Pyke-Marcou will relocate to Brisbane as venue manager, while Group Bar Manager Felix Woods will oversee the drinks program alongside sommelier Steve Senturk.

The design will retain elements of the site’s history. Jarod Webb, founder of J.AR Office, will lead the design after previously working on Gerard’s refurbishment. The new venue will retain the site’s distinctive rammed-earth walls while other aspects of the space are transformed for NOMAD.

Edition Group launched NOMAD in Sydney before expanding its hospitality portfolio across Sydney and Melbourne. Its venues include NOMAD Melbourne, Reine & La Rue and Privé, while the group also took stewardship of Melbourne restaurant Florentino.

For James Street, the arrival marks a new chapter for the site after Gerard’s 14-year tenure. The Brisbane venue will retain NOMAD’s established approach to food while incorporating Queensland produce and influences.

Read: Southside Team Opens New Hong Kong-Inspired Restaurant ‘Central’ in Brisbane CBD

Further details about the menu, drinks program and design are due to be announced in the coming months. NOMAD Brisbane is expected to open before Christmas 2026, with the exact opening date yet to be announced.

Published 4-September-2026

QIMR Berghofer Researchers Uncover Thousands of New Clues in Cancer Search

Photo Credit: Google Maps file photo/Picture Purrfect

An enormous part of our DNA that scientists once knew relatively little about is emerging as a new hunting ground for cancer research, with a QIMR Berghofer-led team uncovering almost 95,000 previously unannotated molecules to investigate.

The molecules are known as long non-coding RNAs, or lncRNAs. They can be difficult to detect because they may occur in tiny quantities and sometimes only in particular cells or diseases.

Looking across 13 cancer types, including breast, brain, bowel and skin cancers, the researchers identified 219,442 potential lncRNAs. When compared with five existing databases, 94,795 were found to be previously unannotated.

The study, published in Nature Methods, gives researchers a much bigger pool of molecules to investigate as they try to understand what is happening inside different cancers.

A clearer view inside tumour tissue

For decades, genetics concentrated heavily on the one to two per cent of the genome that contains instructions for making proteins. Much of the rest was once loosely dismissed as “junk DNA”, but advances in research have revealed a far more complicated picture.

Long non-coding RNAs don’t make proteins themselves, yet they can be involved in regulating genes and other processes within cells. Their scarcity and tendency to appear in particular cell types have made many of them difficult to study.

The QIMR Berghofer-led research brought together single-cell and spatial analysis, allowing scientists to examine where lncRNAs appeared within tumour tissue rather than simply detecting their presence.

Researchers could then look for patterns, including whether particular molecules appeared in certain cancer cells and how their location related to protein-coding genes and other biological features.

The published study went further by experimentally validating identified lncRNAs across seven cancer types using several spatial technologies.

Now comes the search for the important ones

The enormous dataset has been turned into a freely available online atlas called SPanC-Lnc, where researchers can explore lncRNAs across different cancers, cells and locations within tumour tissue.

Associate Professor Quan Nguyen, director of QIMR Berghofer’s National Centre for Spatial Tissue and AI Research, described this relatively uncharted part of the genome as a potential “goldmine” for new cancer biomarkers and therapeutic approaches.

The scale of the discovery does need perspective. The 94,795 previously unannotated lncRNAs are not 94,795 potential treatments waiting to be developed.

Instead, researchers now have thousands of additional leads that can be narrowed down through laboratory work to establish what individual molecules actually do and whether some could ultimately prove useful in detecting, diagnosing or treating cancer.

First author Dr Prakrithi Pavithra said understanding the biology behind cancer was particularly important because cancers can behave differently between patients and current treatments do not work for everyone.

Researchers involved in the project have already contributed to separate work on an lncRNA associated with the most common form of breast cancer, which is being investigated as the basis for a potential RNA-based therapy.

For the QIMR Berghofer team, the new atlas provides something more immediate: a much clearer map of genetic territory that cancer researchers have only begun to explore.

Published 2-September-2026

Businesses Displaced as Centenary Pool Makes Way for Brisbane 2032 Aquatic Centre

Long-standing businesses at the Centenary Pool precinct are being forced to relocate as the Spring Hill site is transformed into the National Aquatic Centre for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The Games Independent Infrastructure and Coordination Authority took possession of the site on 1 September 2026, after the pool closed to the public at the end of August. Site preparations are now underway at the Gregory Terrace precinct following the end of 67 years of continuous community use.

Long-term tenants face costly moves

Among the businesses affected is orthodontist Dr Nick Kotsomitis, whose practice has operated from the Centenary Pool complex for more than three decades.

Kotsomitis has said his current lease was expected to continue until 2035 and that he spent more than $500,000 fitting out the practice after entering the agreement in 2017. Relocating specialised orthodontic equipment and establishing another clinic could cost more than $1 million.

Allied health provider The Health Collab has also operated from the precinct, offering physiotherapy, sports rehabilitation, massage and other services from its Spring Hill premises.

Affected tenants have faced uncertainty over how they will be compensated for relocation and re-establishment costs. Queensland parliamentary debate on Brisbane 2032 infrastructure laws has acknowledged that Games projects can displace tenants and community businesses, while maintaining that existing compensation rights under other laws are not removed.

Inner-city swimmers lose a 67-year fixture

Centenary Pool opened in 1959 and became Brisbane’s first Olympic-standard swimming pool. The heritage-listed complex, designed by architect James Birrell, has served generations of residents through lap swimming, squad training, diving, fitness programs and recreation.

Before closing, the complex included a 50-metre outdoor pool, a heated indoor pool, a heated 25-metre outdoor pool and other recreational facilities.

Its closure also reduces the number of public swimming options available to residents in Brisbane’s inner north, increasing attention on nearby alternatives including Newmarket Olympic Pool. Local concerns have focused on swimmers who rely on public aquatic facilities for exercise, rehabilitation and regular training.

Bigger aquatic centre planned for 2032

The Centenary Pool site will form part of the new National Aquatic Centre, which is proposed to host swimming, Para swimming, diving, water polo and artistic swimming during the Brisbane Games.

Plans include three new covered pools, high-performance facilities and about 8,000 permanent spectator seats, expanding to as many as 25,000 during the Games through temporary seating.

Existing heritage elements are expected to be incorporated into the redevelopment, while the completed centre is intended to remain available for community and high-performance use after 2032.

Published 2-Sept-2026

Two New Eagle Street Venues Add to Brisbane’s Changing Inner-City Dining Scene

Two new weekday venues are preparing to open on Eagle Street, adding another dining option within easy reach of Fortitude Valley as Brisbane’s riverfront business district continues to change.

SweetLeáf and LuLóu are being developed side by side at 70 Eagle Street by family-owned Brisbane hospitality group HomeTeam, with both expected to open in October.

While the venues are being designed primarily around the CBD weekday crowd, their arrival adds to a changing hospitality landscape immediately south of Fortitude Valley, where Eagle Street is also emerging from several years of construction and redevelopment.

Two different takes on the working day

SweetLeáf is being built around speed and convenience, with freshly prepared meals aimed particularly at workers looking for something they can collect without losing much of their lunch break.

Customers are expected to be able to order ahead and pick up their food, while communal seating will provide an option for those with time to stay.

Next door, LuLóu is taking a more leisurely approach.

The all-day venue is being designed for coffee meetings, longer lunches and afternoon wines, giving the two neighbouring businesses distinctly different roles despite sharing the same address.

Both are expected to operate Monday to Friday, with ALKOT Studio behind the interiors and Lowry Group undertaking the hospitality fit-outs.

Back where the HomeTeam story began

The new venues also mark a return to familiar territory for HomeTeam founder Kristina Carson.

Carson’s business connection with Eagle Street dates back more than 20 years, when her first business was established on the street. She later moved into hospitality, with MÁS Espresso opening on Eagle Street in 2019.

ÉLAN followed, and those businesses now sit under the HomeTeam banner alongside the two new concepts taking shape at 70 Eagle Street.

For the group, SweetLeáf and LuLóu therefore represent both an expansion and a return to the part of Brisbane where Carson’s business career began.

Changes inside and outside 70 Eagle Street

The building receiving the new venues has recently undergone a substantial transformation of its own.

A major refurbishment of 70 Eagle Street was completed in 2025, with works including a new ground-floor lobby and street awning, a refreshed façade and significant internal changes to the commercial tower.

The work is part of a much broader period of change along Eagle Street.

In February, the upgraded section of Brisbane’s Riverwalk reopened beside the Waterfront Brisbane construction site after being closed for about two and a half years.

The new six-metre-wide section between Charlotte and Alice streets restored the riverside pedestrian and cycling connection through the precinct, forming part of the continuous route between the Story Bridge area and the City Botanic Gardens.

Alongside it, work continues on the $2.5 billion Waterfront Brisbane redevelopment of the former Eagle Street Pier site, which is planned to deliver new office space, restaurants, retail and public areas along the riverfront.

SweetLeáf and LuLóu are much smaller additions to Eagle Street than the major development taking place around them, but they provide another indication of what the precinct is becoming as businesses begin filling the spaces alongside the construction.

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For Fortitude Valley residents who work in the CBD or regularly head into this end of the city, that will mean another two weekday options when the doors open.

Construction is underway, with SweetLeáf and LuLóu currently expected to open in October 2026.

Published 1-Sept-2026