Howard Smith Wharves has received development approval for a significant expansion of its Brisbane riverfront precinct, with works scheduled for completion ahead of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Read: Howard Smith Wharves Expansion Approved With Brisbane’s First Over-River Pool
The Artemus Group, which operates the precinct, announced the approval on Thursday 28 May. The approved plans include a 106-room boutique hotel with views of the Story Bridge, Brisbane’s first over-river pool, two new cliffside lifts, cascading riverfront stairs, and enhancements to the existing Felons Barrel Hall to attract more music and entertainment offerings.
The development will also deliver a 30 per cent increase in outdoor public space, adding 8,500 square metres of open areas to the precinct. A redesigned pontoon, backed by Queensland, will provide new river access, private boat mooring, and serve as a tourism gateway to the Brisbane River and Moreton Bay. The pontoon infrastructure is designed to withstand flood conditions.
HSW founder Adam Flaskas said the approval coincided with Brisbane’s preparations to host the Games. “With Brisbane set to host the world for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, HSW 2.0 positions Howard Smith Wharves, and the Brisbane River, as a centrepiece of the city’s global moment,” he said.
CEO Luke Fraser said design decisions had been guided by long-term considerations. “Every decision we’ve made in designing HSW has been guided by asking: how do we create something that Brisbane will be proud to show the world in 2032 and for decades beyond,” he said.
Cr Adrian Schrinner referenced the precinct’s origins as a derelict wharf site and cited jobs and additional hotel rooms among the outcomes of the next stage. “This next stage takes Howard Smith Wharves to another level, with more jobs, more to see and do, more hotel rooms and more of what makes Brisbane Australia’s lifestyle capital,” Cr Schrinner said.
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Howard Smith Wharves is located beneath the Story Bridge, adjacent to Fortitude Valley and New Farm. The Artemus Group describes it as Brisbane’s most-visited riverfront precinct.
The development is expected to be completed before the 2032 Games, when the precinct is intended to serve athletes, officials, media and international visitors.
Published 1-June-2026
