More than $18 million has been allocated in this year’s Brisbane City Council Budget to the restoration of the Story Bridge, with almost half for work on the footpaths.
Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner, who handed down a Budget today (June 18) which carried a minimum rates rise of 3.87 percent, said $6.9 million would be spent installing replacement footpath decking on the bridge.
Lord Mayor Schrinner said an order had been placed for the material this week following a fast-tracked tender process.
“The decking is being custom-made and will take at least 17 weeks to manufacture,” he said.
Lord Mayor Schrinner said the decking would be delivered and installed in stages, with at least one side of the Story Bridge footpaths expected to open before the end of the year.
He said in addition to the new decking, a further $6.2 million was being invested in Story Bridge works over the coming year, with the scheduled works part of a five-year program of works which started in 2023.
“This program includes concrete rehabilitation, repairs to gantry rail connections, bridge railing and stiffening plates and improvements to the bridge’s thematic lighting.”
Lord Mayor Schrinner said the works were in addition to the nearly $80 million invested since 2019.
He said the $5 million Story Bridge Restoration Business Case, jointly funded with the Federal Government, would also be completed in 2026.
“The business case will develop a staged plan to progressively restore the Story Bridge as required over the next 15 to 20 years.”
Lord Mayor Schrinner said council has invested $120 million in maintaining the bridge over the last 20 years.
“The Story Bridge is just like every old Queenslander home, you can keep up maintenance by painting and plugging the leaks but eventually a restoration is inevitable, and you need to replace the roof and redo the stumps.
“This Budget confirms we will continue to undertake essential maintenance on Story Bridge while also planning for its long-term restoration.”
He said the overall $4.1 billion Budget struck the balance by keeping costs down while keeping Brisbane moving.
“General rates for owner occupied houses will increase by only $1.14 per week, or 3.87 percent across the year.
“Other South-East Queensland councils are charging residents anywhere between $240 and $560 more per year in rates than Brisbane residents pay.”
Lord Mayor Schrinner said city’s net debt would be reduced by 21 percent from $3.7 billion this year to $2.9 billion in 2028-29.
The 2025-26 Brisbane City Council Budget includes:
- Cost of living relief though a $50 increase to the maximum pensioner rebate scheme, the return of $2 summer dips and continuation of free off-peak travel for seniors, and the $60 on-time rates payment discount.
- City-wide rollout of green bins to eligible houses.
- $500,000 donation to help Emmanuel City Mission establish a 24/7 homeless shelter in South Brisbane.
- A 25 percent funding increase for Suburban Community Events and Multicultural Festivals.
- New inner-city apartment rates for new owners from October 1.
- $50 million for a business case into the expansion of Brisbane Metro: north to Carseldine, south to Springwood, east to Capalaba and the Brisbane Airport Metro.
- Additional pay by app options for on-street parking.
- Expanding Queen Street Mall along Albert Street, in conjunction with Cross River Rail.
- New Coffee Carts in Parks program to increase flexibility and fairness for food trucks and coffee carts to operate in more than 100 approved sites.
- Pool upgrades in Newmarket, Runcorn, Parkinson and the Valley.
- Upgrading the Bulimba Library.
- Review of low-medium residential areas to deliver more homes.
- Maintaining the Housing Supply Incentive Policy’s 100 percent infrastructure charge waiver for community housing providers. The 50 and 75 per cent incentives end June 30, 2025.
- Appointing Brisbane Sustainability Agency to protect and transform the Mt Coot-tha precinct.
- Planting more trees in parks and bushland reserves, with a focus on trees for koalas.
- $1.9 million to plant new trees along transport corridor to Olympic and Paralympic Games venues.
- Koala recovery, resilience and vaccinations program.
- Boost Platypus by 2032 plan to protect and boost platypus populations.
