Queen's Wharf Brisbane

The $3.6 billion Queen's Wharf Brisbane Integrated Resort Development commenced a staged opening in late 2024 and when complete, will showcase Brisbane as a global tourism, leisure and entertainment destination.

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Project overview

In November 2015 the Queensland Government entered into a contract with Destination Brisbane Consortium (DBC) to develop the $3.6 billion Queen’s Wharf Brisbane Integrated Resort Development (IRD) – a truly world-class tourism precinct in the heart of the Brisbane Central Business District (CBD).

DBC is a joint venture led by The Star Entertainment Group and their Hong Kong based partners Far East Consortium and Chow Tai Fook Enterprises.

The Queensland Government is working in partnership with DBC to deliver economic growth for Queensland with the creation of thousands of jobs during construction and 8,000 jobs when the IRD is fully operational.

Queen’s Wharf Brisbane will elevate Brisbane as a tourism, leisure and entertainment destination ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Showcasing Brisbane to the world

The revitalised precinct provides improved facilities for community use and public events to showcase Brisbane to locals, interstate and international visitors.

The Queen's Wharf Brisbane (QWB) precinct marks where European settlement of Brisbane started over 190 years ago. The Queen's Wharf Brisbane area is a hub that connects parts of the city, including the Botanic Gardens, the Queen Street Mall, the Cultural Precinct, South Bank, the Parliamentary Precinct and the Brisbane River.

The redevelopment area is state-owned land and is located between the Brisbane River and George Street and between Alice and Queen streets. The area contains state-owned heritage buildings, former government buildings and previously underutilised riverfront land under the Riverside Expressway.

QWB is a unique and vibrant destination that attracts visitors and investment, reconnects the activity of the CBD to the river, restores and celebrates Brisbane's heritage, and integrates high quality public spaces.

Upon completion, Queen's Wharf Brisbane will:

become an internationally recognised precinct with world class sustainable urban design, architecture and heritage
redefine public access and transport connections into, through and around the CBD, South Bank, Cultural Precinct and the Botanic Gardens
transform and activate public realm areas highlighting Brisbane’s European settlement history
promote community events and diverse activities throughout the precinct, down to the river's edge and beyond.

Economic Benefits to Queenslanders

Queen’s Wharf Brisbane is stimulating investment and economic development for Queensland’s long-term future for example:

Over $3 billion capital investment
Over 1.4 million training hours (to date)
Supporting local suppliers and contractors (over 80% of contracts awarded to local businesses to date)

World-class tourism benefits

Public spaces
- more than the equivalent of 12 football fields of redeveloped and enhanced public spaces
- a new pedestrian bridge to South Bank, the Neville Bonner Bridge
- an iconic signature 'Arc' building, including a spectacular feature Sky Deck (from a height of more than 100 metres), with restaurants and bars fully accessible to the public
A moonlight cinema
High-end dining and retail precincts (around 50 restaurants, cafes and bars)
Hotels and residential
- four new luxury hotels (some 1,000 new premier hotel rooms)
- two residential towers (approximately 1,800 residential apartments)
Heritage buildings and places
- restoring and activating nine heritage buildings and two heritage places
World-class gaming facilities.

Frequently asked questions

Queen's Wharf Brisbane is a long-term project with parts of the development continuing after the main IRD has opened for business.
The Queensland Government along with Destination Brisbane Consortium will continue to engage and provide information to businesses and the community as the development progresses.
To stay up to date, subscribe to the developer’s updates and monthly newsletter on the developer’s website or follow the Queen's Wharf Brisbane Facebook page.
No heritage building in the precinct is being demolished. All heritage buildings and places will be retained, refurbished and reactivated helping to bring the new precinct to life. Greater access will be established for the community to these wonderful spaces that demonstrate a blend of historic and contemporary architecture.
Of the 9 Heritage Buildings and 2 Heritage Places within the precinct:
- 3 buildings (Commissariat Store, Public Services Club, Old State Library Building) remain occupied and in use;
- 3 buildings (Printery Building, DPI Building and Harris Terrace) have been restored and will be activated with tenants;
- 2 buildings (Old Treasury Building, Land Administration Building) will be repurposed over the coming few years into tertiary and hotel use;
- 1 building (Mansions Building) has been secured will be revitalised as part of the new Mansions Precinct.
- 1 of the Heritage Places (Queen’s Gardens) has remained open to the public during the construction of Queen’s Wharf Brisbane while the other (Miller Park) has been transformed to provide accessibility to the riverline whilst being sympathetic to the existing heritage elements in the park. Visitors to Miller Park will find heritage interpretations that reference Brisbane’s European settlement history.
Heritage buildings and places feature strongly throughout Queen’s Wharf Brisbane. The restoration of these assets preserves Brisbane’s rich history while futureproofing the buildings for other uses including cultural, retail, dining, hotel and tertiary spaces.
No, Brisbane's former Treasury Casino closed in August 2024 and has been replaced by a new purpose-built facility within the IRD.
The old Treasury Casino building will be repurposed into tertiary educational use with publicly accessible spaces.
The new Star Casino within QWB is less than 5% of the overall development and is comparable to other IRDs in Australia and globally.
The Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation is responsible for all suitability and probity requirements for the new casino.
The Neville Bonner pedestrian Bridge opened in August 2024 and links both sides of the Brisbane River, forming a greater connection between the popular South Bank and Cultural Arts precinct to Queen’s Wharf Brisbane.
The Neville Bonner 'bust'—a larger-than-life bronze sculpture designed by the late John Elliot more than 20 years ago—has been relocated to sit at the northern end of the bridge.
The Bicentennial Bikeway, under the Riverside Expressway, is used by a large number of cyclists and pedestrians. Significant upgrades and realignments have occurred over the course of the development and improvements including the high quality end of trip facilities for staff, residents and visitors to the precinct.
Cyclists are encouraged to stay up to date by subscribing to the developer’s updates and monthly newsletter on the developer’s website or follow the Queen's Wharf Brisbane Facebook page.
The Queen’s Wharf development has always anticipated opening in stages. This is a common approach to a development of this size and style. A staged opening allows for the public to begin to enjoy access to new and restored facilities as they are completed.
Other parts of the integrated resort and public spaces will open progressively as they are finished and tenanted.

Progress in motion

It’s hard to miss the rapid progress taking shape at Queen’s Wharf Brisbane.

Stage 1 opened in 2019 with Mangrove Walk, Waterline Park and an upgrade of the Bicentennial Bikeway.

Stage 2 of Queen’s Wharf Brisbane began its progressive rollout in August 2024, with several key features now open to the public. These include:

the new Neville Bonner pedestrian bridge, already being crossed an estimated 10,000 times daily
the Sky Deck rooftop with food and beverage outlets
the Podium recreation deck
a refurbished Miller Park
new green spaces down on the riverline, enhanced by public art
upgrades to William Street and Queen’s Wharf Road.

Additional features will continue to open over the coming months, including new restaurants, retail stores and bars, as well as revitalised heritage listed buildings.

The Star Grand Hotel, the new Star Brisbane casino along with multiple food and beverage offerings, as well as The Star’s function centre, also opened on 29 August 2024.

Construction on the first residential tower is almost complete with residents expected to occupy from early 2025.

Due to the success of the integrated resort so far, construction on the Mansions Precinct (across the road from Parliament House) has been accelerated with basement excavation complete, and basement construction now well underway. The Precinct will include two new residential towers with over 1200 apartments, a new park (Bellevue Plaza) with the centrepiece being a repurposed Mansions heritage building.

The final parts of the development which will include a repurposed heritage listed Treasury Building, State Library Building and Land Administration Building (including Queen’s Park), will be undertaken once the tenants of those building relocate.

The timeline below provides a guide to the development’s progression – from announcement to completion.

So far...

2013-14

Government announces that QWB would include a casino license

Government seeks proposals from suitable Developers

A Priority Development Area (PDA) for the redevelopment is declared

2015

DBC announced as the preferred developer for QWB

Queensland Government enters into Development Agreements with Developers for QWB

2016

Developers commence detailed designs for QWB

Legislation passes for the Casino Agreement to be ratified by Parliament

2017

Site handed over to Developer for IRD Stages 1 and 2

Work commences with the demolition of existing buildings on the main IRD site (Stage 2)

Plan of Development submitted under the PDA

Plan of Development approved by Economic Development Queensland

2018

Basement excavation for the main IRD begins

Commencement of Waterline Park, Mangrove Walk and Bicentennial Bikeway upgrade (Stage 1)

2019

Waterline Park, Mangrove Walk and section of Bicentennial Bikeway upgrade (Stage 1) opens to the public

Marine structural works and construction of new public spaces on the river edge commence

Excavation works completed and IRD basement works commence

2020

IRD basement works completed

Podium construction and tower cores commence

Neville Bonner Bridge works (Stage 3) commence

2022

Mansions Precinct (opposite Parliament House) excavation works commence

2023

Mansions Precinct basements commence construction

2024

Neville Bonner Bridge complete

IRD (Stage 2) commenced progressive opening

Griffith University announced as new lessee of old Treasury Building

Still to come!

2025-26

Residents commence moving into Queen’s Wharf Residences in IRD

Mansions Precinct towers commence

Tower 1 hotels fit outs and opening commence

Heritage refurbishment works commence on the Land Administration Heritage Building (upgrading the existing hotel) and Treasury Heritage Building (old Casino)

2027-28

Land Administration Heritage Building reopens as new boutique hotel

Treasury Heritage Building (old Casino) repurposing works completed

Mansions and State Library Heritage Buildings repurposing commences

2029-30

Mansions Precinct including Bellevue Plaza opens

Queen’s Wharf Brisbane development complete

Further information

Community engagement
The Queensland Government has conducted extensive public consultation on Queen’s Wharf Brisbane since May 2013. You can read about how we conducted the consultation and a history of our activities from 2013 to today.

Artist impressions
See the artist impressions of Queen’s Wharf Brisbane.

Plan of development
Read about what a plan of development is, who is delivering the development and construction details.

Heritage and public spaces
How is the development planning to preserve, re-purpose and celebrate Brisbane's eleven heritage buildings and places located in the precinct.

Queen's Wharf Brisbane: Green Star Community
Delivery of a 6-Star Green Star Communities precinct.