South Brisbane statistical area level 2 (SA2) has been identified as a key investment location within Brisbane Inner City. This supplement provides a snapshot of key economic and investment indicators for South Brisbane and has been produced as part of the Brisbane Inner City
Investment Prospectus.
South Brisbane is located on the southern bank of the Brisbane River, directly connected to
Brisbane’s Central Business District (CBD) by the Victoria, Kurilpa and Goodwill bridges. It is one of Brisbane’s oldest suburbs but today has a very modern face as home to the city’s internationally-recognised cultural district and an eclectic, urban community.
The area is well-connected and serviced by various forms of public transport. There are two train stations and three busway stations that are part of the South East Busway, as well as CityCat ferry services that link South Brisbane with other riverside locations. Active transport is also well catered for with the Goodwill, Victoria and Kurilpa bridges linking to the CBD and an extensive network of riverside pedestrian and bike paths.
South Brisbane has a rich industrial history as a bustling river port and dry dock. Regeneration of the nearderelict port began when the site was selected as the location of World Expo ‘88. South
Bank Parklands was built on the former Expo site.
The area is home to the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre (host venue for the 2014
G20 Leaders Summit), Queensland Conservatorium, Queensland Maritime Museum,
Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) and Queensland Performing Arts
Centre, along with the South Bank Parklands and Cultural Forecourt.
Bustling with restaurants, cafes, shops and commercial and residential buildings, South Brisbane has emerged as a vibrant and desirable riverside location offering high-density, modern living with excellent access to the city centre.
There are 1235 registered businesses in South Brisbane according to 2013 Australian Bureau of
Statistics (ABS) data.
South Brisbane’s population can be characterised as well-educated, high-income earners, mainly consisting of couple families with no children that reside in apartment dwellings.
Future growth and development is evident with a number of residential and non-residential development and building approvals being granted for the area.

The South Brisbane Riverside Neighbourhood Plan came into effect on 15 April 2011. The plan is now a legal document and forms part of Brisbane City Plan 2014.
Neighbourhood plans can help facilitate economic prosperity, protect character development, provide for open space, include standards for new development and reflect improved infrastructure such as new transport routes. The South Brisbane Riverside Neighbourhood Plan sets out how land can be used and developed over time and seeks to:
• retain the village character of Boundary Street
• increase mixed-use development in the Kurilpa precinct
• improve pedestrian movement and connections
• create new public spaces
• support new and existing public transport
South Brisbane can be divided into the key precincts of South Brisbane Reach, Musgrave,
Kurilpa, Riverside North and Mater Hill. The South Brisbane Reach precinct contains some of Brisbane’s key destinations such as the cultural precinct, the South Bank entertainment precinct and the education precinct. It also includes key public transport stations.

The Musgrave precinct is a diverse area with a mix of high-density residential buildings, office buildings that offer ground-floor shops and retail space, and key worker and student accommodation.
The Kurilpa precinct includes key links to the northern side of the Brisbane River via four bridges
– the William Jolly Bridge, the Go Between Bridge, the Merivale Rail Bridge and the Kurilpa
Bridge. In September 2013, Brisbane City Council launched the Kurilpa Riverfront Renewal project to guide the transformation and renewal of this prime riverfront industrial land over two decades.
The Riverside North precinct is a transition zone from the high-density development of the Kurilpa precinct to the north and lower density buildings to the south. The precinct also has pockets of industrial use.
The Mater Hill precinct contains the Mater Hospital with major hospital and medical facilities as well as ancillary uses including administration, education and research facilities. In addition, the precinct includes supporting uses such as short-term accommodation, office and retail activities, and the Mater Hill Busway Station.

South Brisbane will see steady population growth over the next 25 years. Population in 2011 was
5770 people and is forecast to increase to 20,562 people by 2036 (see Figure 1).
The median age for residents of South Brisbane in 2012 was 30.4 years, which is below the
Greater Brisbane (greater capital city statistical area) median age of 35.1 years. The age profile of South Brisbane is illustrated in Figure 2.

The population of South Brisbane is characterised as mainly couple families with no children (see
Figure 3) and almost all reside in apartments. Almost two thirds of occupied private dwellings recorded on Census night in 2011 were rented, which is significantly higher than the proportion across Greater Brisbane.
Residents of South Brisbane are well-educated, high income earners with 68% per cent of the population aged 15 years and over holding post-school qualifications, with more than half of which holding a bachelor degree or higher.
In the 2011 Census, 2391 residents (44.1%) of South Brisbane indicated they were born overseas. Seventy-two per cent of residents who indicated that they were born overseas were born in non-English speaking countries. Almost two-thirds of those born overseas indicated they spoke a language other than English at home, which is a significantly higher proportion than across Greater Brisbane. However, the majority of this group indicated they spoke English very well or well.
The residents of South Brisbane are employed across a wide variety of occupations. The topthree occupations identified in the 2011 Census were Professionals, Managers and Clerical and administrative workers. The occupation profile of South Brisbane is illustrated in Figure 4.

In 2013, 1235 businesses were registered in South Brisbane. When classified by size, 49 businesses were medium. In comparison to the average across Greater Brisbane the area has a slightly higher concentration of medium and large businesses based on employment size.
The business count for South Brisbane by turnover range notes that 22% of the businesses have a turnover greater than $500,000 and less than $2 million, compared with 14% for Greater
Brisbane. Eleven per cent of businesses have a turnover of $2 million or more, in comparison to almost 6% for Greater Brisbane. The business counts for South Brisbane by employment size and turnover range are illustrated in Figure 5 and Figure 6.

The top-ten industries by business count for employing businesses in South Brisbane are illustrated below (see Figure 7).
Employment in South Brisbane is forecast to reach 46,448 people by 2031, a growth of 23,707 people (104.2%) from 2011.

The top-five employing industries in South Brisbane (see Figure 8) will contribute the majority of employment growth for the area. South Brisbane is also expected to see a shift away from employment in manufacturing as land use within this area changes.
Availability of skilled workers is important for the area. Workers in South Brisbane commute from various locations. The top-three locations that workers commute from are New Farm, Hills District and Clayfield. The journey to work profile for South Brisbane is illustrated in Figure 9.
In the 12 months ending 31 March 2014, there were 654 dwelling units in new residential buildings approved in South Brisbane, with a total value of $152.4 million.
The total value of non-residential building approvals in South Brisbane in the 12 months ending
31 March 2014 was $55 million. Completed in late 2013, Fish Lane is a 10-storey mixed-use development with 48 apartments on Melbourne Street.

There are a number of significant projects underway in South Brisbane including Arena
Apartments – two 12-storey apartment buildings with 191 apartments. Stage one, due for completion in late 2014, sold out when it was launched on 23 May 2014.
Construction has started on Southpoint in South Bank, a key mixed-use project for the area.
Stage one of the project is an 18-storey office tower with 32,000 square metres of A-grade commercial office space. Stage two is 217 residential apartments and Brisbane’s second
Emporium hotel with 144 five-star hotel suites.
The Queensland Children’s Hospital is also undergoing $1.5 billion of improvements. The new hosp ital will bring both the Royal Children’s Hospital and the Mater Children’s Hospital together to create the newly labelled Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital, which will open in late 2014.
Available floor space in South Brisbane in 2011 was estimated to be more than one million square metres and is expected to double by 2031 (see Table 1).
Table 1 - Floor space forecasts Brisbane City, 2011-2031
South Brisbane
2011 Floor space estimate
(m 2 )
2016 Floor space forecast
(m 2 )
2021 Floor space forecast
(m 2 )
2026 Floor space forecast
(m 2 )
2031 Floor space forecast
(m 2 )
Retail
188,343 270,295 309,842 303,178 314,984
Commercial
99,429 125,340 180,580 208,575 225,007
Industrial
174,124 236,850 243,909 220,685 233,072
Community purpose
834,396 1,021,145 1,389,487 1,570,333 1,748,308
Other
12,185 15,112 16,074 15,726 15,868
Total
1,308,476 1,668,743 2,139,891 2,318,497 2,537,239
Source: Queensland Government, Department of Transport and Main Roads, Employment
Projections converted to floor space by Brisbane City Council.
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Published by Brisbane City Council, GPO Box 1434, Brisbane QLD 4001

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Publication number CA14-627046-03-402 © Brisbane City Council 2014.