Figure 1: Clean high-tech manufacturing uses were proposed. |
Figure 2: Pedestrian and cycle facilities will link with the surrounding area. |
Figure 3: Transport Plan for TradeCoast Central |
Figure 4: Example of a typical bio-filtration cross-section |
TradeCoast Central is a 167-ha (418-acre) site occupied formerly by Brisbane Airport . Brisbane City Council, the land owner, sought a redevelopment concept for the site that would:
- Generate important economic development outcomes for Brisbane
- Be a signature development exhibiting world's best practice in urban planning.
PB adopted sustainable development principles as the basis for developing and assessing alternative master plan concepts that achieved these outcomes. The key economic, social and environmental components of the final master plan are summarised below. While the components are divided into these three categories for the purposes of discussion, each component is considered relevant to the other two in the sustainable development equation—as should be the case with truly sustainable development.
Economic
We proposed that the bulk of the site be developed for sustainable manufacturing industries, including “clean,” high-tech, or biotechnology manufacturers ( Figure 1) , together with more traditional “clean” manufacturing industries (such as research and development, and head offices). At a regional level, this focus provided the opportunity to diversify Brisbane 's industrial base away from its traditional reliance on warehousing and distribution. At a local level, economic sustainability would be achieved by promoting a mix of land uses within the site, providing for service industries, commercial services in the form of a neighbourhood centre, and areas of open space. The lot mix proposed for TradeCoast Central was flexible to allow space for smaller industries that can grow into larger sites as they become successful.
Figure 1: Clean” high-tech manufacturing uses were proposed .
Social
We determined that sustainable manufacturing industries would employ considerably more workers on the site than would warehousing and distribution activities. In addition, we proposed an extensive range of facilities for employees including:
- A neighbourhood centre that provided convenience services and retailing
- Areas of open space that incorporated heritage features and water bodies
- Pedestrian and cycle links within the development and to adjacent areas (Figure 2 )
- High-quality visual environment in terms of buildings and landscaping.
Figure 2: Pedestrian and cycle facilities will link with the surrounding area.
Excellent transport links to and from the site (Figure 3) were proposed as part of an integrated transport strategy. These included:
- Extension of the electrified passenger rail network to the site
- Local bus services linking TradeCoast Central to the Brisbane Airport , the Brisbane City Council bus network, and the rail station
- A staged road network to provide increasingly improved access to the site as development proceeds.
Figure 3: Transport plan for TradeCoast Central Environmental
One of the key sustainable development elements of the master plan was water-sensitive urban design. The site had no legal point of discharge for stormwater, so our aim was to develop a strategy for managing stormwater on the site and resulting in in a way that ensured no additional runoff following development.
Stormwater was considered to be a resource, and will be used initially for irrigation and the flushing of toilets. The viability of this resource provided the potential to use it also in manufacturing process systems or air conditioning systems.
An interconnected network of open channels was the preferred method of stormwater conveyance because it reduces the risks of exposing potential acid sulfate soils and of pipe system blockage due to sediment accumulation. The channels would include filter strips and grassed swales, which provide stormwater treatment by:
- Removing pollutants through the sedimentation of coarse particles
- Filtering out finer particles
- Promoting infiltration into the subsoil.
Enhanced treatment through the use of bio-retention or bio-filtration was also proposed to reduce pollutants through a combination of filtration, and biological and chemical processes (Figure 4) . Treated stormwater will be directed via the grassed swales to detention ponds at the lowest points of the site.
The advantages of applying water-sensitive urban design principles include:
- Eliminating the need for very costly augmentation of the downstream drainage network to cater for runoff from the site
- Removing the possibility of impacts on sensitive downstream areas from site runoff
- Providing for fill material to be reclaimed from detention basins
- Creating water features to improve the visual amenity of the site, with the main water features next to a golf course on the neighbouring property
- Attracting higher-order industrial activities to the site as a result of enhanced visual amenity coupled with excellent access to Brisbane airport
- Providing water for reuse on site.
The master plan is also designed to provide the opportunity to reuse waste materials through a reusable waste facility and the incorporation of easements to carry waste heat, energy and water between activities on the site.
Figure 4: Example of a typical bio-filtration cross-section
Plan is Well Received
A key element in the success of the master planning process was our ability to bring together in-house planning and engineering expertise to solve the key issues for the master plan using sustainable development principles. This ability was recognised in the 2003 annual awards of the Stormwater Industry Association of Queensland, where the TradeCoast Central Master Plan received a high commendation in the category “Major WSUD Project greater than $1.0 Million.”
Brisbane City Council has used the master plan as the basis to call for and assess joint venture partners to develop the site. At the time of writing, the council was negotiating with two short-listed consortiums and expected to make a decision on a project partner in September 2004. |
