New Farm Park Vision
By Kate Lockyer
In January, the Brisbane City Council released its latest Vision for New Farm Park – view it here: New Farm Park Vision.
In late 2021, feedback from over 700 community members consulted by the council showed that the most valued features are: open green space, well established trees, views to the river, feature gardens, and paths for walking and cycling.
The council acknowledged that overwhelmingly the community are happy with the park as it is, and their action plan reflects their intention to preserve the park in its current form.
One notable element of the action plan which involved a possible change in the park was their stated medium-term goal of exploring the feasibility of trialling hire and use of watercraft from the New Farm Park River Hub.
The river hub is part of council’s river access network and currently accommodates pick-up and drop-off access for tour boat operators and short-term access for recreational vessels and crafts such as kayaks, canoes, and stand-up paddleboards.
My Village News gathered thoughts from some New Farm Park visitors – here is what they had to say.
Lisa Millar, Caroline Olarenshaw, and John Lowe had specifically chosen New Farm Park to meet up and said they had observed some people who caught a fish in the river, cooked it on the barbeque, and then bought hot chips to go with it from Mary Mae’s.
Mr Lowe said of the river hub, “I think it’s of value – the more things that get people active in their lifestyle and enjoy the things that are out there for Brisbane, the better”.
Ms Millar said, “I’ve always loved the roses… I know that would be a lot of work to keep that rose garden, but I think New Farm Park is one of the great treasures of Brisbane”.
Mia Hayes, Hannah Smith, Kate Ralston, and Ashley Tiler, visiting for a picnic, agreed that while parking could be a challenge, they did not want to see the parkland reduced to increase carparks.
They said that they would love to see a community garden that grew edible plants, like the Epicurious Garden at Southbank.
They also said they would like more facilities such as bins, water refill stations, and possibly even beach chairs.
Luke Jones, a visiting Rockhampton resident who had brought his children to the playground, said: “I used to come and play here as a kid, but it’s changed heaps from last time I was here”.
“I like the way the structure of the playground wraps through the tree.”
Jane Launchbury said, “There’s probably not as many seats along the river as there could be, and the trees are lovely, but it wouldn’t hurt to have the occasional shade sail in fitting with the environment”.
Jack de Wet, who rode his bike to the park from Bowen Hills, said: “It’s really well kept, so it’s really nice down here… It’s one of the better parks around the city”.
