YOURIPSWICH.COM BECAUSE ITS YOUR IPSWICH

Riverlink Development Timeline

(this will be expanded as additional details are known)

Please note the following different entities:

River Heart = South bank of the Bremer River between the two bridges.

Riverlink = North bank of the Bremer River west of the David Trumpey Bridge .

IHHC = Ipswich Heritage Consultative Committee.

EOI = Expression Of Interest

GFA = Gross Floor Area

Text marked in purple are recent changes.

1999 April 23

Tenders for the expressions of interest to develop Ipswich Rail Yard Site close.

EOI primary objective is to redevelop the Ipswich Rail Yards in a way which enhances their value to the community while maintaining their cultural and heritage value within Queensland .

2000 March

Phil Nunn promotes awareness of previous loss of heritage in a newsletter delivered via a letter box drop.
"Most of you, as I am, are waiting for news of what is proposed for the North Ipswich Railway Workshops Site. I’ve had a chat to the project manager of the redevelopment, Mark Leisemann. Master planning of the overall site is almost complete and will be out for community feedback in the next few weeks. Please take the time to view the master plan when it is displayed and don’t be scared to submit your ideas, as your ideas are just as important as the next persons.
For more information about the proposed redevelopment of the North Ipswich Railway Workshops and Rail Yards contact the Project Manager’s office on 1800 011 441.
Let us hope that Queensland Rail will make up for the mistake I believe they made when they demolished the old Ipswich Railway Station. I hope that those of us who can still remember how proud Ipswich was in the 1960’s and 1970’s and how much heritage we lost in the 1980’s, will participate as much as they can to make this development, and others like it, a success. Let us learn from our mistakes of the past".

‘A Master Planned Riverside Business Village to revitalise Ipswich City ' was put on public display by Queensland Rail.

2001 July

The first Riverlink application No. 2328/01 was lodged with council.

The application included 31,535 sqm. of GFA in the Commercial Village Precinct.

2002 June 3

(First Riverlink 2328/01 Public Notification and Submissions)

Phil Nunn lodged first written submission with Ipswich City Council highlighting heritage listed Items under threat and advised alternative solutions to allow development to co-exist.

2002 July 20

North Ipswich Neighbourhood Watch meeting - well received Riverlink 1 presentation by the Developer (guest speaker) This appears to be the last time Riverlink was displayed at a public consultation meeting.

2002 September

The Queensland Rail Museum opens and the first draft of the River Heart vision is adopted by Ipswich City Council.

2002 October 31

IHHC meeting No.115 Phil Nunn advises the committee that Stephen Williams had been approached to build over the Wharf Railway, Phil suggested that the railway line be retained for future generations and possible future use for tourism.

2002 December 5

Wingate Properties modify application No.2328/01 to blend in with River Heart (There appears to have been no public display or consultation)

the inclusion of Lot 215 SL6743 (park with Council as trustee) and the Heiner Road Reserve
the Commercial Village Precinct boundary included additional land and a further 11,000sqm. of commercial and retail floor area.
the deletion of the CBD Precinct (former proposed hotel site - L1 RP212242)
the new floor area for the Commercial Village was 42,530sqm, which excluded any GFA for warehouses and commercial office in Mixed Use Urban VIllage Precinct.

2003 January 12

Wingate Properties withdraw first Riverlink application No.2328/01

2003 February 14

The second Riverlink application No. 682/03 was lodged with council.

2003 February 27

IHHC meeting No.118 Gary White gave presentation on the River Heart vision, (no display or discussion with regards to the design of the Riverlink development except a note that the developer has amended his design to reflect the River Heart Vision adopted by Council).

2003 April – 2003 June

Phil Nunn in Hong Kong for three months working on a design and build project.

2003 July 31

IHHC meeting No.122 Phil Nunn advises committee that he had heard that the heritage listed Railway siding to Hancock's was going to be removed. Phil also asked about the maintenance and removal of trees from the heritage listed sandstone abutments of the Heiner Road overbridge and Bremer River Bridge .

2003 August 28

IHHC meeting No.122 Phil Nunn inquired if the heritage listed Heiner Road bridge abutments would be protected as he considered them to be an important link between river transport and the construction of the first railway. John Adams replies that as far as he is aware it is proposed to relocate and interpret the Heiner Road bridge abutments on site.

2003 August/September

(Second Riverlink 682/03 Public Notification & Submissions)

Phil Nunn lodged second written submission with Ipswich City Council highlighting the heritage listed Items under threat and advised alternative solutions to allow development to co-exist with important heritage. (Developer had originally planned to make a garden wall out of the Heiner Bridge sandstone abutments and fill in the Wharf Railway).

2003 October 30

IHHC meeting No.125 Phil Nunn made a presentation to the committee regarding the cultural heritage significance of the Heiner Road bridge abutments and the original Wharf Tram line from the Bremer River Wharf to the original Railway Workshops.

2003 October

Phil Nunn advised Queensland Times of the potential loss of Ipswich Heritage Listed Heiner Road, Overbridge and Wharf Railway due to re-designed Riverlink proposal.

2003 November 21

Ipswich National Trust steps in to save the Heiner Road overbridge and have it included on the State Heritage Register.

2003 November -2004 June

Phil Nunn in Hong Kong for eight months working on a design and build project.

2003 November 27

IHHC meeting No.126 Joanne Pocock (council officer) provided an overview of the current position of the Riverlink project. Items of cultural significance will be retained on site with the possibility of adaptively reusing the Heiner Road Tramway Bridge Abutments and the Gasometer. (This is the first time the Ipswich Heritage Consultative Committee is given any details of the second 'RIverlink 2' development application, way to late to offer any meaningful advice or design solutions) Note: Committee members were not given another chance to discuss the matter before the Council approved the development.

2003 December 10

Ipswich City Council approves Riverlink 2 without due regard to the potential loss of the existing significant 1864-65 Southern and Western Railway heritage. (the Overbridge abutments are approved to be relocated without any details as to how or where this would occur)

2004 July

Phil Nunn continues to raise public awareness of the Historic importance of the Heiner Road Precinct and the public fight to save Queensland 's first railway line, first overbridge and first main road built in 1864-65 by the Southern and Western Railway. Concerned citizens of Ipswich start weekly forum on the Heiner Road overbidge every Saturday at 2.00pm to discuss the precincts history and to show support for it to be saved in-situ.

2004 August

The web site http://www.youripswich.com is launched in an effort to enable the community to make informed decisions with regards to the potential loss of our heritage. The first section of rail line in Queensland, the first overbridge over railway in Queensland and the first approach road to a shared road rail bridge in Queensland. The Heiner Road Overbridge is where they intersect, they are historically significant and integral to one another. Without each other they lose all meaning. They should all be saved in-situ so that future generations can understand how they interacted to one another.