User:Allenmicky/sandbox

Location
Located within the suburb of Teneriffe, Queensland, the Woolstore Precinct is the riverfront area bounded by Wyandra Street (from riverfront to no. 55 Wyandra St) and Commercial Road (including the Skyring Terrace side of Helen Street and Commercial Road) at the north, Florence Street at the west, running down along southern part of Chermside Street, including Macquarie Street and up to Hasting Street at the south. (See Precinct Map)

The Woolstore Precinct is characterised by its many historical wool stores and other industrial structures erected in the beginning of the 20th Century. Once dominated by wharves, wool stores and factories, the area has been gradually transformed into a medium-high density residential community starting from early 1990s. By preserving its distinctive industrial heritage, together with the addition of upmarket apartments, parks, boardwalks, retailing and business premises that promotes riverfront lifestyle, the Woolstore Precinct is today one of the most sough-after addresses in the inner suburbs of Brisbane.

Driving Force
The transformation of the inner city has been driven by the rapid growth in new economy jobs in the advanced business services, information technology, education and health that are highly concentrated in the Central Business District (CBD), nearby business districts like the Coronation Drive strip, and an arc that runs from Herston through Indooroopilly and St Lucia to South Brisbane.

A further driving force is the attraction of the inner-city as a place of consumption oriented to the needs of the professionals and managers, plus tertiary students, who are attracted to the lifestyle provided by the inner-city.

Housing market in suburbs around the CBD thus experienced increasing pressure. It is projected that 138,000 new in-fill dwellings are needed by year 2031 in order to satisfy the rapid growth.

Through the Urban Renewal projects, Newstead & Teneriffe region, including the historical Woolstore Precinct, has been able to contribute to the housing market by increasing its dwelling number from 440 (1991) to 3500 (2006). This number is expected to grow to 8700 dwellings in year 2031.

Agencies
Governments at all levels have been active in encouraging urban consolidation. This is seen in various forms, including Brisbane City Council encouraging in-fill housing development, and the master-planned redevelopment of the inner north-eastern suburbs led by the Urban Renewal Task Force.

Urban renewal Brisbane (URB)
In the late 1980’s Brisbane’s inner-city areas were struggling with economic stagnation, urban decay and crime which resulted in an exodus of residents and business to the suburban fringe. Established in 1991 as the Urban Renewal Taskforce, URB began its activities in Brisbane’s inner north-east targeting five suburbs (730 hectares) for renewal – Fortitude Valley, New Farm, Teneriffe, Newsetead and Bowen Hills. The agency was charged with the task of revitalising derelict industrial areas within inner-city Brisbane.

URB aims to response to the challenges of rapidly growing demand of inner city dwelling in a sustainable manner. By focussing growth in urban renewal area, close to public transport and other services, existing infrastructure is used more efficiently and natural areas on the fringe of the city are protected from growth. Carefully planning and design also allows valued heritage and character area to be protected alongside contemporary architecture to strengthen the identity of the local neighbourhoods.

Over the years, several master plans have been adopted to facilitate the redevelopment and maintenance of the area. These include:


 * Newstead and Teneriffe Master Plan
 * Inner North Eastern Suburbs Master Plan
 * Newstead and Teneriffe Waterfront and Teneriffe Hill Local Area Plans
 * New Farm, Teneriffe and Newstead Riverside Promenade Master Plan
 * Newstead and Teneriffe Water front Neighbourhood Plan

Newstead and Teneriffe Waterfront Neighbourhood Plan is a local plan under the Brisbane City Plan 2000. This Plan contains specific additional local planning requirements for the Newstead and Teneriffe waterfront area. Development principles include conserving and reusing historical buildings for a range of activities. Under the masterplan, the Woolstore Precinct will continue to primarily accommodate mid-rise multi-unit dwellings and detached residential dwelling, along with small shops, offices and restaurants at ground level.Existing buildings of heritage significance are retained, and new buildings nearby are complementary to their scale, character and setting, maintaining the dominance of the former Woolstores and other historical structures and preserving the amenity of these area.

Queensland Heritage Council
Established by the Queensland Heritage Act in 1992, the Queensland Heritage Council also helps identify and protect the heritage buildings in the Woolstore Precinct. The agency provides strategic advices to the preservation and management of the historical buildings. Nine Woolstores buildings and two other historical structures within the Woolstore Precinct have been listed in the Queensland Heritage Register.

In addition, four additional structures within the Precinct were also identified as of heritage importance in the Brisbane City Council’s City Plan Heritage Register Database, and are thus preserved and maintained in the new environment.

(See list below for details)