The new flood-resistant QUT Gardens Point ferry terminal has opened to the public with the promise of being strong enough to withstand a one-in-500-year flood event.
The previous permanent terminal was damaged in the 2011 floods and students and staff have been using a temporary terminal further away from the campus.
Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said the new QUT Gardens Point Ferry Terminal, which opened on April 14, was part of a $100 million dollar revamp of Brisbane's ferry network.
"Council is bolstering the city's flood resilience, and the QUT Gardens Point Ferry Terminal is just one of 11 brand new or upgraded terminals to be delivered by mid-2015, which are designed to withstand a one-in-500-year flood event," he said.
"This new terminal will hugely benefit the thousands of students heading to and from the campus daily, with QUT also providing more than $925,000 to construct an access pathway through the existing car park under the Riverside Expressway, and install elevated walkways.
"The new all-ability access route also links commuters with other CBD landmarks including the City Botanic Gardens and George Street."
QUT Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Coaldrake said the ferry terminal provided sustainable, pleasant, and reliable public access to the university campus hub.
"This terminal allows our community to link with a range of facilities including the Gardens Point Theatre, QUT Art Museum, Old Government House which includes the William Robinson Gallery, as well as The Cube, one of the world's largest digital interactive and learning environments in QUT's Science and Engineering Centre," he said.
The improved terminal features a gangway which maintains intermediate level landings as the river rises and falls, additional seating and rest zones in the waiting area, tactile signage, and continuous handrails along the gangway and pontoon.
It is also equipped with a robust, 11-metre high pier to deflect flood debris away from the terminal, a flood-resilient pontoon and a gangway that can detach at the shore end and swing behind the pontoon for protection.
A temporary terminal at QUT Gardens Point, located 250m upstream, remained operational during the project and will continue to be used temporarily by the CityHopper service while North Quay is closed for upgrade works until mid-2015.
The Australian Government contributed more than $55 million to the $73 million Brisbane Ferry Terminal restoration project, which was also funded by the Queensland Government.
