The Dutton Park Recreation Hub at 359 Gladstone Road is among eleven Brisbane River sites now open to commercial expressions of interest, giving operators the chance to pitch new river experiences to one of Brisbane’s most historically and culturally rich waterfront stretches.
The EOI process kicked off on 2nd April 2026, calling for everything from floating restaurants and wellness hubs to water sports and boutique river tours designed to offer something unique beyond the standard CityCat and ferry routes. Expressions of interest close at 12 noon on 15 May, with state government approval required before any commercial activities can begin.
For Dutton Park and Annerley residents, the announcement carries a particular resonance. This stretch of the river has a long and layered history of public leisure, and the question of what it could look like in the lead-up to 2032 is one worth taking seriously.
A Park That Has Always Drawn a Crowd
Dutton Park was reserved for recreation in 1884 and named after Charles Boydell Dutton, who was Minister for Lands in Queensland from 1883 to 1887. It has been a gathering place ever since. In the early 1900s, the Brisbane Tramways Company staged popular variety and film shows in the park known as the Continentals, drawing up to 5,000 people a night, luring tram riders south with electric lights strung through the trees. A river baths operated along the bank between 1916 and 1932. A ferry service has linked the park to the University of Queensland campus at St Lucia since 1967.
What the park has not had, until now, is a clear, modern commercial framework for bringing new river experiences to its waterfront. The recreation hub at Gladstone Road is currently suited to vessels up to 75 tonnes and primarily functions as a launch site for kayaks, canoes and stand-up paddleboards. The new process invites operators to imagine something more.
What Could Come to the Water
The River Access Network covers eleven sites across the city, from Northshore Hamilton to Riverhills, including six recreation hubs, two major hubs at New Farm Park and the City Botanic Gardens capable of handling larger vessels, and three operational inner-city pontoons. The original design of the eight recreation hubs, including Dutton Park, focused on short-term passive use, and they have since remained under-utilised.
Proposals must demonstrate strong environmental performance and accessibility, while successful operators will need to invest in or co-fund any infrastructure upgrades required to bring their concepts to life.
City leaders describe the river as one of Brisbane’s greatest assets and say it has too often served as a backdrop rather than an experience, with plans now aiming to change that.
Committee for Brisbane CEO Jen Williams pointed to the structural barriers that have historically stalled activation. “Opening up existing facilities to new experiences and tours removes major barriers to the delivery of much-needed activations,” she said. “Through working with state government to permit commercial operations, the plan will de-risk investment and facilitate the introduction of exciting new hospitality and lifestyle offerings for Brisbane.”
The 2032 Opportunity
Brisbane’s visitor economy reached a record $17 billion in 2025, according to Brisbane Economic Development Agency CEO Anthony Ryan. He said activating the river in the years before 2032 would give visitors more reasons to explore the city while creating new opportunities for local jobs and businesses. The plan draws a clear parallel with Barcelona’s waterfront transformation ahead of the 1992 Olympic Games, which turned the harbour into a global drawcard that endured long after the event.
For a suburb like Dutton Park, already well connected by bus, train and the Eleanor Schonell Bridge to the University of Queensland, a more active river edge could reshape how the inner south engages with the water.
State government approval is still required before any commercial activities can proceed across the eleven sites.
How to Submit a Proposal
Operators must register through the SAP Ariba supplier portal and request an invitation to participate via the River Access Network tender. Expressions of interest close at 12 noon on 15 May 2026. For full details, click here or call the Business Hotline on 133 263.
Published 10-April-2026
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