This was published 9 years ago
Tennyson landslip: No risk to surrounding properties, says council
By Kristian Silva
Residents who live in waterfront apartments near a large chunk of land that slipped into the Brisbane River have nothing to fear, the Brisbane City Council says.
About 400 square metres of riverbank at Ken Fletcher Park in Tennyson collapsed on Easter Saturday, leaving a temporary building teetering at the edge.
An embankment wall will now be built at the site.
Ken Fletcher Park was controversially bought by the council for $9 million in 2011, after developers Mirvac decided to sell the land because it was flood prone.
A 400 square metre section of riverbank at Tennyson slid into the Brisbane River over the Easter weekend.Credit: Kristian Silva
However the council insists there are no concerns about a Mirvac apartment complex on a separate parcel of land which is only a few hundred metres away and is right on the riverfront.
The council's parks chairman Matthew Bourke confirmed that there was no embankment wall in front of the complex, but said council staff had assessed the area and declared it safe.
"Large tracks of the Brisbane River through the CBD and down towards the port have river walls. Obviously as we get further to the upstream sections there aren't those protections provided," he said.
River infrastructure expert Steve Skull, who works for Brisbane company Alluvium, said large landslips were unusual downstream on the Brisbane River.
Geoff Urquhart, from the Brisbane Canoeing Club, says members have been forced to move their equipment out of a building near where the landslip happened.Credit: Kristian Silva
Mr Skull said managing riverbanks was a complex process, and installing embankment walls made from timber or rocks along the entire river would be unsuitable.
"It has a big ecological downside. They can remove natural habitats so we'd prefer to engineer softer solutions that provides for environmental and asset protection outcomes," he said.
A chunk of land has washed into the Brisbane River at Ken Fletcher Park in Tennyson. Credit: Brisbane City Council
"Any river system ultimately tries to get itself into a state of equilibrium. If you change the amount of water or sediment flowing through the system you can have some major impacts."
Cr Bourke said the landslip was the largest in Brisbane since the 2011 floods, and that the temporary building would now be pulled down.
Tennyson ward councillor Nicole Johnston described the landslip as "an unusual and serious incident" and called for an independent investigation by geotechnical engineers.
The soon-to-be demolished building at Ken Fletcher Park was only a temporary structure, but served as the home to the Brisbane Canoeing Club.
Its members have spent the past few days shifting 70 canoes and kayaks to temporary storage.
Club member Geoff Urquhart said that in the 12 months prior to the landslip, they had seen a small sinkhole, and a large tree had collapsed into the river during last November's super storm.