Pontoon and river access point repairs

Brisbane City Council maintains a network of public pontoons and river access points. A number of these facilities sustained damage in the February 2022 severe weather event and require repair works. These restoration and repair works are required to ensure safe operation and optimum access to waterways.

Summary update

Latest update	Jamboree Ward Pontoons - start of construction - 28 August 2023
Project documents	Download work notice: Jamboree Ward Pontoon works notice - August 2023 (PDF -149.18kb) Jamboree Ward Pontoon works notice - August 2023 (Word - 114.72)

Work progress

Although Council’s priority after the February 2022 severe weather event has been the repair of public ferry service infrastructure, we are now progressing the reinstatement of pontoons and river access point assets.

Council are pleased to advise that we have now awarded contract for the works and are currently undertaking off-site fabrication of the new pontoons and gangways.

We understand the importance of these pontoons for residents use and are prioritising the order of works with the level of community use in mind.

Further information, including construction impacts and timing, will be confirmed once pre-start activities are complete.

Flood Resilience improvements

While there have been some delays to works commencing, Council have taken the opportunity to find improvements to the design and structural elements of the pontoons and will be building the pontoons back stronger and more flood resilient. We are confident that the new pontoons will be more robust in the event of a flood event.

Flood resilient features at the terminals may include:

• bow-shaped end to deflect debris
• ‘swim’ end to prevent sinkage
• increased pile heights to ensure the pontoons remain secure in higher flood waters
• bigger and stronger piles to prevent moving of the piles
• a stronger restraint system to ensure the pontoons remain tethered
• light-weight aluminum pontoon that is ‘fully fabricated’ and able to be repaired easier if damaged
• a Styrofoam-free, environmentally friendly pontoon.

Note: not all flood resilience features will be applicable to all pontoons.

Current status of pontoon repairs

The table highlights the current status of the pontoon and river access point repairs.

This table provides information on the pontoon status following the February 2022 flood event.

Pontoon	Status
Centenary Rowing Club Pontoon	On-site repairs will be intermittent from late-August 2023. Expected opening December 2023.
Riverhills Pontoon	On-site repairs will be intermittent from late-August 2023. Off-site manufacturing underway. Expected opening December 2023
Jindalee Pontoon	On-site repairs will be intermittent from late-August 2023. Off-site manufacturing underway. Expected opening November 2023.
Amazon Place Park Pontoon	On-site repairs will be intermittent from late-August 2023. Preparing for repair works. Expected opening early-2024.
Sherwood Arboretum Pontoon	Preparing for repair works.
Tinchi Tamba Boat Ramp Access Pontoon	Open.

Repair timeline

This table provides information on the repair timeline including dates, and phases of repairs.

Date	Phase of repairs
August to October 2022	Detailed assessment: Council has undertaken preliminary investigations to understand damage sustained to the pontoons and associated structures and what works may be required.
October 2022 to early February 2023	Procurement for operational repairs: Council is seeking contractor/s to complete the required works through a tender process.
Mid to late April 2023	Contract awarded: Council has selected a contractor to complete the works. We are now engaging with the contractor to finalise a program of works and flood resilience opportunities.
April 2023 to mid-July 2023	Preparing for repair works: The contractor/s will finalise their schedule, prepare the sites for repairs and anticipated commence works in mid-2023. Repairs will be undertaken onsite and offsite as required.
Mid-2023 to early 2024	Repairs commenced: The contractor has commenced works; repairs will be undertaken onsite and offsite as required.
Early 2024	Open: The pontoon is open to the public. Council may need to return to some pontoons to finalise some repairs. These works will not affect the safety or accessibility of the pontoons.

These timeframes are approximate only and subject to weather and site conditions.

If you would like to discuss the design or if you have any other further questions, contact the project team via phone on 1800 884 681 or email.