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Brisbane’s January 2011 flood crest and the rebuilding of its river links
The Brisbane River reached 4.46 metres at the Brisbane City gauge on 13 January 2011. Flooding destroyed Brisbane’s Riverwalk and seven council ferry terminals. The permanent Riverwalk replacement was completed in 2014 and the seven terminal rebuilds in 2015.
Sources checked
- 12 January 2011The Bremer River at Ipswich peaked at 19.4 m.
- 13 January 2011The Brisbane City gauge peaked at 4.46 m.
- 26 February 2011Queensland secured replacement funding for the two transport projects.
- September 2014The replacement Riverwalk was completed.
- 2015Reconstruction of seven ferry terminals was completed.
The first records track water level. The later records show funding and construction of two damaged transport links.
The crest exceeded the major threshold by 0.96 metres
The Bureau’s Brisbane City summary uses 3.5 metres as the major flood threshold at that gauge and records a crest of 4.46 metres. The river was above major level from 12 to 13 January and above the 1.7-metre minor level from 11 to 14 January. Source 1 Source 2
Different gauges describe different parts of the catchment
The Bremer River at Ipswich peaked on 12 January at 19.4 metres. Brisbane City peaked early on 13 January at 4.46 metres. Each height relates to a different gauge and local datum. The sequence helps track when peaks occurred at the two sites. Source 2 Source 1
Damage separated transport recovery from the flood peak
The Queensland Reconstruction Authority says the 2011 flood destroyed the first floating Riverwalk and seven Brisbane City Council ferry terminals. On 26 February 2011, it secured up to AUD 75 million for the Riverwalk and up to AUD 70 million for ferry infrastructure under the joint disaster relief arrangements. These were funding caps for the projects. Source 3
Replacement projects finished on separate schedules
Work on the permanent Riverwalk began in July 2013 and was complete in September 2014. It restored a walking and cycling link between New Farm and the central city. The council completed the seven ferry terminal reconstructions in 2015. The dates track those projects, which formed one part of the broader recovery. Source 3