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Plans for a giant zipline over the Brisbane River, from the cliffs at Kangaroo Point to the City Botanic Gardens, are a step closer to reality.
The proposed wheelchair-accessible zipline would travel about 70 to 75 kilometres an hour on its 400-metre route over the river to Gardens Point in the Brisbane CBD.
Brisbane tourism operator and developer John Sharpe – who launched the Story Bridge Climb and Riverlife kayak tours – said it would cost under $100 to ride.
On Wednesday, the state government announced it was putting $2.1 million towards the project.
“I think it’s a brilliant addition that will really showcase Brisbane and Queensland to the world,” Tourism Minister Andrew Powell said from the clifftop park in Kangaroo Point on Wednesday morning.
Sharpe added he was aiming to open the facility before the start of the Rugby World Cup in October 2027.
The flying fox development would need to be approved by Brisbane City Council. The initial plans were for it to start about 40 metres over the river, from the park next to St Mary’s Church in Kangaroo Point.
The ride would finish at Gardens Point, about 15 metres above the water.
It would be the first zipline of its kind that allowed wheelchair users to ride in their wheelchairs.
The multimillion-dollar funding package would cover several other attractions at Kangaroo Point, including a picnic space hanging over the cliffs, accessible boats and upgraded river infrastructure.
A “sky ladder” for climbing back to the top of the cliffs was also planned as part of the zipline build.
“People will be leaving from the river and they’ll be climbing up here on a very, very shaky ladder, so that’s going to be not for the faint-hearted,” Sharpe said.
Developers have pitched variations of a cross-river zipline from the cliffs for more than a decade, including at Queens Wharf, while other zipline developments have been raised – and rejected – at Mount Coot-tha.
Council opposition leader Jared Cassidy said the proposed tourism draw would be “nice to have”, but could come at the expense of restoration on another Brisbane icon, the Story Bridge.
“It is bizarre that they can find $2.1 million for a flying fox but can’t find anything to help restore our iconic bridge that links the north and south of our city together,” Cassidy said.
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