Seven months after the floods that destroyed the Toombul shopping centre on Brisbane's northside, owner Mirvac says there is not yet a time frame for demolition.
Key points:
- Owner Mirvac says there is no time frame for the demolition of the Toombul shopping centre
- The centre was destroyed in the February floods and has been closed ever since
- But community consultation on its future will begin shortly
The shopping centre was inundated by overland flow from neighbouring Kedron Brook in February this year, forcing Mirvac to terminate hundreds of leases and shut up the centre.
Damage from the floodwaters and consequential black mould throughout spelled the end for the original building, with Mirvac starting work to strip it out weeks later.
Recent updates to Brisbane City Council's flood maps to include the February flood damage from creek and river flows have revealed how Toombul was inundated with overland flow from the nearby creek.
The centre escaped serious flooding in 2011 when the Brisbane River was the primary source of floodwaters, and only the car park was inundated.
Future plans
Local Nudgee MP Leanne Linard told ABC Radio Brisbane she and federal MP Annika Wells held a meeting with Mirvac this week to get an update on the building's future.
Ms Linard said she understood any new development plans for the site would not be lodged with Brisbane City Council until at least the second half of 2023, which would be "disappointing" for residents.
Ms Linard, who has been outspoken about her frustration with the slow pace of recovery on the site, said she appreciated Mirvac prioritising the meeting.
She said Mirvac had indicated demolition would start sometime next year, but a Mirvac spokesperson said there was no time frame yet available.
"It will be some time to take a centre of that size down and, of course, where you put all the waste from that centre, particularly given there are some contaminants," Ms Linard said.
"There is mould on-site but you need to be very careful about issues like asbestos, there are very strict regulations around moving these sorts of things."
The Mirvac spokesperson said demolition would be subject to approvals from local authorities, and the community would be kept up to date.
"In the coming days, we will start our community consultation program with an online survey," the spokesperson said.
Ms Linard said it was important for the community to be kept up to date and involved in the process of the beloved shopping centre's reconstruction.
"It's also a once-in-a-generation opportunity where you've got a huge site for the community to have a say about what it's going to look like after what has been a devastating process," she said.
Mirvac plans to redevelop the site with potential flagged for some residential apartments as well as retail and public space.
Neighbouring shopping centres, including Westfield Chermside, have borne the brunt of the months-long closure, with anecdotal reports of clogged car parks on weekends and residents frustrated at having to travel outside of Toombul for groceries.