THE former Australian Red Cross Centre site in Greenslopes, Brisbane, will be transformed for park and community use following an agreed sale by the Federal Government to the Brisbane City Council.
Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Darren Chester said after extensive consultation with the community and interested parties on options for the site, the Federal Government had agreed to sell it to the Brisbane City Council which will ensure the site remains an asset to the local community.
“The Greenslopes Red Cross Centre is a historic site that supported veterans and their families since the Second World War, and included a recreation hall and accommodation hostel for family visiting loved ones at the nearby Greenslopes Repatriation Hospital,” Mr Chester said.
“However, the site has been closed to the public for a number of years due to the poor condition of the buildings and the presence of hazardous material, including asbestos.
“The Government consulted with environmental experts and structural engineers about the possibility of restoration, and while the Centre cannot be restored it is important that the significance of the site is remembered.
“From here the site will be rejuvenated prior to it being handed over to the Brisbane City Council, and we have commissioned professional heritage architects to provide advice on how we can best preserve the heritage of the site and honour its contribution to the community.
“I’d like to thank Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner and his team for their work and commitment to honouring the site’s historical significance.”
Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said the site has been in disrepair for some time and I am pleased the area will be of use to the local community once again.
“We will transform the land into a community space where children can play and families gather together. As part of the process of designing the park, the local Councillor, Cr Fiona Cunningham, will conduct community consultation.
“The site is historically significant to our great city and we are pleased to partner with the Australian Government in the rejuvenation that pays homage to the heritage value of the site so that it lives on for future generations.”
The Department of Veterans’ Affairs takes the health and safety of the community seriously and engaged a company specialising in contaminated land to conduct active air monitoring at the site on five separate days in September 2020, which confirmed there is no airborne asbestos risk.
