Archerfield Wetlands Parkland
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Archerfield Wetlands Parkland is a large scale public landscape project located within the Oxley Creek corridor in Brisbane’s south west, Queensland. Delivered by Brisbane Sustainability Agency as part of the Oxley Creek Transformation, the project reimagines a former wastewater treatment site and degraded floodplain environment as a resilient urban wetlands and district park that integrates landscape architecture, ecological repair, and long term land stewardship.

Queensland’s subtropical climate, periodic flooding and increasing urbanisation shaped the project’s approach. Rather than resisting water, the landscape is designed to accommodate flood events, recover quickly and continue to function as public open space. The wetlands operate as living infrastructure, slowing, storing, and treating stormwater before it enters Oxley Creek, while supporting habitat creation and biodiversity. More than 100,000 locally appropriate trees, shrubs, grasses, and groundcovers were planted to stabilise soils, reconnect fragmented ecosystems and strengthen the ecological performance of the site.

A defining feature of the project is the adaptive reuse of existing infrastructure. Concrete tanks, channels, and hardstand areas from the former treatment plant were retained and reworked as landscape elements, water treatment features, seating, and informal gathering spaces. This approach reduced demolition waste and embodied carbon, while preserving the site’s industrial legacy and creating a distinctive character grounded in its history.

The parkland balances ecological function with every day public use. A network of shared walking and cycling paths connects surrounding neighbourhoods to the broader Oxley Creek corridor, encouraging active movement through the landscape. These paths are carefully aligned to protect sensitive wetland areas while providing clear, legible access across the site. Along these routes, a series of open spaces, play areas and meeting places create destinations that encourage people to pause, gather, and engage with the landscape.

Community life is supported through a diverse range of facilities, including an industrial themed adventure play space, youth hub, flexible lawns, shaded structures, and areas for markets and events. These elements are integrated within the wetlands landscape, reinforcing the relationship between people and nature and ensuring the park is active throughout the day and across seasons.
Cultural context is central to the project. The parkland was designed in collaboration with the Yuggera Ugarapul People, the Traditional Owners of the land. A Cultural Heritage Management Agreement guided the protection of cultural values and informed the design. The Bush Resources Garden, developed with Traditional Owners, showcases endemic plant species traditionally used for food, medicine, and tools, offering a place of learning and connection to Country within a contemporary public park.

Long term stewardship is embedded in the design through the Wetlands Community Hub, which houses the Oxley Creek Catchment Association. From this base, the organisation delivers environmental education, coordinates volunteers, undertakes habitat restoration and monitors the health of the wetlands. This governance model ensures the landscape is actively managed and able to adapt to environmental change over time. Ecological monitoring is further supported through bird survey programs undertaken by Birds Queensland and BirdLife Southern Queensland, while citizen science is encouraged through QR codes on interpretive signage that invite the community to actively participate.

Archerfield Wetlands Parkland demonstrates an Australian approach to landscape architecture that embraces climate, water, and time. By combining adaptive reuse, ecological repair and inclusive public space within a working wetlands system, the project offers a model for how post industrial landscapes can be transformed into resilient, sustainable, culturally grounded, and socially valuable public environments.

Project Team / Collaborators

Brisbane City Council, Urbis, Vokes and Peters, Alcorn Middleton Architecture, Playscape Creations, Stantec, Webb Australia, Dotdash, SLR, Water Technology, Morrison Geotechnic, 28 South, Independent Arborists Australia, ASK Consulting, Knisco, Ecolateral, Rob Friend and Associates, Bligh Tanner, Epoca Constructions, Yuggera Ugaparul People, Oxley Creek Catchment Association, Greening Australia, GHD, Abergeldie Complex Infrastructure, Albert Smith Signs, Deb Mostert, Birds Queensland and BirdLife Southern Queensland

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