An inner-Brisbane sewage pump may have to be moved to make way for a proposed $315 million Brisbane Metro station.
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Queensland Urban Utilities submitted a development application to Brisbane City Council on Thursday proposing moving the current sewage pump station from near South Brisbane train station to Alexander Smith Place, less than 200 metres away.
The park for the proposed sewage pump is on the corner of Grey Street and Peel Street, directly outside the Queensland Labor Party’s headquarters.
The council was involved in the selection of the new site as it related to the Brisbane Metro project.
Brisbane's LNP deputy mayor, Adrian Schrinner, said the new sewage pump's location was purely coincidental.
"I know they did an extensive search right around the area and even looked at opportunities on private property," he said.
"This option was settled on because it's a public park. It is able to be built in a way that is sensitive to a park without a need to disrupt private property owners."
An assessment report submitted as part of the application said it was the preferred site for several reasons, including its close proximity to the existing system, lower costs and reduced disruption during construction and the ability to retain mature trees on the site.
“Both QUU and council executive leaders have endorsed this site as the preferred location for the new pump station,” the report said.
The landscaped park has paved pedestrian paths and park benches and is often used as a spot for people to eat their lunch.
The assessment report said the materials, colours and finishes used for the proposed pump station would integrate into the park and include artificial grass paving, and any above-ground structures coloured “heritage green”.
The proposed pump would also incorporate an odour control unit and a vent pole, which disperses any smells emitting from the station.
“The assessment determined that odour impacts are unlikely to be associated with the operation of the pump station, provided a suitably sized and operated odour control unit is installed,” the assessment report said.
A QUU spokeswoman said the proposed relocation would allow the new station to be connected to the existing sewer network.
"The new pump station will be mostly underground and have a greater capacity to cater for future growth and development in the area," she said.
"We have undertaken face-to-face preliminary consultation with neighbouring property owners and public consultation will occur during the assessment period."
The existing pump is on land owned by Queensland Rail and was built by South Bank Corporation in 1996, donated to the council and subsequently QUU.
QUU manages 332 sewage pump stations in Queensland, including 202 in Brisbane.
The assessment report said the main driver of the relocation of the pump was to enable the construction of the Cultural Centre Station as part of the Brisbane Metro.
While the land is required to build the $300 million Cultural Centre station, despite being in negotiations since September 2017, the council is yet to acquire it from the state government.
Cr Schrinner said the council was still waiting for the state government to hand over the land, or offer it at a cost.
"There has been no movement, but it's my belief the state government wants to resolve a number of approvals at once ... and expect that [land for the metro] will be one of them," he said.
Cr Schrinner said construction of the proposed underground Cultural Centre station was expected to start in 2020 with the metro running from 2023.
