One of Brisbane City Council’s newest parks has been named Park of the Year at the Parks and Leisure Australia (PLA) Queensland Division’s Awards of Excellence, announced on Friday 5 September.

Delivered by Brisbane Sustainability Agency on behalf of Brisbane City Council, the Archerfield Wetlands District Park took out the top honour, recognising it as one of the state’s most outstanding examples of innovative, community-focused parkland design and management.

The annual PLA Awards celebrate “The People Behind the Places” – the planners, designers, builders and community champions who create vibrant, healthy and inclusive public spaces. The Park of the Year award shines a spotlight on new or significantly revitalised parks that demonstrate best practice in design, management and long-term community value.

From wastewater treatment plant to award-winning park

Located in the heart of the Oxley Creek corridor, the Archerfield Wetlands District Park is a striking example of how a degraded industrial site can be transformed into a thriving community and environmental asset, making lifestyle event better for local residents. Once the site of a wastewater treatment plant, the area was redeveloped into a 4-hectare district park featuring, creating more to see and do for residents in the great outdoors.

The park features:

• An industrial-themed adventure playground with water play features such as misting elements and water pumps and accessible play features.
• A youth hub with basketball court, netball hoop and soccer goal.
• An event lawn that can be used for markets, outdoor cinema and community gatherings.
• A Bush Resources Garden, created in consultation with the Yuggera Ugarapul People, to showcase native plants used for food, medicine and tools.
• A community hub with a bookable community event space and facilities for the Oxley Creek Catchment Association, including a native plant nursery to support environmental rehabilitation of the Oxley Creek catchment.
• Access to the Archerfield Wetlands Discovery Trail – a 3-kilometre shared trail connecting into the wider 150-hectare wetlands.

The project also set a new benchmark for sustainable design by reusing infrastructure from the old treatment plant as play spaces, seating and stormwater gardens, while planting more than 67,000 native plants to restore habitat and cool the site.

A collaborative achievement

Brisbane Sustainability Agency extended sincere thanks to everyone involved in bringing the park to life, including the design team led by Urbis and the construction team from Epoca Constructions, as well as the community members and partners who contributed ideas and support throughout the project.

“This award is a testament to the collaborative effort that transformed Archerfield Wetlands into a place where people, recreation and nature come together,” said Tracy Melenewycz, CEO of Brisbane Sustainability Agency.

A win for Brisbane’s future

The recognition of Archerfield Wetlands District Park as Park of the Year not only highlights its success as a lifestyle destination but also demonstrates the power of the broader Oxley Creek Transformation. This long-term initiative is reimagining 20 kilometres of Brisbane’s most urbanised waterway into a world-class lifestyle and leisure corridor and Archerfield Wetlands is a shining example of that vision in action.