The project team will upgrade the popular foreshore park at Banksia Beach along Solander Esplanade from April 2026, delivering new pathways, play equipment, seating, BBQs and relocating the Matthew Flinders monument to create more usable space for the community.
The team will deliver the project under the District Parks and Open Spaces New and Upgrade Programme and will roll it out across three stages along the Solander Esplanade corridor, with works expected to take around 16 weeks to complete, weather permitting. Banksia Beach Park is a large waterfront park along Solander Esplanade with existing facilities including a basketball half-court, barbecues, and fitness and playground equipment. The upgrade builds on those existing amenities, bringing the foreshore in line with the needs of a growing community that uses the park year-round.
The works cover a stretch of the esplanade that sits directly opposite the calm waters of Pumicestone Passage, one of the most scenic and well-used recreational corridors on Bribie Island. For Banksia Beach residents, this is the park families walk to on weekends, where children play cricket and kick a football in the open oval area, and where visitors pause at the Flinders monument to take in the views toward the Glasshouse Mountains.
Three Stages, One Transformed Foreshore
The upgrade divides the Solander Esplanade corridor into three stages, each addressing a different section of the park.
Stage 1, covering the western green at the northern end of the esplanade, involves removing a section of the existing path to open up a larger kick-and-play area, relocating the Matthew Flinders monument to a more prominent and accessible position, and installing a new footpath, bench seating and a water fountain.
Stage 2, the central section along the esplanade, delivers two new DDA-compliant basket swing elements, replacement of old picnic settings and park benches, and installation of new water fountains and bin enclosures. DDA basket swings, which allow children using wheelchairs and those with limited mobility to swing alongside their peers, represent a meaningful step toward a fully inclusive foreshore space.
Stage 3, at the southern end near the Sunderland Drive amenities, adds a new picnic setting and BBQ adjacent to the existing toilet block, replaces old picnic settings and park benches, and installs new water fountains and bin enclosures.
The Matthew Flinders Monument: A Landmark Worth Knowing
The relocation of the Matthew Flinders monument, currently positioned in the northern section of the park, is one of the more historically significant aspects of the project. The monument commemorates Captain Matthew Flinders’ exploration of the area, and was unveiled on the anniversary of his landing on Bribie Island on 16 July 1799.
Flinders, aboard the sloop Norfolk, sailed into Moreton Bay in July 1799, and on 16 July made first landfall on Bribie Island near what is now Banksia Beach, becoming the first recorded European to set foot on the island. The monument marks one of Queensland’s most significant moments of European exploration. Relocating it to a position with better sight lines and surrounding open space will allow it to serve as a genuine focal point within the upgraded park, rather than sitting on the edge of a pathway.
What This Means for the Banksia Beach Community
For Banksia Beach residents, the upgrade addresses years of incremental wear on a park that, despite its exceptional setting, had been running on ageing infrastructure. New DDA-compliant swings mean children and adults of all abilities can use the play equipment together. Replacement picnic settings and BBQ facilities across all three stages mean families can gather comfortably along the entire esplanade stretch, not just near the southern end. New bin enclosures help keep the foreshore clean alongside the calm passage waters, and additional water fountains reduce the need to bring supplies for longer visits.
The open kick-and-play space created in Stage 1 gives families and younger residents more room to use the park’s green, which previously had its usable area narrowed by the existing path alignment. Taken together, the three stages transform a well-loved but tired foreshore into an accessible, well-equipped community space that reflects the growing residential population of Banksia Beach.
Construction Details and Contact Information
Works are scheduled to commence in April 2026 and run for approximately 16 weeks, weather permitting. Construction will take place during daytime hours between 7:00am and 5:00pm Monday to Friday. Contractors will work to minimise disruption to surrounding properties, and residents will be notified in advance of any changes to working hours. The works may affect resident access and traffic flow along Solander Esplanade, and the project contractor will liaise directly with affected residents to maintain access where needed.
Residents with questions about the project can contact the Project Development and Delivery team on (07) 3205 0555 or via email at council@moretonbay.qld.gov.au, quoting reference 107476.
Published 20-March-2026.
Featured Image Credit: Google Earth
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