More than 130 projects have been put forward by the Forest Lake ward for Forest Lake, Inala, Richlands, Doolandella, Durack, and Ellen Grove ahead of Brisbane’s 2026-27 budget. Here is what residents could see funded, and what has been waiting years to be addressed.
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Footpaths with missing links. A sports complex described as well past its use-by date. A notorious intersection that has seen crashes and fatalities for a decade. For residents across Brisbane’s southwest, these are not new problems. But with the city’s annual budget due in June, a detailed list of requested fixes has now been formally put on the table.
The submission for Forest Lake Ward covers more than 130 individual projects spanning Forest Lake, Inala, Richlands, Doolandella, Durack and Ellen Grove, ranging from minor path connections to multimillion-dollar sporting and aquatic facilities.
Getting around safely
Active transport and road safety account for a large share of the requests, with over 30 new or upgraded footpaths and shared path connections put forward. Many are small but critical missing links used daily by schoolchildren, commuters and residents travelling to bus stops.
One request flags that pedestrians on High Street, Forest Lake, including children and grandparents, are currently forced to walk on uneven dirt and grass due to a gap in the existing path network. A shared-path upgrade along Acanthus Street in Richlands is also sought, to give cyclists a safer route away from heavy industrial traffic.
New traffic signals are being requested at several locations, including Grand Avenue and Woogaroo Street, Government Road and Forest Lake Boulevard, and Woogaroo Street and Johnston Road.
The long-troubled Archerfield Road and Pine Road intersection in Inala is again among the priorities. Three designs have been proposed over the past decade without any construction proceeding, and multiple crashes and fatalities have occurred at the site in that time. The project recently received a boost, with the Federal Government committing $3 million towards fixing the intersection and a further $667,000 for nearby works on Azalea Street. The submission calls for construction to now get underway.
Parks, pools, and places to play
An $8 million design and planning request has been put forward for a new aquatic complex for Forest Lake, a facility that has long been requested by local residents.
McEwan Sports Fields in Inala is listed for a $2.5 million full upgrade, with the submission noting the ovals and facilities are extremely old and in need of comprehensive renewal. Kev Hooper Park is also nominated for a potential $5 million investment, to include water playground equipment and free Wi-Fi.
A wide range of parks across the ward are put forward for smaller but practical improvements, including new or upgraded playgrounds, half-courts, fitness equipment, shade sails and BBQ facilities at Augusta Crescent, Forbes Park, Desoto Place Park and Jubilee Park, among others.
Sporting infrastructure requests include netball courts for Ellen Grove or Forest Lake ($200,000) and a BMX track for Ellen Grove ($250,000).
Roads and infrastructure
More than 20 roads across the ward are nominated for resurfacing, widening or kerb and channel upgrades, with many in Inala, Richlands and Doolandella where heavy vehicle use and ongoing development have accelerated wear on ageing road surfaces. The largest single resurfacing request covers Waterford Road in Ellen Grove, estimated at $500,000, and described as carrying large amounts of traffic including trucks, with persistent pothole problems.
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What happens next
The 2026–27 Brisbane City budget is expected to be handed down in June. With more than 130 projects on the list, residents across the ward will find out which of the requested improvements make the final cut.
Published 29-April-2026
