An amendment to the 2025 Olympic bill has come into action this month, converting the long-time public trust of Victoria Park into a freehold estate in anticipation of the upcoming construction of the 2032 Olympic Stadium.
The bill amendment states: “…These new tenure arrangements will cancel the deed of grant in trust, to convert the land tenure of Victoria Park to an estate in fee simple…”
This change takes Victoria Park from Brisbane City Council control and public ownership and surrenders the tenure to private ownership under the Games Independent Infrastructure and Coordination Authority (GIICA).
This, combined with 15 other legislative changes made in the last 18 months allows the stadium construction to bypass previous legal hurdles.
The changes seem to fly in the face of multiple promises made by the Queensland Government, including guarantees to maintain the park as a public greenspace and Aboriginal heritage site.
Sustainability expert and activist, Dr Neil Peach, suggests in his report on the subject that over 66 per cent of Victoria Park will be affected by the development, with additional significant impact on multiple species of plants and animals that call the park home.
These suggestions call into question the previously much lower estimates of the project’s impact made by the state government, as well as their guarantees to keep the park green.
Despite Dr Peach’s report, both the State Government and Brisbane City Council maintain that their commitments will be upheld.
Dr. Peach states that “the recent suggestions… that what is not stadium will be green is sadly uninformed…” and he calls into question the honesty of the government regarding the potential environmental damage.
Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner has affirmed the council’s support for the stadium project, stating: “we made it very clear that we’re going to support the state government’s efforts to deliver a great legacy.”
Multiple protests and ongoing legal action against the state government’s decisions have taken place.
Several Aboriginal activist groups have made applications for heritage protection of the park, however it is yet to be seen if this effects any substantial change.
With public complaint going unheard, it appears that it is full steam ahead with plans for construction due to start later this year after the land is transferred on June 1.
