Myth: A Stadium Will Increase Green Space

1. Green space ‘replacements’ aren’t the same as natural green space

Replacing Victoria Park's expansive, continuous, and established green space with scattered patches of ornamental greenery around a stadium is not equivalent. Mature ecosystems, including Victoria Park’s established biodiversity and tree canopy, cannot simply be replicated. These artificial green spaces often serve aesthetic purposes and lack the ecological and community benefits of the original parkland.

2. Concrete covered spaces don’t count as green space

Stadium proposals often include green elements like rooftop gardens or small landscaped areas, but these cannot replace the benefits of a natural, open park. Grass patches surrounded by concrete or incorporated into urban designs don’t provide the same cooling, biodiversity support, or recreational value as unbroken natural areas like Victoria Park.

3. Increased hardscaping negatively impacts the environment

A stadium brings extensive hardscaping including concrete, asphalt, and other impermeable surfaces which contributes to urban heat, flooding, and water runoff issues. Even if green elements are added, they won’t mitigate these impacts effectively, leaving the area worse off than before.

4. Loss of existing ecosystems

The development process will likely destroy existing ecosystems, which include over 60 species of birds, native mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and pollinators. Even if some greenery is reintroduced, it will take decades to recover the ecological value currently provided by Victoria Park.

5. Greenwashing the Proposal

Claims that the development will “increase green space” are often part of greenwashing - presenting a development as eco-friendly when it’s not. A truly environmentally friendly approach would protect and enhance existing natural spaces rather than destroy and rebuild them in a less effective form.

6. The precinct already has green space

Victoria Park already provides accessible, continuous green space for the community. Destroying this space to build a stadium and then claiming an increase in green space is an illogical trade-off. It’s akin to tearing down a library to build a mall with a few bookshelves and then claiming there are now “more books available.”