Myth: We’re Just NIMBYs
At Save Victoria Park, we’re sometimes labelled as 'NIMBYs' by pro-stadium advocates. However our data shows that to be anything but the case.
A Majority of Save Victoria Park Supporters Are Not Locals
Protecting heritage listed green space isn’t just a neighbourhood issue. 38% of supporters for keeping Victoria Park green live within 5km of the park. A further 24% live in Brisbane but further afield. The remaining 38% live outside of Brisbane. That means that 62% of our supporters do not live locally. Protecting this park is an issue which resonates with people from all locations, all demographics and of all political persuasions. It's not just people in the Herston, Kelvin Grove and Spring Hill area who care about protecting Victoria Park, this is an issue which affects and sets a precedent for all of Brisbane, all of Queensland and all of Australia.
We Don’t Oppose Progress, We Oppose Destruction
The term NIMBY (“not in my backyard”) is a pejorative term which is used to describe people who oppose things for selfish reasons that are necessary or good for society. What we are fighting for is the opposite of selfish. We’re not opposing progress, we’re opposing destruction. We’re fighting to keep a public, heritage listed park green, open and accessible to all (so you don’t need to buy a ticket to gain access). We’re fighting to protect the native wildlife, ecosystem and breeding grounds from decimation. We’re fighting to ensure that this land is respected for its deep cultural significance to First Nations people, not covered in concrete. We’re fighting to protect a vital green space for all of Brisbane – our city’s own legacy park like Central Park or Hyde Park.
The Term NIMBY Can Be Used to Dismiss Legitimate Concerns
The term NIMBY is often thrown out as a way to dismiss legitimate concerns. As the Redlands2030 advocacy group puts it, “the problem of using NIMBY to override community protests over development proposals is that it prevents conversations that we should be having – about the reasons why the community must resort to public protests to alert government and developers to community needs and concerns over potential adverse environmental impacts.”
The difference between us and people who believe a stadium should be built in Victoria Park is that we value public green space. You don’t have to live locally to recognise that it’s a travesty to build a concrete mega-stadium in Brisbane last large public green space.
Save Victoria Park is a grassroots advocacy group who simply want to save a park from destruction. And we’re proud to fight for something that matters.