Campaign #1: Ensuring No Stadium or Similar Structure is Built in Victoria Park
The Save Victoria Park (SVP) Group strongly opposes the construction of a stadium in Victoria Park / Barrambin. Our opposition stems from a range of critical issues that extend far beyond financial concerns, many of which have been overlooked in public discussions. Below are the SVP’s key reasons for opposing this proposal -
Key Issues with a Stadium in the Park
Adverse Effects on the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH)
Victoria Park / Barrambin is directly adjacent to Australia’s largest hospital, the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH), which employs over 9,000 workers and provided more than one million healthcare episodes in 2023. The surrounding streets are already plagued by severe congestion, particularly during peak hours. The addition of a stadium would exacerbate traffic issues, creating a significant strain on emergency services, hospital staff, patients and visitors.
Loss of Inner-City Green Space
Brisbane has the least amount of green space within 3km of the city centre compared to any Australian capital city. Cities like Adelaide and Perth enjoy vastly more green space, with Adelaide boasting 10 times and Perth 6 times the amount Brisbane offers. Instead of reducing our green spaces, we should be striving to expand them for the benefit of our growing population.
Disrespect for First Nations History
Barrambin, meaning "windy place," is an area of profound cultural and historical significance for First Nations people. York’s Hollow, a State Heritage-listed site within the park, was a vital meeting place for over 1,000 First Nations people before colonisation. It was valued for its clear running water, rich biodiversity, and hunting opportunities. Destroying such a culturally significant space would dishonour its history and erase an essential part of our shared heritage.
Increasing Urban Density
Brisbane and South-East Queensland are experiencing rapid population growth, with inner-city backyards and green spaces disappearing as high-rise developments replace traditional housing. A dense urban environment demands more public green spaces for recreation and respite, not less. Victoria Park is an irreplaceable haven in this increasingly concrete cityscape.
Victoria Park’s 150th Anniversary in 2025
Victoria Park was gazetted in 1875 to serve as the "green lungs of the city," spanning 130 hectares. Over time, this has been reduced to just 64 hectares due to government resumptions, including 5 hectares taken in 2001 for the Inner City Bypass (ICB). As Brisbane celebrates the park’s 150th anniversary, we should honour its legacy by protecting and enhancing it, not carving it up for further development.
Unsuitability as a Stadium Site
The park’s hilly terrain offers stunning city views, but these features make it an impractical and costly site for a stadium. The earthworks required to flatten and fill the area would result in exorbitant expenses - money that could be better spent on improving existing venues or community infrastructure.
Mental Health Benefits
Victoria Park is more than a park; it is a sanctuary for mental health and well-being. Green spaces like this allow people to slow down, reconnect with nature, and find peace in an increasingly fast paced world. The park also serves as a vital escape for the staff, students, and clients of nearby institutions like the RBWH, the University of Queensland Medical School and Oral Health Centre, and QUT. These major employers and educational facilities depend on the park for recreation and respite.
Ignoring the BCC Master Plan
The Brisbane City Council (BCC) developed a comprehensive Master Plan for Victoria Park over four years, which was finalised in mid-2023. A stadium was never included in the vision, draft, or final version of this plan. Millions of dollars of ratepayer funds and extensive community consultation went into this process. Overturning this vision for a stadium would not only waste those investments but also betray the public trust and Local Government commitments.
Environmental Impact
Victoria Park is a vital green space that helps mitigate Brisbane’s urban heat island effect. Parks and bushland act as natural "heat sinks," reducing temperatures by absorbing and retaining less heat than concrete and asphalt. Replacing any part of the park with a large, heat-generating concrete structure like a stadium would worsen the city’s heat issues and undermine climate resilience efforts. A build of this nature on green space would also add an extra layer of complexity in meeting the IOC’s Climate Commitments.
Victoria Park / Barrambin is an irreplaceable asset for Brisbane. Building a stadium here would come at an unacceptable cost to our environment, heritage, health, and quality of life. The Save Victoria Park Group remains steadfast in its commitment to preserving this vital green space for the benefit of current and future generations. Let’s ensure this park remains a sanctuary, not a construction site.
