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A group of environmental activists and Indigenous Australian campaigners are continuing their protest at Victoria Park in Brisbane, where a new stadium for the 2032 Olympics is planned. The Queensland state government has set a Monday deadline for the site to be vacated, with fencing and preparatory construction works already beginning. Aboriginal elders and supporters argue the park holds deep cultural and spiritual importance, while authorities maintain that the project cannot be delayed. Legal and environmental concerns around the site remain unresolved as tensions grow ahead of construction.
A coalition of environmental activists and Indigenous Australian groups camping at Victoria Park in Brisbane is continuing its protest as authorities move ahead with preparations for the 2032 Olympic stadium project. The state government has issued a deadline requiring the encampment to be cleared by Monday, with fencing work already starting in parts of the site. Advertisement
Victoria Park, a major inner-city green space, is scheduled to be secured for construction activities from Monday as development begins on the Olympic stadium precinct. The protesters, who have established an Aboriginal tent embassy at the location, have been warned that removal will be enforced if they do not leave voluntarily.
Aboriginal elder Gaja (Aunty) Kerry Charlton told Reuters that participants intended to stay at the site and continue their campaign. She said they were also relying on protections under the Queensland Human Rights Act, arguing that these provisions support their right to protect cultural heritage.
The construction plan is moving forward despite an unresolved application submitted to the Australian government by Indigenous groups seeking long-term protection of the park as a significant Aboriginal area.
The site, known traditionally as Barrambin or “Windy Place” to the Yagara and Magandjin peoples, contains old-growth trees and is considered culturally and spiritually important by Traditional Owners.
Queensland Premier Steve Crisafulli has stated that the state cannot afford delays in delivering the 63,000-seat stadium. He also told media that the government would not allow the project timeline to be disrupted by protest activity.
Construction workers connected to the authority responsible for delivering the Olympic venues have already begun installing fencing near the protest area, close to where advocacy group Save Victoria Park held a press briefing.
The activists accused the Games Independent Infrastructure and Coordination Authority of interfering with their media engagement, while Charlton described the situation as disruptive, saying there was what she referred to as “a bit of humbug” during the gathering, which she interpreted as interference.
The authority stated that site investigation work has been ongoing since last year and that temporary fencing is being installed for safety purposes. Queensland Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie said workers were left shaken after encountering protesters during the process.
Victoria Park was confirmed as the stadium location more than a year ago, after earlier commitments suggested the government would not approve a new inner-city arena. The current plan includes using part of the park for the stadium and an aquatics centre for the Olympic Games.
An independent assessment commissioned by Save Victoria Park, prepared by hydrogeologist Ted Hamer, has raised concerns that the site sits above a natural spring-fed watercourse. The report suggests construction could permanently damage or reduce the flow of the system.
Hamer noted that spring-fed freshwater systems and their surrounding ecology hold significant importance for Aboriginal communities as well as early settlers.
Activists have indicated they are prepared for a prolonged standoff to protect the site, citing cultural ties to the land, including ancestral connections, community use, and the ecological importance of the park’s trees, wildlife, and water systems.
Source Reuters
5th Jun, 2025
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