Press Release: Victoria Park Olympic Stadium Protesters Join Forces to Form Giant Human “NO
9.30am Saturday 01 February 2025, Victoria Park-Barrambin, Brisbane - featuring key speakers:
Campbell Newman - former LNP Queensland Premier
Grace Grace - serving QLD state Labor MP for McConnel
Jonathan Sriranganathan - former Greens Brisbane City Councillor
Dr Ruth Barker - Paediatrician
John Brannock - heritage adviser and former chair of the QLD Heritage Council
Te Maumahara Morris - 9-year-old park campaigner and primary school student
*MEDIA PLEASE NOTE: The human NO will be best viewed from above. Please consider bringing a drone or other equipment to assist in capturing footage.
[NEWS RELEASE]: Hundreds of Brisbane residents rallying against the proposed destruction of Victoria Park-Barrambin for an Olympic stadium will band together this Saturday (01 February) to form a giant human “NO” in a visible display of community resistance to the plans.
“We can’t make this any clearer: hands off Victoria Park,” said organiser Sue Bremner, spokesperson for community action group Save Victoria Park.
“We are witnessing a very vocal, well-connected campaign to carve up this heritage-listed public parkland for stadiums and other profit-driven developments, under the guise of 'Olympic legacy'.
“This is not just a local issue. It sets a precedent that should ring alarm bells for everyone.”
Starting at Victoria Park at 9:30am, the human "NO" will be preceded by short statements from high-profile key speakers across the political divide, including former Queensland Premier Campbell Newman, former Greens Brisbane City Councillor Jonathan Sriranganathan, and State Labor MP Grace Grace, among others.
Event organisers hope the action will send a forceful message to the State Government, whose current 100-day review into Brisbane 2032 Olympic infrastructure is assessing multiple proposals for development in the 64-hectare park. Among them is a plan to replace large swathes of the park with a 55,000-seat oval stadium, an entertainment arena, aquatic stadium and residential towers.
Mr Newman warned those lobbying to develop and privatise parts of the much-loved inner-city landscape should be prepared for a fight that could prove both costly and time consuming to any future projects.
“The Queensland Government and proponents of a stadium need to be aware that we will do everything in our power to save Victoria Park for the people of Brisbane - and that means invoking every tactic to delay and obstruct any development that devastates this beautiful place,” Mr Newman said.
Ms Bremner added the loss of such historic parkland in the name of the Olympics would be a serious blow to Brisbane, a city that already lags well behind other capitals when it comes to inner-city green space.
“From the outset, the ‘new norm’ Games were supposed to be far-sighted with generational benefits. Where is the benefit in taking a pristine culturally-important park - the lungs of the city - and trashing it? Surely we can do better than that.
“Paris and London didn’t bulldoze their iconic city parks to host the Games. Do we really want this to be our Olympic story?"
ENDS
PRESS INFO
Voices for Victoria Park, from 9:30am Saturday 01 February 2025, meeting at Gumtree Grove, Victoria Park-Barrambin, 309 Herston Road, Herston, Brisbane.
Map: https://www.savevictoriapark.com/events
News footage: Interviews available with key speakers and other attendees on the day. Interviews prior available on request.
Multimedia: High resolution photographs on request.
EVENT TIMELINE
9:30am: Welcome and speeches at Gumtree Grove.
10.15am: Attendees move into position for human NO sign on fairway closest to Gumtree Grove.
11am: Press conference (exact location to be advised on the day).
ABOUT VICTORIA PARK-BARRAMBIN
Culturally-important to the region’s Yuggera and Turrbal custodians, Victoria Park-Barrambin is Brisbane’s largest inner-city green space, straddling the suburbs of Herston, Kelvin Grove and Spring Hill on the rapidly-growing northern fringe of the CBD.
The 64-hectare park is currently under threat from intense industry lobbying that aims to carve up its historic hills for profit-driven developments. One plan proposes to build three major venues - the 55,000 Olympic Stadium, an aquatic stadium and entertainment arena - along with residential buildings. The proposals are currently being considered by the State Government’s 100-day review into Olympic infrastructure, results due early March.
ABOUT SAVE VICTORIA PARK
Save Victoria Park Inc. is a community-driven action group dedicated to protecting Victoria Park / Barrambin in Brisbane. We advocate for preserving this vital green space as a sanctuary for recreation, wildlife, and cultural heritage, ensuring it remains accessible for future generations. Through community engagement, peaceful protests, and fundraising efforts, we strive to amplify the voices of Brisbane residents who value parks over concrete developments www.savevictoriapark.com.