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Protesters are vowing to take their campaign against the Victoria Park Olympic stadium, which they claim cannot be delivered in time for the Games, to the high-profile launch of the Brisbane 2032 procurement program on Wednesday.
Save Victoria Park has organised the Queen’s Wharf protest to coincide with a gathering of business heavyweights at the $250-a-head launch of Olympic procurement expressions of interest at The Star.
The protest may be a little misplaced, however, as the EOI release will deal with organising committee contracts, such as sports equipment, temporary infrastructure and hospitality.
An image released by the Save Victoria Park group showing their fears of a stadium dominating the precinct.Credit: Save Victoria Park
Venue construction remains the responsibility of the Games Independent Infrastructure and Coordination Authority, which has launched its own tendering process.
Save Victoria Park spokeswoman Sue Bremner said their calculations showed about two-thirds of the 60-hectare park would be lost to the National Aquatic Centre and the main Olympic stadium, which would serve as Brisbane’s home to cricket and AFL after the Games.
In its 100-day review, which recommended the Victoria Park stadium, GIICA said 68 per cent of the park would be retained as green space, but that did not take into account the aquatic centre.
“The state government wants us to believe the planned demolition of Victoria Park for two Olympic stadiums and a warm-up track is inevitable – it’s not,” Bremner said.
“To those firms looking to get involved in this destructive project, we would say in the strongest possible terms: reconsider.
“It’s a high-risk proposition on so many levels. Not only is it fraught with practical and reputational risks, it drags our city backwards, both in terms of valuing our environment and reconciliation with First Nations peoples.
“Expert projections also show it’s highly unlikely these stadiums can even be completed on time if built on such a challenging parkland site.”
Those projections were outlined in a report, Time for Plan B: A cost risk analysis of stadiums in Victoria Park Barrambin, which was released by Save Victoria Park on Tuesday.
Time for Plan B was said to draw on the advice of “experts in architecture, town planning, engineering and constructability” – none of whom were named in the document – and determined it would miss the Olympic construction deadline by “at least six months”.
Premier David Crisafulli said predictions of missed deadlines were unfounded.
“I make this promise to Queensland: after nearly four years of wasted opportunity, we’ve got cracking, and we’ve got a plan, and it will be delivered in time,” he said.
As for Save Victoria Park’s planned protest, Crisafulli said his government’s delivery plan had energised most Queenslanders.
“I can’t control how those people, regarding Victoria Park, conduct themselves,” he said.
“I can only control what we do, and that is delivering a once-in-a-generation opportunity, and I can assure you, we are focused on making sure that we, when the eyes of the world are on us in 2032, we are going to put on one hell of a show.”
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