Five Brisbane lord mayors oppose new stadium at Victoria Park

Five former Brisbane lord mayors from opposing political parties back the Queensland government’s decision not to build a $3.4 billion stadium in Victoria Park for the 2032 Olympics.

Premier Steven Miles ruled out the recommendation last month for a new stadium in the parkland, instead opting for the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre at Nathan to host the Games’ track and field competition. The decision sparked a blaze of dissent and derision.

Odd man out: Tim Quinn, Jim Soorley and (right) Campbell Newman oppose the suggestion by Graham Quirk (second from right) for a Victoria Park stadium.Credit: Samantha Horton

Now the former mayors have united to call for an end to speculation and promotion of the stadium proposal.

Campbell Newman, who served as LNP mayor from 2004 to 2011, said calls for a Victoria Park stadium were a “body blow” to the vision of the citizens of 1870s who had set aside the space for parkland.

Former Labor mayor Jim Soorley went further, calling it “madness”.

And Sallyanne Atkinson, who had fought in vain to preserve green space in Fig Tree Pocket, warned “we must not lose this one”.

Five previous lord mayors support retaining Brisbane’s Victoria Park as the city’s equivalent to New York’s Central Park or Sydney’s Domain.

Instead, the five mayors suggested a reimagined Victoria Park could give Brisbane the same legacy that Hyde Park gave London, that Central Park gave New York and that The Domain gave Sydney.

One move being explored was changing the City of Brisbane Act to give Victoria Park the same legislative protection as botanical gardens, which would mean it could be used only for “public park purposes”.

A $3.4 billion stadium at Victoria Park was the signature announcement of the 60-day review of Games venues conducted by former LNP lord mayor Graham Quirk.

But former LNP mayors Newman and Atkinson, along with former Labor mayors Soorley, Tim Quinn and Bryan Walsh, want attention focused on the government’s choice to upgrade Suncorp Stadium, the Gabba and QSAC.

Present Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner in February opposed a new stadium in Victoria Park, but later warmed to suggest state government land be added.

In addition, a town-planning expert has advised that the adjacent Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital would make a 35,000-seat venue “untenable”.

In a letter sent to Miles, Opposition Leader David Crisafulli, Schrinner and other levels of government, retired town planner Marian Wheeler argued there was no suitable location in the hilly geography of Victoria Park for a “50m to 60m high stadium with a footprint of 12 to 15 hectares”, after examining four locations including over the Inner City Bypass.

“Any stadium at Victoria Park, like Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium, would completely dominate Victoria Park and make the park an area of concrete, rather than open, green space,” her letter read.

Wheeler added that public transport advantages of having a “billion-dollar plus” Cross River Rail station and a new $450 million Brisbane Metro station beside the Gabba were being ignored, “making a mockery of the public investment”.

“Currently 26 bus routes utilise the Woolloongabba Metro Station, giving direct access to the site for many of Brisbane’s southside suburbs.

“If Woolloongabba is replaced as Brisbane’s round stadium or made into a park to make up for the loss of space at Victoria Park, it would make a mockery of the public investment to date at that location.”

What the former mayors say

Campbell Newman (Brisbane lord mayor 2004-2011): “Victoria Park was set aside in the 1870s by citizens who had a vision of a wonderful 130 hectare inner-city park. A massive stadium is a body blow to that vision – it’s vital to now protect the park so that it remains fully accessible public green space for all time.”

Tim Quinn (2003-4): “Hyde Park, Central Park and The Domain give London, New York and
Sydney their character and their breathing space. That’s what Victoria Park should be. Not a
stadium. Fix up the other stadiums and keep Victoria Park as a permanent green legacy.”

Jim Soorley (1991-2003): “People keep talking about a legacy. What better legacy is there than to
have a park like this, so large and so close to the city with brilliant views. It’s our very own Central
Park. It would be madness to build over it with a stadium.”

Sallyanne Atkinson (1985-1991): “Brisbane needs green spaces close to the city to be its lungs. As a local councillor I fought – and sadly lost – a campaign to save important green space in Fig
Tree Pocket. We must not lose this one.”

Bryan Walsh (1975-76): “The Olympic legacy for which we should aim is a successful Games in
venues that we can afford and which will be fully utilised in the future – not some legacy of bricks
and mortar with limited use and accompanied by the loss of a great and beautiful open green
space on the door step of the inner city.”