Bleijie’s Indigenous ultimatum: Get on board or stay out of the way

Jarrod Bleijie has told Indigenous advocates Victoria Park Stadium will be going ahead no matter what, and he’s given them two options.

Jarrod Bleijie won’t back down from any fight.

Indigenous communities opposing the Victoria Park Olympic stadium have been told to co-operate with the government’s fast-tracked plans or be pushed aside.

The state government on Wednesday night passed sweeping laws that bulldoze planning hurdles for Olympic and Paralympic infrastructure, including environmental and heritage protections.

It comes after the Save Victoria Park advocacy group threatened legal action against the government for the 2032 stadium due to an existing heritage listing.

Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie has warned that he would activate the new laws if an agreement could not be reached.

“Rather than just overruling those cultural heritage laws, I’ve actually put a provision in there that still honours those cultural heritage laws,” he said.

“But ultimately, if an agreement can’t be reached with local Indigenous communities, then the laws will be overridden.”

Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie says the Victoria Park Stadium will be built no matter what. Picture: Liam Kidston

Unlike environmental laws, which the legislation now allows the government to bypass immediately, Mr Bleijie said heritage issues were given a “carved out pathway” and that the government wanted to engage Indigenous communities about the stadium works.

“Because we do recognise a historical connection,” he said.

But he brushed off concerns about the significance of the First Nations history, saying “no one was talking about that before when it was a golf course”.

Mr Bleijie said Queenslanders would see fast construction when shovels hit the ground for Brisbane’s main stage.

“There will be excavators, there’ll be tractors, there’ll be bulldozers, there’ll be yellow vests,” he said.

“It won’t be CFMEU, but there’ll be lots of workers.”

He also confirmed Queensland taxpayers would be forced to cover any additional costs above the capped $7.1bn Games funding envelope for 2032 venues, reaffirming he had no intentions of squeezing the federal government for more money.

“The state government were always going to have to fund any balance on top of what the cap funding was,” he said.

“That’s the reality, because the federal government capped the funding, and I have not asked the federal government for one extra dollar.”

The state government set aside the $7.1bn Olympic fund in its budget this week as a show of “good faith” and confidence in the securing of a private developer for the Brisbane Arena.

“What we wanted to do, in good faith, was to show (Federal Infrastructure Minister) Catherine King that we’re serious about this … there is a genuine belief that we will be able to get a deal and construct pretty quickly,” Mr Bleijie said.