QSAC upgrade for 2032 Games to be within ‘existing’ site

The environment minister has responded to criticism over the impact to koalas in the controversial upgrades to Brisbane’s athletics stadium in time for the Olympics.

Controversial upgrades to make an athletics stadium Games ready won’t need to encroach into critical koala habitat according to Queensland’s environment minister.

But there is still little guarantee no trees will be felled under Premier Steven Miles plan to build a $1.6bn stadium at the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre in Nathan.

QSAC is flanked by major roads on its east and south, an 80-hectare cemetery to its north, and Griffith University owned native bushland to its west.

Conservations and wildlife carers have warned every tree logged in the area meant further endangering the koala population.

Environment Minister Leanne Linard said QSAC had a “large footprint” and any upgrades would remain within existing borders.

“What we’ve heard is that site is a large site, it’s a large footprint and our expectation as a government is that any investment in the stadium will be within the existing footprint,” she said.

She also argued Toohey Forest Park was “some distance from the boundary of the site”.

Queensland Government mapping shows the official conservation park area is 3km as the crow flies from QSAC, but the bushland surrounding is deemed core koala habitat.

There is also about 40m worth of bushland between QSAC’s official property boundary and the facility.

Aerial images over Brisbane of QSAC at Nathan

An infrastructure review by former Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk, which argued against the QSAC stadium, noted site constraints meant building transport and associated Games infrastructure would be “extremely challenging and costly”.

He warned facilitating the International Olympic Committee’s requirements meant native forest adjacent to the stadium would need to be bulldozed.

“The Griffith University campus could be used for athlete entry, however clearance of significant bushland would be needed to allow this to happen safely,” he said.

“Griffith University would need to be used for bus access, and as a result, bushland would need to be cleared and the pathway to the QSAC stadium widened.”

Queensland Conservation Council director Dave Copeman called for the government to protect the area and said every tree logged would further endanger the once-booming koala population.

“Right now, koalas in south east Queensland are suffering a death by a thousand cuts, and we can’t afford to lose one more hectare of habitat to bulldozers,” he said.

“Toohey Forest is a known koala hotspot.

“This could be a real positive, with visitors getting a first-hand experience of our incredible nature, but that’s only possible if the proposed QSAC redevelopment doesn’t result in loss of koala habitat.”