Premier dismisses calls to scrap Gabba redevelopment ahead of Brisbane 2032 Games

Annastacia Palaszczuk says redeveloping the Gabba for the 2032 Games is a “once in a lifetime opportunity” after a petition with thousands of signatures called for the project to be scrapped.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has appeared to dismiss a petition opposing the Gabba redevelopment and the bulldozing of nearby homes, saying the Brisbane 2032 Games were a “once in a lifetime opportunity”.

A parliamentary petitions currently circulating calls for the Olympic and Paralympic Games development in the Woolloongabba area to be scrapped, including the transformation of Raymond Park into a warm-up track.

Woolloongabba residents are calling for the Gabba redevelopment to be scrapped. Picture: David Clark

Residents say the plans show homes will have to be bulldozed to make way for the new facilities, but when asked about the issue during a trip to Bundaberg on Thursday the Premier said it wasn’t likely to impact “many properties”, rather a “few homes”.

“And it’s not needed until much closer to the Games,” she said.

“The Deputy Premier (Steven Miles) is working on those issues … and he will have more to say.”

The petition – backed by Greens South Brisbane MP Amy MacMahon – to “save Raymond Park” has attracted more than 2500 signatures, with petitioners saying “family homes and established trees cannot be replaced once they are removed”.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says redeveloping the Gabba is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Picture: Dan Peled / NCA NewsWire

But Ms Palaszczuk when asked whether the petition and its thousands of signatures was a “bad look”, she said: “I don’t think so”.

“I think people understand the Gabba has reached its end-of-life use, and we have reached an agreement with the Commonwealth Government about funding for the infrastructure that’s needed.

“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” she said.

“I never thought it would happen in my lifetime, and we should grasp it with both hands.”