Residents join Greens in opposing Roma Street arena
It’s the least controversial of Brisbane 2032’s two major venues, but Brisbane Arena is facing stiff opposition from Roma Street residents.
The revised plan for the Brisbane Arena saw the indoor stadium moved to the northern end of Roma Street Parklands.Credit: Queensland government
While the campaign to protect Victoria Park from new Olympic venues has been front and centre of late, another grassroots group has its eye on protecting another piece of prime inner-city green space.
The Protect Roma Street Parkland committee has submitted its objection to the proposed Brisbane Arena being built on the site to the Crisafulli government’s 100-day review into Olympic infrastructure for the 2032 Games.
And they have the support of the Greens in opposing any encroachment of the parklands.
Former lord mayor Graham Quirk’s 2024 review found the original proposal to build the arena above the railway tracks at Roma Street would have cost up to $4 billion and prevented trains running through the station for two years.
Roma Street Parklands, shortly after its opening.Credit: Tourism Queensland
The review recommended a new location in the north-west corner of the parkland, near the Normanby five-ways, as a cheaper and more easily deliverable option.
That has not gone down well with residents, who have submitted their concerns about parkland amenity and the views from their tower unit blocks.
“We must stress that we do not object to development on the Parkland site of an appropriate nature as proposed in various existing planning documents,” they write in their submission.
“We do object to the hastily chosen, high-impact and massive development that would be Brisbane Arena unless it can be demonstrated that our concerns are groundless.”
So what are those concerns?
While supportive of an inner-city arena, Protect Roma Street Parkland argues the proposed location would have “major negative impacts on the environment, community amenity, and local infrastructure”.
One of those impacts was the need for a new “universal access pathway,” identified in the Quirk review, needed to get people safely to and from the arena.
“If this universal access path approach is implemented, the park will be effectively cut in two and mean a major loss of park at both ends for new routes and vertical transportation,” Protect Roma Street Parkland says.
“Presumably multiple new escalators and lifts of much greater capacity will be required adjacent to the Roma Street Station exit with the loss of the Carriage Shed.
“There will be a major negative impact on the form of the park with loss of significant trees, well established vegetation, disruption of flora etc.”
Residents protest against the proposed arena at Roma Street.Credit: Protect Roma Street Parkland
They also expressed concerns for their safety.
“Unless Parkland Boulevard is quarantined by diverting pedestrian traffic around the Parklands complex, the security and safety of Parkland residents, their homes and property will face an increased risk of crime when pedestrians trespass into basement carparks and apartment buildings,” they said.
And there was the visual impact too, as Protect Roma Street Parkland notes most units would overlook the arena.
“Being able to see a building superstructure is not an issue in itself as all parties would have expected development on that site at some stage in the future,” they say in their submission.
Roma Street Parklands residential towersCredit: Pradella
“Purchasers since 2021 would be expecting development in accordance with the [Cross River Rail Priority Development Area] 2021, with earlier purchasers expecting development in accordance with the Brisbane City Plan current at the time of purchase.
“However, none of these plans contemplated a development of the bulk and scale of the proposed Brisbane Arena.”
The submission makes the case for protecting green space, while paradoxically suggesting Victoria Park as one of several alternative sites.
Opponents of a proposed main Olympic stadium at Victoria Park have expressed similar misgivings about the potential loss of green space there.
“We are aware of the proposals to site various venues on the Victoria Park and Hamilton,” Protect Roma Street Parkland notes.
“Again, while this is a sensitive community issue, both these sites would seem to present a much easier, cheaper and less intrusive build than the Parkland site.”
They argue the original Brisbane Live proposal over the railway tracks had “enormous advantages over the proposed Roma Street Parklands site,” and also backed an arena for the Gabba.
Previous plans for the Brisbane Arena to be built over the train lines.
“We are highly supportive of the submission which we believe is being put forward by Dykman Consulting which proposes Brisbane Arena placed at the Gabba should a new stadium be built at Victoria Park or elsewhere,” Protect Roma Street Parkland says.
“Intuitively, we think that if a new AFL/cricket stadium were built, there should be time to transfer those events to the new stadium and commence work on day one after the transfer to construct an arena using modern construction methods on the Gabba site.
“This would also preserve East Brisbane State School which could remain on its existing site.”
They were also supportive of Hayes Anderson Lynch Architects’ proposal for an arena to be built opposite the Gabba, alongside Woolloongabba’s new Cross River Rail station.
Protect Roma Street Parkland claims to represent more than 1000 local residents and about 2100 e-petition signatories alarmed at “the lack of community consultation and the fast-tracking of the Brisbane Arena proposal without adequate consideration of its impact”.
“We are not opposed to appropriate development, but the decision to place a 17,000-seat arena adjacent to Roma Street Parklands has been rushed and overlooks major risks to the community, the environment, and park users,” committee spokesman Ross Beames said.
The Live Nation/Oak View Group/Plenary consortium’s design for Brisbane Arena in Olympic swimming mode.
“The Parklands is a cherished green space in Brisbane, used by millions of visitors each year. It deserves proper protection and planning.”
Another committee member, Jody Stehbens, said the group was concerned the Roma Street arena was a “done deal” without proper consideration of the costs of possible alternative sites.
“The local and broader Brisbane community should have a voice in shaping a development of this scale, particularly one that could fundamentally change such an important green space,” she said.
The Protect Roma Street Parkland groups has found some political support in the form of the Greens.
In a joint submission to the review, elected Greens Stephen Bates (federal MP for Brisbane), Queensland Senator Larissa Waters and Paddington councillor Seal Chong Wah say the parklands should be preserved.
“Roma Street Parklands is the backyard for Brisbane City’s residents, who almost all live in apartments,” they said.
“Many object to the proposed loss of public green space and award-winning facilities to build the Brisbane Arena venue, and the $2.5 billion budget that is now expected to run over by another $500 million.
“They are also angry about the lack of transparency and consultation throughout the planning process so far.”
The Greens also objected to plans to build the main Olympic stadium at Victoria Park.
“The open green space, mature vegetation, and wildlife at Barrambin/Victoria Park, once lost, cannot be replaced,” they say.
“Victoria Park/Barrambin is the closest park and greenspace for many residents of high density suburbs including Kelvin Grove, Spring Hill, Bowen Hills and Fortitude Valley, most of whom live in high-rise apartment buildings.
“...It is in complete contradiction with the Games’ required new norms; it would be a new stadium and is estimated to cost at least $3.4 billion making it one of the most expensive in the world.”
The Greens did not offer alternative sites for major Olympic venues, but did single out one minor venue in the inner-city for further consideration.
“The Brisbane Electorate Office has also been contacted by numerous constituents showing enthusiasm for upgrades to Perry Park, especially given the popularity of the Matildas following the World Cup in Australia,” they said.