IN BRIEF
- Works on Brisbane's controversial new Olympic stadium are set to begin on Monday.
- Opponents say the redevelopment will destroy Indigenous sacred sites and important green space.
Brisbane's new Olympic Stadium will be the centrepiece of its 2032 games, but six years out, it is already mired in controversy following intense public opposition and a dramatic clash between police and protesters.
The Queensland government plans to build a $3.6 billion Olympic Stadium at the 64-hectare heritage-listed Victoria Park — just outside Brisbane's CBD — but it has come under fire from Traditional Owners, environmental groups and community members.
The state government says the new stadium will replace Brisbane Cricket Ground, commonly known as the Gabba, which is slated for demolition after the 2032 games, and that the redevelopment will eventually unlock more of the park for public use when a private golf course at the site is removed.
But it's become a thorny political issue for the government, following weeks of demonstrations and bids for the federal environment minister and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to intervene.
The Games Independent Infrastructure and Coordination Authority (GIICA) was officially handed control of the site at midnight on Sunday, but protesters are hoping an eleventh-hour legal process finds in their favour.
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Why are people against the project?
Opposition to the new stadium started before it was even confirmed, when the Queensland Premier David Crisafulli made an election promise that he would not build any new stadiums for the games.
He backflipped on this in March 2025 — six months after he was elected — when plans for the Victoria Park redevelopment were first made public.
The decision immediately alarmed Traditional Owners who say the park — also known as Barrambin — is an important cultural site and that the development could damage sacred springs and trees.
First Nations activists set up a tent embassy at the park in April, after it was announced the future construction site would be fenced off for five years.
Campaigning under the name Save Victoria Park, members of the wider community have also opposed the development on the grounds that the 63,000-seat stadium will replace one of the city's most significant green spaces.
They are also concerned the site lacks adequate road access and public transport.
What happened this weekend?
With the government set to start work on Monday, protesters used the weekend to make a final public demonstration against the project, which culminated in a dramatic clash with police and several arrests.
On Friday, First Nations activists said they were blindsided when authorities asked them to move on and imposed a snap 2pm deadline.
Police and Brisbane City Council workers entered the site and began taking it apart, sparking a dramatic scene and five arrests, after one man was crash tackled to the ground.
Protests continued over the weekend, with hundreds turning out on Sunday for a last-ditch protest to save the site.
Traditional Owners remained at the protest camp overnight until police moved them on in the early hours of this morning.
Queensland Police told SBS News there were no further arrests overnight.
Environment minister assessing applications
Opponents of the project have taken their concerns to federal Environment Minister Murray Watt, filing 10 separate applications to protect part of the park under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act.
On Sunday, Watt said in a statement that he had assessed two of the applications and was "unable to be satisfied that either application met the statutory requirements for a declaration to be made".
"Today's decisions follow consultation with interested parties, and I acknowledge the importance of the area to the Turrbal and Yagara Peoples," Watt said.
He said the other applications were still being assessed.
On Monday, Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie told the ABC his government was "not concerned" about the applications and that he did not believe they would be successful.
In a separate bid to overturn the stadium's construction, a member of the Save Victoria Park campaign has taken the group's concerns to the IOC in Switzerland, arguing the stadium violates the IOC's own rules.
The Olympic Host Contract for Brisbane 2032 states that permanent Olympic infrastructure should not be built "in statutory nature areas, cultural protected areas and World Heritage sites".
The campaigner told the ABC that while his petition had been accepted, there had been no indication the IOC would intervene.
What next?
Traditional Owner groups and community members have vowed to continue fighting the development.
The First Nations protest camp has moved from the original site but remains active.
Opponents are also still waiting for Watt to make decisions on the eight outstanding applications.
— With reporting by the Australian Associated Press.
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