In a letter addressed to various government officials, retired town planner Marian Wheeler argued against the construction of a 50-60 meter high stadium with a footprint of 12-15 hectares at Victoria Park in Brisbane. Wheeler examined various locations, including over the Inner City Bypass, and concluded that the hilly geography of the area made it unsuitable for such a large stadium. She expressed concerns that building such a stadium would dominate the park and destroy its open green space, likening it to Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium. Wheeler also highlighted the public transport advantages of having the Cross River Rail station and Brisbane Metro station located beside the existing Gabba stadium, suggesting that these existing facilities should be utilized instead of building a new stadium at Victoria Park.
Former Brisbane Lord Mayor Campbell Newman, who served from 2004-2011, expressed his support for protecting Victoria Park as a fully accessible public green space. He emphasized the history of the park, which was set aside in the 1870s by citizens who envisioned it as a wonderful inner-city park. Newman believes that constructing a massive stadium at Victoria Park would detract from this vision and limit public access to the park. Other former mayors, including Tim Quinn, Jim Soorley, Sallyanne Atkinson, and Bryan Walsh, echoed Newman’s sentiments, emphasizing the importance of preserving green spaces in urban areas.
Tim Quinn, who served as Brisbane mayor in 2003-2004, drew comparisons to iconic urban parks like Hyde Park in London, Central Park in New York, and The Domain in Sydney, suggesting that Victoria Park should fulfill a similar role in Brisbane. He argued that the park should be maintained as a permanent green legacy, rather than being developed into a stadium. Jim Soorley, who was mayor from 1991-2003, described Victoria Park as Brisbane’s own Central Park and warned against the folly of building a stadium on such valuable green space. Sallyanne Atkinson, who served from 1985-1991, emphasized the need for green spaces close to the city as vital “lungs” for urban areas, drawing on her experiences fighting to save green space in Fig Tree Pocket. Bryan Walsh, mayor in 1975-1976, emphasized the importance of affordability and future utilization in Olympic legacy planning, cautioning against the loss of open green space for a stadium with limited use.
Overall, the sentiment among former Brisbane mayors is strongly against the construction of a stadium at Victoria Park, with an emphasis on preserving the park as a valuable public green space. The concerns raised include the potential loss of open green space, the impact on public access to the park, and the desecration of a historical inner-city park. The support for maintaining Victoria Park as a legacy for future generations and a green oasis in the city is a common theme among these former mayors, highlighting the importance of balancing development with preserving green spaces in urban areas. The arguments put forth by Marian Wheeler and the former mayors collectively make a compelling case for reconsidering the plans for a stadium at Victoria Park and exploring alternative options that prioritize the preservation of this important green space.
