BRISBANE — The Australian federal government declined to issue an emergency declaration to halt construction of an Olympic stadium and aquatic center in Victoria Park, Brisbane. Environment Minister Murray Watt considered applications under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act seeking to stop the development.
Watt appointed a reporter to review further applications and to “determine if longer term protections are required.” He said, “Today’s decisions follow consultation with interested parties, and I acknowledge the importance of the area to the Turrbal and Yagara Peoples.”
Nurri Theresa Williams, who lodged the heritage protection applications, described Victoria Park as “the last sacred site of the gathering of our people in the entire Brisbane area.” She said her family had lived in the area for hundreds of years and added, “I’m now in my 80s and this place does have birthing sites – my family’s birthing sites. This park is a beautiful, natural park – our motherland – has burial sites. My family’s burial sites.”
Hundreds of protesters gathered in Victoria Park on Sunday, the final day before the 64-hectare site was scheduled to be transferred from Brisbane City Council trust land to the Games Independent Infrastructure and Coordination Authority (GIICA). Sue Bremner, president of Save Victoria Park, told the crowd, “The world was appalled, on Friday, by what they saw.” She also said she expected fencing around the site to be completed by Monday morning.
On Friday, five people were arrested from the Goori Camp Embassy, a First Nations protest camp, when initial fencing went up. A Queensland police spokesperson said police had no immediate plans to evict protesters and referred questions about site safety to Brisbane City Council. There was a light police presence at the park on Sunday.
The Queensland state government and Brisbane City Council issued a joint statement saying, “While we respect the right to peaceful protest, the Victoria Park camp has now become a safety issue, and no one can be in any doubt that these protestors have had ample opportunity to leave the site for their own safety.” They also stated that GIICA, the council, and police had repeatedly warned that it would be unsafe for people to remain once construction begins.