A former Liberal National Party premier, Campbell Newman, has joined forces with a former Greens councillor and other unlikely allies to protest against the Queensland government's plan to build the main stadium for the 2032 Olympics at Victoria Park in Brisbane.
At a public meeting in August, Newman raised his hand when asked if he would take 'direct action' to prevent the construction of the A$3.8 billion, 63,000-seat stadium. He was joined by former Labor deputy mayor David Hinchliffe and former Greens councillor Jonathan Sriranganathan, who described the coalition as an 'uneasy alliance'.
The protest group Save Victoria Park is campaigning against the stadium plan, which also includes a 25,000-seat national aquatic centre at the site. The group is pursuing a legal challenge under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act, as Victoria Park, also known as Barrambin, is a significant cultural site for First Nations people.
Deputy Premier and Planning Minister Jarrod Bleijie has exempted Olympic venues from 15 state laws, including the Heritage Act and Planning Act, to expedite construction. He stated the government is 'delivering a generational infrastructure legacy' and that the legislation 'accelerates the delivery of Games infrastructure on time, on budget'.
Retired games developer Matthew Ford, a member of Save Victoria Park, has begun his own form of protest by locking himself to a concrete table during weekly Dungeons & Dragons games in the park. 'People like me will lock themselves on. People like me will disobey,' he said.
