The Queensland Government has introduced a new bill that will allow venues for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games to go ahead without needing to follow some of the state’s key planning laws.
The changes will give the Games Independent Infrastructure and Coordination Authority (GIICA) power to override 15 different laws, including environmental protection, planning, and heritage rules. The aim is to speed up the building of stadiums, the athletes’ village, and transport links.
Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie said the move is about getting on with delivering the Games on time and on budget, after delays caused by previous government issues.
However, the decision has sparked protests. Campaigners like Save Victoria Park have argued that the law strips away community safeguards and threatens green spaces important to First Nations groups. Rosemary O’Hagan, a protest spokesperson, described the legislation as extreme and questioned why so many rules need to be removed if the developments are good for the area.
Other locations like Redland City are also concerned, particularly over the whitewater venue planned there. Local leaders fear it won’t offer long-term benefits and could become a burden, like Sydney’s whitewater centre from 2000.
Despite these concerns, the Australian Constructors Association supports the law, saying the usual slow approval process won’t work for a project of this scale.
The law builds on the existing Brisbane Olympic planning act from 2021 and is expected to play a key role in pushing forward all construction linked to the Games.
