Barrambin/Victoria Park is a massive 64 hectare green space in the heart of Brisbane. Barrambin means “windy place” in Turrbal language and it was a well known Indigenous campground and food gathering place.
As Brisbane has grown and suburbs become more dense, Barrambin has become a backyard for residents in Herston, Spring Hill, Kelvin Grove, Petrie Terrace, Fortitude Valley, and Bowen Hills. It’s a central spot for residents to play, grow, and develop community connections.
Did you know that Barrambin used to be twice its size? Over the past 30 years, more than 50% of the park has been privatised and carved off for roads, telephone towers, and busways. The Brisbane City Council and the Queensland Government must take action to protect this park for recreational and community use.
Recently the park was identified as a potential site for a 55,000 seat Olympic Stadium. Despite strong community opposition, and after initially rejecting the proposal in the lead up to the 2024 local government election, the Brisbane LNP Mayor supports this idea.
I’ve worked with Stephen Bates, MP for Brisbane and Councillor Seal Chong-Wah to get clarity on private use of the park, and called for more transparency about the Barrambin land designated by the Department of Transport and Main Roads. Poor consultation has led to a deadlock over the Normanby pedestrian bridge, an essential route between Barrambin/Victoria Park and Spring Hill. The community is left with half a bridge to nowhere because the LNP-led Brisbane City Council and Labor Queensland Government can’t agree on who should rebuild it.
Kelvin Grove residents surveyed during the council’s Barrambin/Victoria Park Master Plan consultations said they used the bridge regularly, and would increase their use after the park is rewilded. The Greens have called on state and local government to resolve their stalemate and for the bridge to be completed to provide an accessible route for local residents.
In collaboration with the committed volunteers of Save Victoria Park and other community members, the Greens are fighting for Barrambin's preservation. We want to ensure it remains a vital community space for current and future generations.
You can read the submission by my colleagues Stephen Bates MP and Cr Seal Chong Wah on the Barrambin/Victoria Park Master Plan Local Government Infrastructure Designation (LGID) here.
And sign Save Victoria Park’s petition to protect Barrambin for future generations.