The Sale of Brisbane’s Greenspace for Commercial Gain

A critical and often-overlooked consequence of the current government approach is the quiet erosion of Brisbane’s greenspace through what is, in effect, a sell-off by stealth. The public has been told that Victoria Park will remain in “public ownership” even if the stadium proceeds, but that assurance is largely semantic. If the government pursues a Public–Private Partnership (PPP) model for construction, the operational control, commercial exploitation and day-to-day management of the site will be handed to private interests for decades. In practical terms, that means one of Brisbane’s most important urban parklands will no longer function as open, accessible public space, it will become a commercial venue first and a park in name only.

The situation is even starker when it comes to the Gabba. Under the current proposal, the Gabba, which is categorised as greenspace under the Brisbane City Plan’s Greenspace Strategic Framework, will be sold off as part of a land-swap arrangement for the Victoria Park development. This is not hypothetical; it is a direct, irreversible transfer of designated greenspace into private or commercial hands. Once lost, such land is almost never recovered for public use.

When viewed together, these two moves - the commercial repurposing of Victoria Park and the outright disposal of the Gabba represent a profound shift in how Brisbane’s greenspace is valued and managed. It sets a dangerous precedent: that strategic greenspace can be traded away to satisfy short-term political deals and commercial interests, undermining the city’s liveability, environmental resilience, and heritage protection. The public deserves transparency on these transactions and a serious discussion about whether sacrificing scarce greenspace is an acceptable price for infrastructure that will serve a handful of events over a few weeks.