Why We Fight for Victoria Park / Barrambin
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Why Do We Continue to Fight? Why Don’t We Just Let the Government ‘Get On With It?’
Because some things are too important to walk away from. This isn’t about being anti-Olympics. It’s about standing up for a place that holds deep meaning for community, for climate, for culture, for First Nations people and for future generations. Victoria Park is more than just open space - it’s never been just ‘vacant land.’ It’s one of our last inner-city green pockets that breathes life into our dense and rapidly developing city. This land has been home to First Nations people, WWII war brides, American soldiers, public housing residents, school children and families for generations. It’s where wildlife still find refuge in the heart of our city. It’s where Brisbane breathes. It’s a place of memory and of meaning. Every inch of it is heritage-listed for a reason. And once it’s gone, we can’t get it back.
We’ve been told many times to give up. To be realistic. To stop getting in the way. As if our voices, the voices of people who care deeply about this place are just background noise to a government agenda already written. With the government’s decision, we were expected to roll over. But we won’t. Because we know that this fight is not just about a patch of land. It’s about principle, integrity and the defence of our city’s cultural and heritage values. It’s about protecting a place so important, so irreplaceable, from being flattened under the weight of short-term decisions dressed up as progress.
In the 1970s, The Rocks in Sydney were almost lost to high-rise development until a broad alliance of people, including unions, heritage advocates and everyday Australians said no. What was once seen as old and expendable is now recognised as one of Australia’s most culturally significant precincts. Melbourne’s Federation Square and the green expanse of Sydney Park were once similarly threatened and dismissed as under-utilised or outdated. Today, they are among the most visited and celebrated public spaces in the country. These places were nearly erased because someone in power decided they weren’t valuable enough to protect. But the public proved otherwise.
Again and again, we’ve seen planning laws set aside, heritage protections watered down, and irreversible decisions made in the name of so-called progress. Too often, we’re left looking back with regret at what was lost. Victoria Park is at that same crossroads. This isn’t just a local issue. This is about how we value our green spaces, our history, our significant First Nations sites, our environment and who gets a say in shaping the city we all live in.
This campaign is proof that when everyday people come together with a shared sense of purpose, we can push back against the goliath that is the State Government and say NO, this is wrong. We’re not fighting for the sake of fighting, we’re fighting because Victoria Park’s rich history and culture matters. It matters to the past, to the present and to the future. Some things are worth fighting for. And Victoria Park is one of them.
Donate now to the legal fund. 100% of donations go toward legal fees and related legal expenses to protect Victoria Park.