Government to introduce bill that will override 15 planning laws for 2032 Olympic venues
All venues to be built for the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games, including the Victoria Park stadium, are set to be exempt from major planning rules.
The Queensland government will introduce a bill to parliament today to give the Games Independent Infrastructure and Coordination Authority (GIICA) power to override 15 planning laws.
This includes the Environmental Protection Act, the Planning Act, the Queensland Heritage Act, the Local Government Act, and the Nature Conservation Act.
The Queensland government plans to build a new stadium at Victoria Park for the 2032 Games.
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The government is making the move in a bid to ensure projects are not held up by potential legal challenges — with the laws to cover all venues and the athletes' villages.
The proposed law changes will mean final planning sign-off for all Games venues will rest with the state government, rather than councils.
A white-water stadium, to be created in the Redlands, will offer international-level events as well as recreation and training opportunities.
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Queensland Government
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Deputy Premier and Planning Minister Jarrod Bleijie said the laws would empower GIICA to "get on with the job" of delivering the 2032 Games.
He also promised "appropriate checks and balances".
"With the largest infrastructure investment in Queensland's history, it's important there are clear pathways to delivery, with the appropriate oversight of government in the right places," he said.
Queensland Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie promised the appropriate checks and balances would still happen.
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AAP: Darren England
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The government said GICCA will still have ministerial oversight and that all projects will need to be assessed by the Cabinet Budget Review Committee before they get funding.
Games infrastructure will also be subject to building compliance laws.
Save Victoria Park spokeswoman Rosemary O'Hagan described the move as "kill-all, draconian" legislation and a "slap in the face" for the community.
Rosemary O'Hagan (right) has been advocating against the stadium plans for Victoria Park, describing the government's plan to override planning laws as "a slap in the face".
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"You have to actually question … what is so wrong with these developments that they're putting in for the Olympics that they have to remove so many legal safeguards to actually build them," she said.
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What is the point of having heritage protection and environmental protection if you're just going to override it all?
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Ms O'Hagan said Save Victoria Park remained committed to safeguarding the 64 hectares of green space.
"This is too important to just roll over and let the bulldozers roll in," she said.
There have been protests by locals opposed to plans to building the Victoria Park stadium.
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AAP: Jono Searle
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After
Other major venues include a new national aquatic centre at Spring Hill with a 2032 Games seating capacity of 25,000.
A 3,000-seat show court arena will also be built at the Queensland Tennis Centre in Tennyson.
The state government has vowed to keep the Olympics infrastructure budget
The Brisbane Tennis Centre will be updated for the 2032 event, within the multi-billion-dollar budget shared by state and federal governments.
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