Olympic White Elephants: Lessons from Barrambin and Birkdale

Olympic White Elephants: Lessons from Barrambin and Birkdale

An Overview of the 2032 Brisbane Olympics

By Callen Sorensen Karklis

While campaigning for Redlands Mayor Cr Jos Mitchell during the 2024 Redlands local government election, I saw firsthand the community concern about Brisbane potentially hosting the 2032 Olympic Games and, in particular, the proposed Birkdale White Water facility in my hometown of Redlands.

The Birkdale proposal was an issue I had campaigned against as the Greens candidate for Oodgeroo in the 2024 Queensland State Election. Although Jos Mitchell won the mayoral election, her team did not win a majority on council. An LNP-aligned bloc retained enough numbers to support the Birkdale proposal.

The debate over Olympic infrastructure has not been confined to Redlands. In Brisbane, the former Palaszczuk-Miles Labor Government came under considerable community criticism over proposed upgrades to the Gabba. The plans included an Olympic village at Raymond Park and the demolition of Brisbane East State School.

Those proposals attracted opposition from the community and from then Greens Federal MP for Griffith Max Chandler-Mather, South Brisbane State MP Amy MacMahon and Greens Brisbane City Councillor Jono Sri.

During the ten months that Steven Miles served as Premier after Annastacia Palaszczuk stepped down, an alternative proposal emerged to use the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre (QSAC) at Nathan, in Upper Mount Gravatt. The site had previously been used for the 1982 Commonwealth Games.

Then LNP Opposition Leader David Crisafulli repeatedly argued that there would be “no new stadiums” under an LNP government. At the same time, other proposals were being considered, including the redevelopment of Barrambin, formerly known as Victoria Park, in Herston.

After winning the 2024 state election, however, Crisafulli’s government announced that Barrambin Victoria Park would be developed for a new stadium, in partnership with Brisbane City Council and Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner.

The announcement once again generated community opposition.

For local First Nations people, the issue was not simply about another piece of sporting infrastructure. Barrambin has cultural significance for the Yuggera and Turrbal peoples, including its history as a traditional meeting place and its association with burial sites and freshwater springs.

Covering the Barrambin protests

As a 4ZZZ radio host, I covered concerns raised by First Nations activists at the Barrambin Tent Embassy, established in 2026, until protesters were eventually evicted.

Through my research, I also discovered that opposition to the stadium proposal extended well beyond the Greens.

Former Labor leader and Brisbane councillor David Hinchliffe, former Brisbane mayors Jim Soorley, Tim Quinn and Graham Quirk, the Greens, former Liberal Lord Mayor Sallyanne Atkinson and former LNP Premier and Brisbane Lord Mayor Campbell Newman have all expressed opposition to the proposal at various times.

They have been joined by a broad coalition of local residents, environmentalists, artists, families, golfers and First Nations people.

Together, these groups have organised community protests, roadside stalls and other actions to raise awareness about the proposed development.

During 2026, I interviewed three former politicians about their opposition to the Barrambin proposal: former Labor councillor David Hinchliffe, former LNP Premier and Lord Mayor Campbell Newman, and former Greens councillor Jono Sri.

Their political backgrounds are very different, but each raised concerns that I believe deserve consideration.

The David Hinchliffe interview

I met David Hinchliffe at his art studio in Bowen Hills. Surrounded by First Nations artwork and landscape paintings, Hinchliffe explained why he believed Barrambin was enormously important to Brisbane.

He compared Victoria Park to Central Park in New York City.

For Hinchliffe, the issue was not simply about building a stadium. He argued that Barrambin was an important cultural and environmental area, particularly because of its significance to local First Nations peoples.

He believed that governments at both the state and federal levels had made a serious mistake in supporting the development.

In the months that followed, Hinchliffe resigned from the Labor Party, arguing that the Albanese Federal Government had been complicit in the Crisafulli Government’s actions at Victoria Park.

The Campbell Newman interview

I never expected that, after my years as a unionist, Labor Party supporter, branch organiser and Greens candidate, I would find myself interviewing Campbell Newman.

Newman and I have very different political views, but I found him to be honest and direct during our interview, and I respected that.

Newman came to the 4ZZZ studios in Fortitude Valley with his wife, Lisa.

He argued that building a stadium at Victoria Park was a bad decision, particularly because of the potential impact on traffic congestion around the Brisbane CBD.

He also raised concerns about the loss of valuable green space and the potential damage to First Nations cultural and burial sites.

Another concern was the financial risk to the Queensland Government. Newman argued that the project could place additional pressure on the state budget.

Interestingly, Newman suggested that a better location for a new stadium would be the Hamilton foreshore because of its proximity to Brisbane Airport.

His broader criticisms were consistent with comments he has made elsewhere. He argued that the LNP was moving away from its traditional commitment to smaller government and responsible spending and was continuing some of the fiscal policies he had previously criticised Labor for pursuing.

While I found Newman’s alternative proposal interesting, it appears increasingly unlikely that the government will abandon its plans for Victoria Park.

The Jono Sri interview

I also met former Greens councillor Jono Sri at his home in Holland Park.

Sri defended his record as a two-term councillor for the Gabba Ward before resigning to run for Lord Mayor in 2024, an election he lost to Adrian Schrinner.

He explained how he had fought to protect Raymond Park and Brisbane East State School from what he regarded as overdevelopment.

Sri rejected the argument that opposing the earlier stadium proposals was a strategic mistake. Instead, he argued that any new stadium development should be questioned.

He also opposed Brisbane hosting the Olympics, arguing that the city was not adequately designed or prepared for the scale of development required. He compared the situation with the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

Sri’s central argument was that the Queensland Government and Brisbane City Council should be concentrating on the cost-of-living crisis and the housing shortage rather than spending billions on Olympic infrastructure.

When I asked whether the Save Victoria Park campaign could succeed, Sri was optimistic.

He pointed to the success of the Save Toondah campaign as an example of what sustained community opposition can achieve.

As Sri pointed out, 24 hours is a long time in politics. I remain less optimistic about stopping the Victoria Park stadium, but his arguments certainly gave me plenty to think about.

What can Birkdale learn from Barrambin?

The controversy surrounding Barrambin Victoria Park should be a warning for future Olympic developments, including the proposed Birkdale White Water facility in Redlands.

This is particularly important because Birkdale is already a controversial proposal within the Redlands community.

A poll published by the Redland Bayside News found that 65 per cent of respondents opposed the proposed white-water facility.

Groups including Redlands 2030, the Bayside branch of the Australian Conservation Foundation, the Queensland Fabians Society, CARP and the Koala Action Group, along with many local residents, have campaigned against the project.

The debate has also reached the federal level. Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt initially announced approval of the proposal before deciding to reconsider the decision following advice from his department and experts.

The question we need to ask is whether Birkdale risks becoming another Olympic white elephant.

The white elephant problem

The history of the Olympic Games contains plenty of examples of expensive sporting facilities that have struggled to find a useful purpose after the Games have ended.

Cities including Athens, Beijing and Rio de Janeiro have been left with expensive Olympic infrastructure that has generated questions about its long-term value and cost.

Our research through 4ZZZ Community Radio and the Queensland Fabians has raised concerns that the Birkdale White Water facility could face similar problems.

The proposal could potentially cost around $200 million, creating a financial burden for governments, taxpayers and ultimately local ratepayers if costs increase.

That possibility deserves serious scrutiny.

Redland City Council already faces significant infrastructure challenges. During the Williams era, from 2012 to 2024, concerns were raised about the council’s ability to maintain ageing sewerage infrastructure.

Following the 2024 election, Mayor Jos Mitchell and her council attempted to address some of these issues through an independent operational review of council processes, finances and operations.

Mayor Mitchell also voted against proceeding with the Birkdale White Water proposal, along with five other councillors. However, they were unsuccessful because the proposal received six votes in support.

The divided council has made the issue even more difficult.

Mayor Mitchell has also spent significant periods on medical leave, leaving the political balance within council even more important.

Water: another issue for Redlands

There is another issue that deserves greater attention: water.

The Redlands region faces increasing pressure from climate change, drought and bushfire conditions.

According to figures I have examined, approximately 60 per cent of Redlands’ water comes from aquifers on North Stradbroke Island (Minjerribah), while another 20–25 per cent comes from Leslie Harrison Dam at Capalaba. The remainder is supplied through the South East Queensland water grid.

The proposed white-water facility would require substantial quantities of water. The figure being discussed is approximately 14,000 litres per second, or 840,000 litres per minute.

That raises an obvious question: how will the water requirements of the facility be managed as climate pressures increase?

I remember the concerns about water levels during the 2019–2020 bushfire seasons, particularly when I first ran for Redland City Council.

If we are going to build Olympic infrastructure, we need to consider not only how much it costs to build but also how much it will cost to operate and maintain.

The choice is ours

The Barrambin debate provides an important lesson.

Olympic projects can be sold to the public as opportunities for economic development, jobs, tourism and international recognition. But once the excitement of the Games has disappeared, local communities are left with the infrastructure, the bills and the long-term consequences.

That is why communities need to ask difficult questions before construction begins.

Is the project necessary?

Who will pay for it?

Who will benefit?

What will happen to the facility after the Olympics?

What will it cost to maintain?

And perhaps most importantly, what environmental and cultural impacts will remain after the athletes and spectators have gone home?

Birkdale should not be judged simply by whether it can host an Olympic event in 2032.

It should be judged by whether it makes sense for the Redlands community in 2033, 2040 and beyond.

The choice is ultimately ours.

We can sit back and watch governments make these decisions for us, or we can hold our politicians accountable at every level of government.

Democracy does not end on election day.

It begins with asking questions – and making sure our politicians are transparent about the answers.

About the author

Callen Sorensen Karklis is a Quandamooka man of the Nunukul (Snake), Goenpul (Eagle) and Ngugi (Dolphin) peoples from Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island). He also has Celtic, Scandinavian, German, Polish, Latvian, Spanish, Fijian and Filipino ancestry.

For more than 15 years, Callen has worked as a unionist, political activist, political staffer and campaign organiser at local, state and national levels. He was previously involved with the Queensland ALP before later aligning with the Greens.

In 2020, Callen ran as an independent candidate for Redland City Council in Division 2, campaigning to protect Toondah Harbour and its Ramsar-listed wetlands, as well as advocating for economic restructuring in Cleveland CBD.

In 2024, he stood as the Greens candidate for the Queensland state seat of Oodgeroo, contesting the election against LNP candidate Amanda Stoker.

Callen has professional experience in retail, business, market research, media advertising and youth work. Since 2022, he has been a radio announcer with 4ZZZ Community Radio.

He is also actively involved in community work, volunteers with several local organisations and is Deputy Convenor of the Queensland Fabians.

He describes himself as a Queensland Socialist.