Government declines to protect Indigenous ‘sacred’ site to be bulldozed for Brisbane Olympic stadium

Environment minister Murray Watt decides against emergency declaration to halt construction but does not rule out ‘longer term protections’

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The federal government has decided against an 11th-hour intervention to halt construction of an Olympic stadium and aquatic centre in the heart of Brisbane, in a park that traditional owners call “sacred”.

The environment minister, Murray Watt, issued a statement on Sunday afternoon to say he had considered applications made under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act for him to stop construction in Victoria Park.