South Brisbane to be locked down for G20 with residents to be issued access passes to their homes

The Queensland Police Minister, Jack Dempsey, is already planning to suppress the First Nations G20 protesters by attempting to contain them in Musgrave Park.
- Good luck Jack!

Robyn Ironside Courier Mail 24 July 2013

South Brisbane is set to become a mini-fortress during next year's G20 forum with steel fencing to be erected around part of the suburb and many residents required to use access passes to move in and out of their homes.

A long list of items will also be prohibited in the area including bicycles, backpacks and kites under laws being specially formulated for the November 15-16 event.

Police will get special detention powers, and Brisbane Airportlink and the Clem7 tunnels will be closed for the transport of world leaders such as US President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron.

Queensland Police Deputy Commissioner Ross Barnett said the gathering would be the "biggest peacetime security operation potentially in Australia's history".

"I'm sure everyone who is either visitor or resident in this area will understand that if there is tension between security requirements and public amenity and access to this site, that those things will necessarily have to be resolved in favour of appropriate security," Mr Barnett said.

This Raw film footage was taken from Super 8 film which is now held as an archive by the Fryer Library at the University of Queensland.
Published on YouTube by LeftPress in 2012

Officer in charge of the operation, Assistant Commissioner Katarina Carroll, said thousands of residents in the immediate vicinity of the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre would be impacted by the event.

"We will be using a type of pass system for residents to acknowledge that they live in that area, so they'll have right of entry and exit from their residence," Ms Carroll said.

"We haven't sat down and worked out the numbers exactly but thousands of people will be affected."

She said criminal checks would not be conducted on residents during the "vetting process" for access passes but intelligence was being gathered on the types of protest groups planning to target G20.

"We encourage and support lawful protests as a democratic right however if there is a security issue or if there is civil disobedience or damage to property there will be affirmative action taken to address those issues," Ms Carroll said.

Assistant Commissioner Katarina Carroll, Police Minister Jack Dempsey and Deputy Commissioner Ross Barnett explain the security preparations for the G20 to be held in Brisbane in November 2014
(Pic: Philip Norrish Source: News Limited)

Police Minister Jack Dempsey said areas such as Musgrave Park would be set aside for the purpose of peaceful demonstrations.

Premier Campbell Newman has previously described the summit as a "great opportunity to showcase Brisbane and Queensland to the world" but is continuing to seek an assurance from Prime Minister Kevin Rudd that the associated economic benefits of G20 will remain in the city as agreed.

Under the deal struck with former PM Julia Gillard, Canberra is to fund an expansion of the police digital radio network and stage a business leaders "B20 forum" in Brisbane.

"The Premier raised this with Mr Rudd in person but has yet to receive confirmation that the Federal Government will honour its deal with Queensland," a spokesman for Mr Newman said.

A public holiday will be held in Brisbane on the eve of the forum, and Mr Dempsey yesterday urged people to take advantage of the long weekend, rather than descend on South Brisbane.

"It's up there with aeroplane watchers and reading Hansard. There is a certain demographic that may want to come down and see G20, that's why the forward planning is in place," Mr Dempsey said.

"I'd be finding a bit of time with my family and friends."

The Late Ross Watson (shaved head) on the road to QEII during the 1982 Commonwealth Games protests. Ross was a leader of the 1982 Commonwealth Games protests and founder of the Murri school and of Murri radio (fm 98.9) in Brisbane. (Source: workersbushtelegraph.com.au