To: Minister for Transport, overseeing the delivery of Cross River Rail,
Dear Brent Mickelberg,
I am seeking information regarding the Albert Street Green Spine and its implications for public assembly and democratic rights both during the construction phase and following the completion of the project. There are regular assemblies outside 123 Albert Street where Boeing is a tenant. As is now well established, Boeing is a weapons manufacturer that is complicit in the genocide in Gaza. Boeing is supplying lethal weaponry, materiel* and intelligence to Israel and the United States and its allies, including the UAE and Britain.
Evidence reported from the prosecution of Wage Peace activist Margaret Pestorius indicated that Boeing’s Brisbane headquarters employs approximately 1,500 staff, some of whom are working on a range of military projects. These projects include support for the Boeing 737-based E-7A Wedgetail airborne surveillance and command aircraft donated by the Australian government in its support for the US/Israel war on Iran.
The Cross River Rail project plan describes the Green Spine as a significant new pedestrian corridor and public gathering space extending along Albert Street. As a matter of public interest, I am seeking specific information regarding the legal and regulatory framework that currently applies, and that will apply upon completion, to this precinct.
This inquiry is particularly significant in light of recent concerns about restrictions on political expression in Brisbane and Queensland generally as laid out by QueenslandCouncilfor Civil Liberties, the Law Society and other parties to the introduction of certain prohibited expressions into the Criminal code of Queensland.
Public attention has been drawn to the Brisbane City Council’s fining of three Palestinian activists more than $6,500 for speaking in support of Palestine, raising specific questions about Australians participation in the Israeli occupation forces in Gaza and Palestine and about the practical ability of residents to exercise rights of peaceful assembly and political communication in public spaces like the Queen Street Mall. A number of these restrictions on political expression may turn out to be unconstitutional when the matter is reviewed by the High Court.
Against that backdrop, there is considerable public interest in understanding how major new civic spaces such as the Green Spine will be regulated vis-a-vis free speech.
In particular, I would appreciate answers to the following questions:
1. What restrictions, if any, currently apply to public meetings, rallies, demonstrations, pickets, marches or other forms of public political assembly within the Green Spine construction zone?
2. What restrictions, if any, will apply to public meetings, rallies, demonstrations, pickets, marches or other forms of public political assembly within the Green Spine precinct once construction has been completed?
3. Under the Peaceful Assembly Act 1992 the Green Spine is regarded as a public place for the purposes both during construction and following completion. What specific measures have been taken to restrict assemblies during construction and afterwards?
4. Will any part of the Green Spine be subject to the same or similar regulatory arrangements that currently apply in the Queen Street Mall?
5. Will authorisation, approvals, or licences be required for static assemblies, public meetings, protests, or marches within the precinct beyond those already contemplated by Queensland legislation?
6. Which authority currently regulates public assembly within the construction area, and which authority will ultimately be responsible for regulating public assembly in the completed Green Spine precinct?
7. Has any assessment been undertaken regarding the impact of either the construction arrangements or the completed design on the exercise of democratic rights, including freedom of expression and peaceful assembly?
8. Are there any current or proposed policies, local laws, regulations or management plans that would restrict, regulate or otherwise affect political demonstrations or public assemblies within the Green Spine precinct?
As the Green Spine is being promoted as a major civic space in the heart of Brisbane, there is considerable public interest in understanding whether it will function as an open public forum or whether additional restrictions on public assembly will apply either during construction or after its completion.
I would be grateful for a response and for copies of any relevant policies, planning documents, legal advice, local laws, management plans or other documents that address these issues.
Thank you for your assistance. I look forward to your reply.
Always was, always will be aboriginal land,,
Ian Curr
Editor,
Workers BushTelegraph
Mob: 0407 687 016
Email: workersbushtelegraph@gmail.com
17 June 2026
Reference
https://crossriverrail.qld.gov.au/albert-street/albert-street-green-spine/
*Please Note: ‘Material‘ refers to the physical substance or resources used to make something, whereas ‘materiel‘ exclusively refers to military or commercial equipment, hardware, and supplies. Given Boeing’s high profile in the weapons industry, the latter term is preferred.