Public Accounts Committee struggling to get details confirmed despite asking questions

Blair Richards | The Mercury | 25 March 2023

MEMBERS of state parliament’s Public Accounts Committee have tried – mostly in vain – to pin down details about Hobart’s proposed new stadium.

State Development, Construction and Housing Minister Guy Barnett used a public hearing in Hobart to make the government’s case that a stadium and AFL team will bring massive economic and social benefits.

“The arts, entertainment and sports precinct is more than just a stadium,” he said.

“What is important to the government right here, right now, is securing funding from the federal government of some $240m.” While Mr Barnett was focused on the need to secure federal funding, committee members were interested in details about the stadium decision making process and the designs.

State Growth secretary Kim Evans said the first public confirmation that the success of the AFL bid had become contingent on a stadium was former Premier Peter Gutwein’s March 2022 state of the state address.

Committee members including chair Ruth Forrest and Nelson MLC Meg Webb sought documentation showing when the decision was made to pursue a stadium.

However they were told there were no such documents.

Mr Evans said ongoing negotiations with the AFL had been mainly verbal – a standard process and in line with the deal around the JackJumpers NBL team.

He said the concept of a new stadium, which had been raised in the 2019 AFL taskforce report, firmed up during discussions with the AFL. Mr Evans also referred to AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan’s clear public statements during a recent tourism and business event in Hobart.

“He was absolutely unequivocal. He said no new stadium, no new licence,” Mr Evans said.

When asked about likely cost blowouts for the $715m project, State Growth deputy secretary Gary Swain said the budget would be “aggressively managed”.

“All the way through there will be risks around cost management. That is standard for this kind of project,” he said.

Committee members also asked to see artists’ impressions of the stadium that showed the building’s elevation. “Why won’t the government show what these structures look like from the street?” Ms Webb said.

Mr Evans said such designs did not exist yet. “We haven’t reached a point where we’ve done that detailed design work,” he said.

Questions were also raised about where the stadium left Melbourne developers Milieu, who had been chosen to do the $100m Escarpment development at Macquarie Point before the stadium was announced.

Macquarie Point Development Corporation acting CEO Anne Beach did not reveal the fate of the project.

“They remain the preferred proponent for the Escarpment, we have a heads of agreement with them that expires in June,” Ms Beach said. “There’s no development application for that site and we continue to work with them.”

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