Saga of the AFL Stadium

Background to issue:

Since its September 2022 announcement the contentious state government-endorsed AFL stadium at Macquarie Point on Hobart’s waterfront has been subject to serious and growing community disquiet.
While many Tasmanians actively support, or do not oppose, having a state team in the AFL, they do object to being told such a long-held dream is contingent upon an AFL-demanded stadium being built on an AFL-designated site.  This feels like blackmail.
Additionally there are serious concerns over the project’s costs, and impacts upon other key stakeholders.

Below is a timeline of key developments in this sorry saga of failed governance, and lack of transparent decision-making in the public interest:

5 September 2022 – Tasmanian Rockliff Government Cabinet decides Macquarie Point will be the site for the proposed new AFL stadium

18 September 2022 –  official public announcement of Cabinet decision, which, (contrary to previous public undertakings) accepted the AFL’s requirement that a Tasmanian team is contingent upon a new AFL stadium based at Macquarie Point.

9 December 2022 – due to public outcry and concerns regarding the large commitment of public funds to the contentious Macquarie Point AFL stadium, the Tasmanian Joint Standing Public Accounts Committee (PAC) initiated a targeted inquiry into the feasibility planning for the new sporting and event stadium in Hobart and Macquarie Point. I was a member of this Committee Inquiry until mid-2024.

11 May 2023 – former State liberal MPs Lara Alexander and John Tucker resigned from the Liberal Party and continued as Independent MPs, citing the government’s endorsement of the Macquarie Point AFL stadium as a major contributing factor to their decision.

16 October 2023 – the Tasmanian Planning Commission (TPC) received a Ministerial Direction to undertake an integrated assessment of the Macquarie Point multipurpose stadium project.  More information on the TPC process can be found on its website here

8 November 2023 – during Legislative Council debate on the State Policies and Projects (Project of State Significance) Order 2023, I voted against sending the contentious AFL stadium to the Projects of State Significance (POSS) process, however the majority vote passed the Order – you can view my speech here.

June 2024 – independent economist Dr Nicholas Gruen commissioned to conduct an independent review of the Macquarie Point AFL stadium project under the April 2024 agreement between the then-Jacquie Lambie Network State MPs and the Tasmanian government.

5 January 2025 – Independent Review of the Macquarie Point Stadium by Dr Nicholas Gruen released.

31 March 2025 – Tasmanian Planning Commission releases the Draft Integrated Assessment Report: Macquarie Point Multipurpose Stadium Project of State Significance.

13 April 2025 – Premier Rockliff announces his intention to bring into the Parliament specific enabling legislation for the proposed AFL stadium project to bypass the statutory Project of State Significance process undertaken by the independent Tasmanian Planning Commission.

My Position

In short – I do not support the state government’s expensive thought bubble AFL stadium at Macquarie Point on Hobart’s invaluable waterfront.

I consider the government-endorsed stadium structure at Macquarie Point to be utterly unsuitable, not just for the Cenotaph and matters to do with Cenotaph sightlines and sense of place, but also for our world renowned Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, the Sullivans Cove area and the sense of Hobart as a place.  This is the wrong place for this particular structure.

While I support the notion of a Tasmanian AFL team, it should not be contingent upon an AFL-demanded stadium at Macquarie Point.   I believe there are alternative and responsible options that would provide for an AFL team for our state without the imposed stadium-strings attached.

The proposed AFL stadium at Macquarie Point is not fiscally responsible nor is it a priority for many in the community. It is inevitable the current stadium project estimated costs of $775 million (up from the original estimate of $715 million) will continue to blow out.

I voted against sending the contentious AFL stadium to the Projects of State Significance (POSS) process during Legislative Council debate on the State Policies and Projects (Project of State Significance) Order 2023 – you can view my speech on that debate here

I firmly believe Tasmania has other urgent funding and investment priorities, such as boosting public housing, accessible health services, quality education and reliable public transport services to highlight a few, that would be more fiscally responsible to fund than the Macquarie Point stadium project.

My Consideration of this Issue

Since 2022 I have, and continue to, to engage with and listen to community representatives, and stakeholders with professional expertise regarding impacts and ramifications of the Macquarie Point AFL stadium project.

Informed by my ongoing community engagement and also my time on the Joint Standing Public Accounts Committee (PAC) inquiry into the Tasmanian Government’s Process into the Proposed Hobart Arts, Entertainment and Sports Precinct (I was on this committee inquiry from December 2022 until mid-2024) I hold the following concerns:

  • The state government’s broken promise that a Tasmanian AFL team would not be contingent upon paying for any new AFL-required infrastructure;
  • The failure by government to consult fully and in good faith with key stakeholders related to the Macquarie Point site including the local Tasmanian Aboriginal community, the Returned and Services League of Tasmania (RSL Tasmania), Vietnam Veterans Association (Tasmania), TasWater, Hobart City Council, the TSO, and Cricket Tasmania;
  • The risk of ongoing financial costs to Tasmanian taxpayers, particularly in light of ongoing inadequate costings data;
  • The disproportionate scale of the proposed structure for the site and the broader Hobart environs;
  • Impacts upon Tasmania’s historic Cenotaph;
  • Impacts upon other valuable sectors contributing to the Tasmanian community and economy, and the broader loss of public amenity to the community;
  • Inadequate consideration of traffic and transportation impacts both during and post construction;
  • The lack of an integrated public transport plan for the precinct;
  • The lack of sound informed process and clear failure of good governance principles;
  • The irresponsible fostering of division in the community by the belligerent attempts of the AFL and the state government to bulldoze aside legitimate community and stakeholder concerns regarding the stadium project.

 

You can see more of my AFL Stadium-related work below:

On the 8th of April 2025, I brought on for debate in the Legislative Council my motion calling on the State government, in order to protect the long-term viability of the Tasmanian Devils football team, to seek to renegotiate the timeframes and location of the AFL stadium project in light of serious issues raised by two independent reports:

  • the Independent Review of the Macquarie Point Stadium report by independent assessor Dr Nicholas Gruen, dated 1 January 2025; and
  • the Tasmanian Planning Commission (TPC)  Draft Integrated Assessment Report of the Macquarie point Multipurpose Stadium Project of State Significance (draft IAR)  released on 31 of March 2025.

You can view my parliamentary speech in support of my renegotiate AFL deal motion here

On the 9th of December 2022, the Joint Standing Public Accounts Committee (PAC), of which I was a member at the time, initiated its own inquiry into the feasibility planning for the new stadium proposed for Macquarie Point.

Although the PAC inquiry is still ongoing under a revised Terms of Reference, the Committee released an interim report on 30 August 2023 which can be downloaded here.

Although I am no longer on PAC, you may be interested in the ongoing inquiry where you can find current submissions and transcripts available on the PAC webpage here.