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Concerns and hopes aired at public debate over Hobart’s proposed Macquarie Point stadium

Article Summary

A public forum was held to debate Hobart’s proposed Macquarie Point stadium, with attendees discussing costs, location, and benefits to young Tasmanians. The stadium is a key condition for Tasmania’s AFL team to join the national competition. The panel, including Minister Eric Abetz, Tasmania Devils AFL team general manager Kath McCann, architect Mat Hinds, and Independent MLC Bec Thomas, fielded questions about the possibility of renegotiating the stadium’s location or terminating the project.

What This Means for You

  • Be prepared for the potential financial implications of funding the stadium through existing resources and borrowings, as the government will no longer seek private investment.
  • Consider how the stadium and team’s arrival will impact local businesses and the economy, as advocated by Kath McCann, general manager of the Tasmania Devils AFL team.
  • Stay informed about the approval process, as the state government plans to introduce special legislation to bypass the Project of State Significance (POSS) process.
  • Reflect on the potential long-term consequences for future generations, as noted by Independent MLC Bec Thomas.

Original Post

Cost, location, and the benefits to aspirational young Tasmanians have emerged as key themes during a public forum to debate Hobart’s proposed Macquarie Point stadium.

A 70-person crowd filled ABC Hobart’s foyer on Wednesday afternoon, made up of those for, against, and undecided over the planned multi-purpose facility.

Tasmania’s AFL team being allowed to play in the national competition hinges on a new roofed stadium being built.

It’s a key condition of the government’s deal with the AFL.

wide shots of a forum of people speaking.

ABC Tasmania Mornings presenter Leon Compton hosted the forum. (ABC News: Luke Bowden)

The panel — made up of Tasmania’s Business Minister Eric Abetz, the Tasmania Devils AFL team general manager Kath McCann, prominent architect Mat Hinds, and Independent MLC for Elwick Bec Thomas — fielded wide-ranging questions from the public.

Among them, the possibility of renegotiating the terms of the AFL’s deal to either move the stadium’s location, or scrap it all together.

“Is there the possibility of renegotiating? Well, you never say never,”

Mr Abetz said.

“But the deal is there for all to see, that is what we are pursuing.”

A man in a black suit speaking on a panel.

Mat Hinds says the proposed stadium is too big for the site. (ABC News: Luke Bowden)

Mr Hinds, an architect with Taylor and Hinds who gave evidence to the parliament’s Public Accounts Committee on the stadium’s impacts, said the current site was “far too small” for the size of the development.

“The building itself is drawn to fit, but what we’re not seeing is all of the energy of that building and its servicing requirements,” Mr Hinds said.

“It’s 10 metres higher than the Tasman Bridge.

“If the stadium is such a critical piece for the agreement to yield an AFL team for Tasmania, why choose a site with so many latent risks,”

he said.

One point of ongoing contention raised by the audience was the cost to build the stadium — a figure estimated by Tasmanian Planning Commission to be about $1 billion.

Earlier this month, the Tasmanian government confirmed it would no longer seek private investment to help fund the stadium, opting instead to fund the construction through existing funding and extra borrowings.

The government plans to sell off the broader Macquarie Point precinct to pay for the loan, which is expected to be in the hundreds of millions.

Key Terms

  • Macquarie Point stadium
  • AFL team for Tasmania
  • Project of State Significance (POSS)
  • Special legislation
  • Funding and borrowings



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