Stadium for Tasmania’s new AFL team will be fast tracked ahead of the side’s entry into the league in 2028… amid criticism over the controversial project
The new stadium will be followed soon
Location and price has been criticised
Government wants development faster
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The Tasmanian government is pushing for the new $715 million Hobart Stadium and redevelopment of the surrounding area to be accelerated.
The Macquarie Point development will be nominated as a major project under legislation allowing an independent panel of experts to review the master plan, rather than the local council.
The Tasmanian Planning Commission used the same process to approve the Bridgewater Bridge project.
Development Minister Guy Barnett said the process took politics out of the decision-making process and allowed projects to be judged on their own merits.
“Tasmanians can rest assured that if it is declared a major project there will be an independent process that is rigorous and offers real opportunities for community involvement,” he said.
The new stadium in Hobart for Tasmania’s new AFL team will soon be followed by the state government (pictured is an artist’s impression of what it could look like)
(Center, from LR) Tasmanian Prime Minister Jeremy Rockliff, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles and AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan celebrate with locals after the state was confirmed as the league’s 19th team on Wednesday
The new stadium will be on Hobart’s picturesque waterfront at Macquarie Point (pictured is an artist’s impression of what it would look like)
Not everyone is a fan of the new stadium, with protesters attending Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s press conference last week to announce federal funding for it
The government says the process still allows for public participation and that the planning minister will consult with a number of interested parties.
Last week, the AFL awarded Tasmania its 19th team licence, with the men’s team expected to enter the competition in 2028, while details on an AFLW team are still being worked out.
The controversial stadium development will receive a $240 million funding injection from the federal government, while the Tasmanian government will contribute $375 million.
The remainder comes from the AFL and commercial land sales.
Opponents of the development argue that the choice of site is poor and that the money would be better spent on housing amid a growing number of homeless people and financially tight households in the island state.