Stadium still the goal as report sinks boot into plan

The AFL remains adamant Tasmania will only get a side in the national competition if it builds a new waterfront stadium, after a report outlined cost blowouts, an "overbearing" design and tight timeline. or signup to continue reading The island state's planning commission has released a draft assessment of the Hobart Macquarie Point project as part of scrutiny before a vote of parliament. The commission found the stadium's benefits had been overstated and its true construction cost was more than $200 million greater than the government's $775 million estimate.

It described the design as overbearing for the site and said it would ultimately leave Tasmania with an extra $1.8 billion of debt. Construction of the roofed 23,000-seat venue was a condition of the AFL granting the Tasmania Devils a licence for entry to the league in 2028.



AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon said the deal that went to the league's commission and was endorsed by the 18 clubs was locked in. "It's really clear the conditional licence is a 23,000-seat roofed stadium at Macquarie Point," Mr Dillon told reporters in Adelaide on Tuesday. Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff, who inked the contract, conceded the project timeline was challenging but said issues in the report would be worked through.

"One indisputable fact is, if this stadium is not built there will be no team," he told state parliament. "We're committed to the timeline and the deal and we have agreed to work through a number of challenges. Will we meet with the AFL around those challenges.

" Hearings will be held mid-year to address the report before a final September report and subsequent state parliament vote to approve or reject the project. It faces a potentially tricky passage through parliament, with the minority Liberal government holding 14 of 35 lower house seats and four of 15 in the upper house. The Greens said the report was further evidence the stadium should be ditched, while the state Labor opposition said the project was "hanging by a thread".

Labor says it supports the stadium but the government's management was putting the licence at risk. "The Devils are firing on all cylinders, but everything to do with the project that involves Jeremy Rockliff is sputtering," Labor MP Luke Edmunds said. The government's deal with the AFL requires the stadium to be half built by October 2027 and ready to host games in 2029.

The actual construction price tag of the stadium was $993 million once costs such as kitchen fit-outs and a car park were included, the report found. Other costs not included in the government's estimate, such as the project's footbridge and bus plaza, take the spend to $1.2 billion.

The Liberals have pledged to cap their spend at $375 million, with $240 million coming from the Commonwealth and $15 million from the AFL. Macquarie Point Development Corporation chief executive Anne Beach noted the report was aimed at addressing issues and more information would be provided during consultation. She told ABC News funding for some aspects of development, such as an access bridge and road, fell outside the stadium project.

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