Tasmania Devils high performance centre approved as stadium vote looms
Ahead of the most crucial two days in the short history of the Tasmania Devils, the club has received a massive boost with a formal green light given to one of its major building projects.
In what shapes as a future defining week for the Tasmania Football Club, a crucial first step has been completed after Kingborough Council ticked off a development approval for the Devils’ high performance centre.
The major project was ticked off on Monday night as the Tasmanian government’s upper house prepares to vote on the Macquarie Point Stadium proposal later this week.
The high performance centre will become the training and administration hub for the Devils including their AFL, AFLW, VFL and VFLW teams.
Tasmania Football Club's general manager of infrastructure and commercial development Michael Thorn welcomed the decision.
“The development approval enables the club to move to the construction tendering phase of the project in the new year – creating jobs for local firms across many different trades. We can’t wait to get started,” he said.
Tasmanian minister for sport Nick Duigan said the facility would also have community access.
“This development will provide the Tasmania Devils with world-class training, rehabilitation, and administrative facilities to support the club both on and off the field,” Duigan said.
Acting Kingborough mayor Clare Glade-Wright said the project was expected to add $55m to the local economy each year.
“Council looks forward to working closely with the Tasmania Devils Football Club and our local sporting groups as the project progresses, ensuring the precinct remains welcoming, inclusive, and accessible for all,” she said.
The debate and vote surrounding the Macquarie Point Stadium will start in the Legislative Council on Wednesday and is expected to last until at least Thursday.
If it is to pass, eight of the chamber’s 15 votes are needed. Throughout the process on handing Tasmania a provisional license, the AFL has stuck to its no stadium, no team mantra.
It comes after crowds of up to 15,00 joined the Yes AFL Team Yes Stadium rally in support of the $1.13 billion stadium, which will includes a roof, on Sunday.
Tasmania JackJumpers and Jewels chief executive Christine Finnegan was among the speakers and she is confident “if you build it, Tasmania will support it and they will come”.
“I know there’s an economic conversation in the background on this, but you cannot measure what this stadium will do for the people of Tasmania and what the team will do and how everybody will be able to ride off the back of that success,” she told this masthead.
“I work in sport because it’s a place of belonging. It is a place and source of great joy to people. When you put on your team colours for two-and-a half hours or four hours or whatever the length of time, it’s a great feeling of escapism that you can get when you cheer for your team and everybody sits shoulder to shoulder and there’s something very unifying about that.
“It’s our national sport, we’ve been given a seat at the national table and I think if we decided that we don’t want that seat, we will never be offered it again and I think we cannot afford as a state to do that.”
Originally published as Tasmania Devils high performance centre approved as stadium vote looms
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