Tasmania Devils make Macquarie Point stadium submission to Tasmanian Planning Commission

The Tasmania Devils have lodged a submission regarding the Macquarie Point stadium to the state’s planning commission, describing the proposal as a “game-changer”.

The proposed Macquarie Point Stadium was the state’s key to accessing the largest professional sports competition in the country, and essential to generating the necessary financial clout for the Devils to shoot for premierships, the Tasmanian Football Club has said.

In a representation to the Tasmanian Planning Commission submitted on Thursday, Devils chief executive Brendon Gale said while stadium infrastructure represented the single-most important financial factor for clubs competition in the $2 billion AFL industry, the hotly debated multipurpose facility would generate additional social and economic benefits for the entire state.

The Devils’ submission, made in response the TPC’s Draft Integrated Assessment Report released in late March as part of the Project of State Significance approval process, described the stadium as a “game-changer” for football in the state and to the futures of young Tasmanians.

Tasmania Football Club CEO Brendon Gale. Picture: Linda Higginson

The TFC representation was made despite the Rockliff government’s recent announcement to introduce special legislation bypassing the Commission, and giving parliament the final say on the project’s approval.

“The Tasmania Football Club submits this document in strong support of the Macquarie Point Stadium development as a Project of State Significance,” the Devils representation read.

“The proposed 23,000-seat stadium represents not merely a sporting venue but essential infrastructure that will determine the viability and success of Tasmania’s historic entry into the Australian Football League.

Concept design of proposed Macquarie Point stadium. Pictures – Supplied

“Clubs with advantageous stadium arrangements consistently outperform those with suboptimal facilities, both financially and competitively.”

The Devils cited the successful recent transition of AFL clubs to “commercially beneficial stadia” in South Australia and Western Australia, with the Crows and Power experiencing significant increases in match-day revenues at the revamped Adelaide Oval, and West Coast and Fremantle enjoying similar experiences at the purpose-built Optus Stadium.

The Tasmania Football Club estimated it would be up to $5.9 million worse off each year if its AFL and AFLW teams had to play home games at Bellerive’s Ninja Stadium, rather than at a new facility at Macquarie Point.

Renders showing the relocated Goods Shed at Macquarie Point, to make way for a multipurpose stadium. Picture: Cox Architecture

“We emphasise that this development together with the introduction of the TFC transcends conventional economic analysis — it represents Tasmania’s opportunity to secure its rightful place in our national sporting landscape after decades of exclusion,” the Devils submitted.

“It will ignite identity, pride and generational opportunity for all Tasmanians.

“We respectfully urge the Planning Commission to recognise both the necessity and profound benefit of this infrastructure to Tasmania’s sporting, economic, and cultural future.”

In a statement, Mr Gale said that as a non-negotiable condition of Tasmania’s conditional AFL licence, the roofed, 23,000-seat stadium was the difference between the Devils coming into existence, or not.

“Projects like this lift communities – they bring people in, support local business, and inspire the next generation,” Mr Gale, a former Richmond player and chief executive, said.

“Kids being able to dream about running out on a national stage, in front of a home crowd – that’s powerful.”

“The project needs scrutiny – that’s fair and necessary. But we have to accept that without the stadium, the club won’t happen.

“And that would be a devastating loss for Tasmania.”

“In the modern game of AFL and AFLW, elite infrastructure isn’t a luxury – it’s a necessity.

“You need a stadium that supports the team’s success, that attracts the best athletes and staff, helps bring in fans and sponsors, and delivers a great game-day experience. It’s part of what makes a team viable, both on and off the field.”

Read the full submission online: https://tasmaniafc.com/news/

Originally published as Tasmania Devils make Macquarie Point stadium submission to Tasmanian Planning Commission