Vietnam Veterans Association, Northern Suburbs Rail Action Group oppose Macquarie Point AFL stadium’s impact on Cenotaph

Vietnam veterans say the Cenotaph is a sacred place for remembrance of the nation’s war dead and a sporting stadium would not make a good neighbour. LATEST >

Anzac Day service at the Hobart Cenotaph. Picture: Chris Kidd

An AFL stadium at Macquarie Point would adversely impact the Hobart Cenotaph as a place of quiet remembrance of the nation’s war dead, the state’s Vietnam Veteran’s association says.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee of Public Accounts is holding hearings as part of an

Inquiry into planning for a new sporting and event stadium in Hobart

Terry Roe from the Vietnam Veterans Association on Friday told the committee he had written to the Prime Minister and Premier to express his members’ concerns.

“This Hobart Cenotaph, any Cenotaph really, they are a tomb for our forefathers who went off to the Boer War, WW1, WWII and whose remains weren’t repatriated,” he said.

“It is a place where families can go and pay their respects. It’s just not bricks and mortar … it has cultural significance not just to the veteran’s community, but families as well. It gives them a place to go.

“People go up there to view the Victoria Cross memorial and the Eternal Flame.

“A stadium will affect people who go up there for quiet contemplation if there’s an international band or a football match on during the day.

“It won’t be just one or two or three people, it will be crowds of people.”

“We want to see a Tasmanian team in the AFL, but the stadium where it is proposed is not the right fit. We must preserve that site as much as we possibly can.”

He said car parking near the Cenotaph and crowds of people transiting the area also posed an increased risk of physical damage to the site or anti-social behaviour and vandalism.

Mr Roe told the committee there had been no consultation from the AFL, no response from the Prime Minister and aside from one meeting with a government staffer, Vietnam veterans had “never once been consulted or approached in any form”.

“To be honest I’m really disgusted. This is our 50th anniversary of coming back from Vietnam,” he said.

“I would like the government to include the Vietnam veterans. There’s only a handful of WWII veterans still around.

“Just about every veteran, apart from our contemporary veterans, is a Vietnam Veteran.”

He said his members had not changed their minds on the project.

“Our association would like to see it built somewhere else.”

Northern Suburbs Rail Action Group president Toby Rowallan said the current lack of planning for transport to and from the stadium was a recipe for chaos.

“There is almost no plan for how the traffic is going to be managed,” he said.

“Our view is that the stadium is going to be quite unsuccessful if it doesn’t have rail.

“The rail might not need the stadium but the stadium needs rail. A busway just isn’t going to cut it.”

The committee heard rail could move 20,000 people an hour, whereas a busway might move 8,000.

“We can expect chaos,” he said. “If there’s nothing built on the corridor it will be entirely the road network that sustains transport to and from the stadium,” he said.

“And if you have people who go to the stadium for the first time and its chaos and it might be the last time.

“If you have a 30,000-person event at the stadium, there are 22,000 people who can’t use public transport - because public transport will be maxed out.

“And 22,000 people in their cars is a very big traffic jam.

He said it was feasible for the current rail line at the current gauge to be used, but the government seemed keener on projects with lesser demonstrated public benefit.

“There’s nothing wrong with the gauge that’s there. Perth and Brisbane both have service at that gauge … the fastest train in Australia runs on that gauge at 210km/h,’ he said.

“It’s clearly not whether a business case which has a positive benefit leads to a government decision. It’s just what government wants to do.”

NSRA secretary Ben Johnston said the group was used to promises being made to deliver light rail or activate the rail corridor, but the government was clearly not interested in rail.

“We are used to being disappointed,” he said.

Originally published as Vietnam Veterans Association, Northern Suburbs Rail Action Group oppose Macquarie Point AFL stadium’s impact on Cenotaph