Macquarie Point to proceed following LegCo sittings
Tasmania's Legislative Council has passed the Macquarie Point stadium order, with final approval late Thursday night despite fierce opposition from independents and Greens.
The Macquarie Point stadium will go ahead after an order authoritising its construction was passed by the Legislative Council late on Thursday night.
The upper house voted 9-5 in favour of the State Policies and Projects (Macquarie Point Precinct) Order 2025 about 11pm.
The vote clears the way for the $1.13bn stadium to be built on the near-waterfront site - one of the conditions imposed by the AFL for a Tasmanian team’s entry into the national competition.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff welcomed the outcome of the vote.
“Mac Point has just passed the Tasmanian Parliament. Our democracy has spoken. Let’s unite and move forward together,” he posted on Facebook.
The Legislative Council continued its consideration of the governor’s 157-page order to build the stadium well into the evening after a marathon Wednesday sitting that ended at 2.45am.
A handful of independents and Greens MLC Cassy O’Connor continued a rearguard action scrutinising the clauses of the order one at a time in a chamber largely deserted by government and Labor MLCs.
But it was clear from earlier debate the order would pass by a margin expected to be nine votes to five.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff was upbeat about developments on Thursday morning.
“What we’re doing is letting the Legislative Council have their say,” he said.
“There was a long debate yesterday in the early hours of the morning and can I commend all that spoke on that legislation ... those that spoke for and those that spoke against.
“I didn’t agree with everything that was said, but that’s democracy.
“I’m still a little nervous. I was nervous the other day. I am still feeling that way and I’ll be immensely relieved should the order pass, but I’ll wait for that particular time.”
Labor leader Josh Willie, whose party is backing the government on the stadium, said the debate had been long, but the state deserved a team.
“I think it’s been handled poorly by the premier, and that’s why you have legislative councilors trying to put conditions on the government and make the project better,” he said.
“I think what you found through this debate, whether it’s in the lower house or in the upper house, members are doing what they can to hold this government accountable.
“We referred the project to the Public Accounts Committee, just because we’ve got a government that has a poor track record in delivering major projects, doesn’t mean that Tasmania should stop building major projects and not realise opportunities.
“With this project comes the AFL teams that Tasmania has fought for for generations, and it’s going to be a great day when they run out on the field.
The Legislative Council occupied itself with reviewing the detail of the order on Thursday.
It followed a lengthy sitting into Wednesday night which continued until at 2.45am.
After independent Dean Harriss concluded his contribution by comparing the Tasmania Devils to the moonwalk, Labor’s Luke Edmunds added his support.
“I’m here today and I’m lining up with progress and with the future. I’m lining up with those who support jobs and the economy,” he said.
“I’m lining up with our young people and I’m lining up with the Devils.”
Minister for Infrastructure Kerry Vincent stuck to the government script.
“This project will transform an industrial wasteland into an entertainment precinct for the
benefit of all Tasmanians to enjoy sport, entertainment, cultural events and conferences,” he said.
“Importantly, this project delivers what generations of Tasmanians, current and past, have
dreamed of - the Tasmanian AFL team, the Tasmania Devils.
Liberals Jo Palmer and Nick Duigan and Labor’s Sarah Lovell also spoke in favour of the stadium.
In her marathon three-and-a-half hour address, independent MLC for Nelson Meg Webb spoke at length of about the government’s “unacceptable” rejection of the Tasmanian Planning Commission report on the Macquarie Point Stadium – even likening Premier Jeremy Rockliff to US President Donald Trump.
“The project has been categorically shown to be detrimental to our state’s finances.
“If we damage our already dire state finances further, we damage our ability to provide basic services to the Tasmanian community, and we are hurting Tasmanian young people.
“We’re picking winners here, and the winner is AFL football, but everyone else is going to suffer as a result.”
My Place spokesman Roland Browne condemnedthe deals the government had done to get the stadium across the line.
“These deals are laughable. They rely on this government honouring its word, a most unlikely outcome,” he said.
“Most importantly, there’s no accountability and no consequence if the governments falls short on the commitments it has actually offered.
“Premier Rockliff’s Christmas present to Tasmania are AFL/AFLW teams at a cost of around $2.5bn, and the desecration of the Hobart Cenotaph and destruction of the heritage of Sullivans Cove. It is a recipe for ongoing division.”
Originally published as Macquarie Point to proceed following LegCo sittings
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