‘Dump Macquarie Point AFL stadium for housing, culture’: ex-governor, novelist

A group of prominent Tasmanians – including an ex-governor and a renowned novelist - have thrown a conceptual hand grenade at plans for an AFL stadium near Hobart’s waterfront.

A new vision for Hobart's Macquarie Point released by ex-governor Kate Warner, novelist Richard Flanagan and other prominent locals calling themselves "Our Place". Image: Our Place

A group of prominent Tasmanians – including a former governor and renowned novelist - have thrown a conceptual hand grenade at plans for an AFL stadium near Hobart’s waterfront.

The group – including former governor Kate Warner and author Richard Flanagan – on Thursday released a detailed proposal to dump the stadium and instead develop Hobart’s Macquarie Point for housing, a truth and reconciliation park, swimming pool and state library.

Calling themselves Our Place, the group threatens to further under­mine the state government’s pitch for federal funding for the $750m stadium linked to Tasmania’s bid for an AFL team.

“I am wholeheartedly supportive of this inspiring and imaginative vision for a housing development at Mac Point which incorporates so many exciting elements and at the same time responds to our needs,” Professor Warner said.

“I applaud the fact it has as its centrepiece not a football stadium but a Truth and Reconciliation Park and a Tasmanian Indigenous cultural and heritage centre – a place where their story can belong to Aboriginal people of lutruwita/trouwunna and not be told or misrepresented by others.”

The proposal, with its own website and architectural drawings, is costed at $400m - $300m for 1000 new homes in four to five-storey timber apartment blocks, and $100m for the reconciliation park and Indigenous cultural centre.

“Tasmania doesn’t have a stadium problem – it has a housing problem,” Flanagan said. “This is about 1000 new homes for Tasmania (and) honouring 40,000 years of Indigenous history.

“It’s about an international showcase of iconic design and urban renewal. It’s about $400m for Tasmanian homes or $750m for a white elephant.”

The group hopes the alternative proposal will “be a springboard for a fresh community discussion about the site’s future”.

It says it aims to “see development of Hobart that benefits all Hobartians” and prepared its Macquarie Point vision with Hobart architects Bence Mulcahy.

Premier Jeremy Rockliff has committed $375m in state funds for the proposed roofed stadium – a condition imposed by the AFL on Tasmania gaining a team in the competition - and is seeking $240m from the federal government.

Anthony Albanese has said his government was carefully considering the business case for the project and wanted to see broader development at Macquarie Point, former industrial land wedged between Hobart’s CBD and the waterfront.

The state government dismissed the new concept. “Rather than another vision, what Mac Point needs is real action now to finally activate the site and get things done, which is exactly what our government is doing,” Mr Rockliff said. “The Mac Point urban renewal project will drive massive economic activity and thousands of jobs, plus secure the AFL team Tasmanians deserve.

“We already have a plan, a business case, a cost-benefit analysis, and an ideal location – all we need now is the federal funding to make this project a reality.”

Tourism Industry Council Tasmania chief executive Luke Martin backed the government’s plan. “I’m confident the federal government will help finally activate the site for a variety of uses including major events, which is obviously our tourism interest, along with a genuine connection to Tasmania’s Antarctic and Aboriginal heritage,” Mr Martin said.

“I understand the desire to increase housing opportunities in Hobart, but the challenge of establishing mass housing with public events space has been tested and discarded in some of the early plans for Macquarie Point.”