Setback for Hobart AFL stadium as parties woo crossbenchers

Hobart’s new $1bn AFL stadium has suffered a significant blow, as both sides of Tasmanian politics scramble to cobble together a minority government.

Hobart's proposed AFL stadium at Macquarie Point.

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The prospects of Hobart building a new $1bn AFL stadium have dived, after both sides of politics – scrambling to secure the support of anti-stadium crossbenchers – dumped laws to fast-track the ­project.

Tasmania is effectively without a new government for an extended period following the election of a hung parliament on Saturday, with both major parties trying to stitch together crossbench alliances.

The Liberal state government, backed by Labor, had planned to fast-track the contentious stadium project via enabling legislation, after a highly critical initial assessment by the Tasmanian Planning Commission.

On Thursday, however, The Australian revealed key crossbench demands that the project, proposed for Hobart’s Macquarie Point, remain in the commission’s project of state significance assessment process.

Liberal leader Jeremy Rockliff – who had led an extraordinary attack on the commission to justify the fast-track – responded by dumping the previously “vital” workaround – and reverting to support for the commission’s allegedly “flawed” POSS process.

Labor leader Dean Winter, like Mr Rockliff seeking the support of anti-stadium independents to try to form a power-sharing government, followed suit, dumping his backing for the fast-track laws.

The bipartisan backflip came amid rising Liberal fears that the party, despite winning the most seats at the snap poll, could be forced to cede power to an alliance of Labor, Greens and independents.

Such a quick capitulation by both major parties on the stadium fast-track enabling legislation has emboldened the stadium’s opponents. “The Premier’s decision to drop the fast-track legislation was inevitable,” said Roland Browne, spokesman for anti-stadium group Our Place Hobart.

“It was most unlikely to get through the upper house, as it was draconian and undermined the very statutory process the Premier had initiated. It undermined the rule of law.

 “And in the context of a negotiation over formation of government, he’s given away nothing. He needs to do better. What he should do, in the face of a $13bn (state) debt by 2027, is abandon his stadium and try and save the state’s economy.”

Mr Rockliff justified tearing up his fast-track legislation to delays caused by the election, forced after he had refused to stand aside in the wake of a no-confidence vote in his premiership.

In a rare appearance on local ABC radio, which he had boycotted during the recent state election campaign, Mr Rockliff confirmed the fast-track – previously sold as vital to meeting AFL deadlines – would be discarded.

“Because of the reality of the situation we’re in, my answer to your question very directly is ‘Yes’,” he said.

“At the end of the day, whether it’s the POSS process or enabling legislation, the Tas­manian parliament was always going to have its say.”

Mr Winter claimed he had never stopped supporting the POSS process, despite having agreed to back to the Liberals’ alternative enabling legislation.

“The best chance the stadium has of passing through both ­houses of parliament is through the POSS process,” he said.

“That’s the process that should be done through now.

“It’s clear there’s no advantage in terms of timelines around direct legislation … The POSS process delivers more certainty and is more likely to be supported, particularly through the Legislative Council.

“We always supported the POSS process – it was Jeremy Rockliff who undermined it and attacked the independent commission and who said it was biased.”

Mr Winter, who confirmed he had held discussions with the anti-stadium Greens, would not say whether Labor would back the stadium if the commission ruled it unsuited to the Macquarie Point site demanded by the AFL. “We will wait to see what it actually says,” he said.

Assisting Labor’s bid for an unlikely government – having secured just 10 of the Assembly’s 35 seats – was a statement confirming all three anti-stadium independents were in discussions with both major parties about offering confidence and supply.

This confirmed for the first time that Clark independent Kristie Johnston, who had previously ruled out confidence and supply deals, was now contemplating such an agreement.

The election – Tasmania’s second in 16 months – has returned an estimated 14 to 15 Liberal seats, 10 Labor, five Greens, 1-2 Shooters, Fishers, Farmers and four independents.

While the Liberals, in power since 2014, are in theory closer to securing 18 votes, they may fall short. Even if the party secures the support of likely SFF MP Carlo Di Falco and pro-stadium independent David O’Byrne, it would likely stall on 17 votes.

Labor has a pathway to 18 via the Greens and three anti-stadium, green-left leaning independents: Ms Johnston, Peter George and Craig Garland.