Dr Nicholas Gruen questions why community not on board on stadium

The author of a report into the Macquarie Point stadium has some views on politicians and their ability to sell the project to the community. Read his views.

Macquarie Point Stadium design.

While steering clear of politics, the author of the report into the Macquarie Point stadium has hit out at advocates who tried to “foist it on people”.

Melbourne independent economist Dr Nicholas Gruen sent his 170 page review of the stadium to the government at midnight on January 1.

Business Minister Eric Abetz released the report publicly on Friday morning and said the government was “moving ahead delivering the precinct” but surprisingly no government ministers fronted the media to discuss it.

Dr Gruen said he was disappointed he was not told the report was going to be released.

“I’m not trying to say what the government should or shouldn’t do,” he said.

“One of the things that I was told is that the government released the report to initiate the discussion.

“So a question is, well, why don’t they participate in it?”

Dr Nicholas Gruen. Picture: Supplied.

Asked if he believed the stadium would be built Dr Gruen said: “I don’t know.

“I do think that those people who want the stadium have done themselves and their cause no service by trying to foist it on people.

“They needed to take their time and get the community on board and they’re not doing that. “They’re risking the very thing that they claim to want most.”

Dr Gruen said in his work he was used to his efforts sometimes “being wasted”.

“You produce the best output you can, and then it’s in other people’s hands.

“I also maybe a bit unusual in that I kind of feel for a lot for these politicians, because they’ve got these basically ridiculous roles to play, where one side says how great everything is, and the other side says how terrible everything is, and they’re kind of caught in the middle.

“They have to do what they have to do, and I’m doing what I was asked to do.”

In a statement Mr Abetz said: “The transformation of Macquarie Point will shape Tasmania for generations, and unlock decades of investment, jobs, and opportunity.”

Dr Gruen is a prominent economist and visiting professor at King’s College London’s policy institute.

He comes from a family of economists, is a graduate of the University of Melbourne’s law school and has a PhD from the Australian National University.

Originally published as Dr Nicholas Gruen questions why community not on board on stadium