Stadium keen to lock in “tradie army” from finished bridge project

Hobart’s Mac Point Stadium continues to generate “enormous” interest from private investors, the government says, as the project seeks to lock in the tradie army leaving the Bridgewater Bridge.

Hobart's proposed AFL stadium at Macquarie Point. Picture: Macquarie Point Development Corporation

Hobart’s Macquarie Point Stadium continues to generate “enormous” interest from private investors, the state government says, as project organisers seek to lock in a tradie army soon finishing at the nearly completed Bridgewater Bridge.

Infrastructure Minister, Kerry Vincent, said with the new cross-Derwent span set to open by the middle of the year, it was vital that Tasmania retained the wealth of specialist and general construction skills developed during the course of the $790 million project.

Macquarie Point Multipurpose stadium south east gate. Picture: Mac Point Development Corporation

With Macquarie Point Development Corporation chief executive, Anne Beach, confirming the planning process for the multipurpose stadium remained on track, Minister Vincent said the project had the potential to kickstart hundreds of construction careers in the state.

“There’s an excitement that the skills learnt on the Bridgewater Bridge can flow to projects like here at Macquarie Point, so construction workers can keep their careers here in Tasmania,” Mr Vincent said.

“The urban renewal project offers an amazing future for Hobart and southern Tasmania as a whole … with the restaurants, accommodation, night-life and everything else that comes with a precinct like this.

“We want to keep people in Tasmania, and see workers grow their families and develop their careers in the state.

“There has been so much interest in our Devils team, especially with the new mascot, but it’s important that we understand that if we do not have this stadium, we do not have a team.”

Ms Beach said as physical works continued at Macquarie Point – including the removal of the wastewater treatment plant – to prepare the site for eventual development, the Corporation continued to liaise with the Tasmanian Planning Commission on its draft integrated assessment report.

Infrastructure Minister Kerry Vincent, and Macquarie Point Development Corporation chief executive Anne Beach.

Ms Beach said the TPC report would be the MPDC’s first opportunity to receive feedback on the project, and would be followed by a public-consultation period ahead of a final assessment decision due in September.

“This has been a really complex and broad assessment … in which we have undertaken transport planning, cultural assessments, heritage assessments, and economic analysis,” Ms Beach said.

“This all goes to … informing a recommendation to the government around an approval, which will then go into the parliament.

“It’s actually the parliament that makes the decision.

“So it’s a really complex process, but there will be opportunity for everyone to have input … and to provide some feedback after the draft integrated assessment report comes through.”

“There has been an open market-sounding process, from which there was quite a broad range of responses from investors, the construction sector, equity providers, and a range of different competitive participants in the market.

“As part of that process, there’s been a range of interviews considering those different options.”

Civil Contractors Federation Tasmania chief executive, Andrew Winch, said while there were a number of interesting infrastructure jobs on the drawing board around the state, the Mac Point stadium was the one which the industry was most excited about.

“Opportunities for Tasmanians to work on major projects are rare, so the stadium would be significant for us,” Mr Winch said.

“Big projects are critical for building skills, and they also drive investment back into the community because all those people who are working on the Bridgewater Bridge are spending their money in Tasmania, which is important as well.

“There are always construction workers here moving to the mainland for different reasons, but if we keep projects like these going, it’ll keep Tasmanians in working Tasmania.”

Originally published as Stadium keen to lock in “tradie army” from finished bridge project