AFL High Performance Centre: Full results revealed from Clarence elector poll
The full results from the elector poll of Clarence residents regarding the proposed AFL High Performance Centre at Rosny have been revealed. Here’s how the community voted.
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UPDATED, 5.30PM, FRIDAY: The results of a four-week elector poll have shown that Clarence residents are split on a proposal to build an AFL High Performance Centre at the site of the old Rosny Golf Course, while a plan to construct the facility across two locations has been comprehensively rejected.
Late on Friday afternoon, the Tasmanian Electoral Commission (TEC) published the results following the close of the non-compulsory and non-binding poll at 2pm on Thursday.
51 per cent of voters answered ‘yes’ and 49 per cent answered ‘no’ to the first question, which was: ‘Do you support building the AFL High Performance Centre entirely within the Rosny Parklands?’
When asked if they supported building the facility across both the Rosny Parklands and Charles Hand Park, 35 per cent said ‘yes’, and 65 per cent said ‘no’.
About 63 per cent of electors enrolled in Clarence - 28,476 of 45,351 people - returned a ballot.
Speaking to the Mercury after the results for the first question were released, Clarence Mayor Brendan Blomeley said they showed the community was “more or less split down the middle” on the proposal and their views “closely mirrored” the range of opinions held by councillors themselves.
Cr Blomeley said there now appeared to be a clear pathway forward for the “truly transformational” development, built entirely at the old golf course site.
“It’ll be game-changing for Clarence. For it to be developed solely on the former Rosny Golf Course is the best outcome, and that’s supported and backed in by our community,” he said.
Save Rosny’s Parks (SRP) spokesman Terry Polglase, however, said the fact that the vote was “equally split” for the first question was evidence that there was no “social licence” to build the facility at the proposed location.
“The SRP group now calls upon the AFL to announce Kingborough as its favoured site if no alternative site in Clarence exists,” he said.
“If the AFL wants to see a united Tasmania backing our team and to have 16,000 voting residents of Clarence come on board rather than opposing it, a decision to place the [High Performance Centre] elsewhere is needed.”
The main facility of the High Performance Centre would be located at the site of the old Rosny golf course and would comprise an oval the size of the MCG playing surface, as well as a building consisting of indoor training facilities and club administration.
A second oval has been proposed for Charles Hand Park but the community appears to have rejected the notion of this location being used for the development.
The High Performance Centre would be used as a base for the new Tasmania Football Club.
The state government has committed $60m to the development, with the AFL chipping in $10m.
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