Parties take aim at stadium as questions over $240m deal remain
The return of state parliament is expected to be dominated by questions about the proposed Macquarie Point stadium – with a community group left wondering why there was no money to feed the hungry. DETAILS >
Tasmania
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Opposition parties will take aim at government plans for a $715m stadium at Macquarie Point when state parliament resumes on Tuesday after a five-week break.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff signed a deal with the AFL last week for the state to host the 19th team in the national competition — on the condition the stadium is built by the 2029 season.
Labor leader Rebecca White said her party has many questions about the deal.
Multiple requests to the state government for the details of the deal have been unsuccessful. Requests to the Prime Minister’s office for details about the federal government’s $240m commitment to Macquarie Point were met with a suggestion to listen again to the Prime Minister's Hobart April 29 on-site press conference, which did not contain the details.
Ms White said much was still unknown.
“What are the designs for the stadium? What are the total costs going to be for that project?” she asked.
“Who will fund the cost blowouts? How long will Tasmanians been lumped with this white elephant before it’s finally paid off?
“The interest repayments alone on that project approximately $20 million a year that could fund 200 more nurses in the Tasmanian health system.
“So we will be interrogating the government in this parliamentary session about their secret deal with the AFL to build a stadium.”
A community protest against the stadium is scheduled to be held on Parliament Lawns on Saturday. Prominent author Richard Flanagan will be MC.
Greens leader Cassy O’Connor said on Monday her party would be asking questions too.
“We’ll be focusing very much on Jeremy Rockliff’s billion-dollar stadium,” she said.
“It’s now almost a week since Jeremy Rockliff and Gil McLachlan signed a secret billion-dollar deal to deliver a stadium Tasmanians don’t want or need.
“We still haven’t seen the deal. And this is not Gil McLachlan or Jeremy Rockliff’s money we’re talking about here are the costs of this stadium.
“The losses and the lost opportunity will be borne by the people of Tasmania for generations. Greens leader Cassy O’Connor said on Monday the party would be asking questions too.
Ms White on Monday visited the Waterbridge Food Co-op at Gagebrook, which is about to close because its government funding is running out.
Gagebrook Community Centre house manager Cheynee Pullen said is was hard to understand why there was money for football but none to feed the hungry.
“I have a personal opinion on the stadium — for our community, being able to fund a stadium but not a community program like Waterbridge is ridiculous to me.
“But that’s my personal opinion, that’s not the organisation’s.
“Hopefully the government will see how valuable we are and push forward, fund it.”
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