Premier declares no faith in Planning Commission’s ‘biased’ stadium report

The Tasmanian Planning Commission’s report on the proposed Macquarie Point stadium is fatally flawed by bias and the government had no confidence in its findings, Premier Jeremy Rockliff said.

The Tasmanian Planning Commission’s report on the proposed Macquarie Point stadium is fatally flawed by bias and the government had no confidence in its findings, Premier Jeremy Rockliff said.

In state parliament on Thursday, the government continued efforts to undermine the foundations of the draft Integrated Assessment Report into the stadium, which raised serious concerns about the stadium’s financial viability, economic benefits and impact on the Hobart

waterfront and surrounds.

Mr Rockliff said the report drew heavily on the findings of a report the government commissioned from economist Nicholas Gruen, who met with stadium opponents shortly before his appointment.

Premier Rockliff said he no longer had faith in the Planning Commission’s work.

“The fact is, and as Minister Abetz said yesterday very clearly, Dr Gruen’s report is now tainted, at the very least, by an apprehension of bias,” he said.

“Now we know that TPC draft report relied heavily on Dr Gruen’s opinions.

“It goes to follow that we cannot have confidence in the Planning Commission’s report.”

“We can no longer have faith in either Dr Gruen’s report or, of course, the TPCs issues paper as well, because, because both are now tainted by an apprehension of bias, that is very clear.”

The government is expected to abandon Project of State Significance process in the coming weeks and annouce enabling legislation to hasten the stadium’s approval.

Independent MP David O’Byrne called on the government to completely reject the Gruen report.

“We now know Dr Gruen failed to disclose that he met with anti-stadium campaigners prior to being appointed,” he told parliament.

“His appointment was demanded by the JLN in whose leader’s anti-stadium views are well known.

“The nondisclosure of these meetings in the nature of Dr Gruen’s nomination by the JLN means the report can no longer be considered independent and public confidence in the integrity of this entire process has been compromised.

“In the light of this, will the premier now write to the TPC and request that they set the report aside completely.”

Independent MP Craig Garland said the stadium was particularly disliked in his electorate.

“Premier will you give Braddon and all Tasmanians a say on this, and instead of bringing forward enabling legislation to bypass the PoSS process, will you bring forward legislation to enable a referendum on your multi-billion dollar stadium?” he said.

Mr Rockliff stuck to his guns.

“We are elected in this place to make decisions, and sometimes we’ve just got to make the difficult decisions for the benefit of Tasmania,” he said.

“I will be backing in our young kids, our boys and girls who want to play for their own team in their own colours and sing the team song.”