Tas independents cast doubt over $1.13bn Macquarie Point stadium
Three crucial independent MPs have raised serious doubts about Tasmania’s $1.13bn stadium project, threatening its passage through parliament's upper house.
Three key independents whose votes will determine the fate of the proposed Macquarie Point Stadium have expressed their concerns about the cost of the $1.13bn project as parliament prepares to debate whether to push ahead with construction.
Debate on the Liberal minority government’s order to build the Macquarie Point Stadium kicks off in the House of Assembly on Thursday.
It is expected to continue late into the evening.
Treasurer Eric Abetz sang the stadium’s praises in parliament on Wednesday.
“The stadium will be an economic enabler, full stop. Everybody needs to recognise that.
“What that will do is enhance employment opportunities and how many extra people will be on extra payrolls and, as a result, get extra payroll tax or how many people will come into Tasmania to buy properties and as a result, pay stamp duty.”
But while the government looks to have the numbers in the lower house, three of the four key independents – whose votes the government needs to prevail – have expressed their strong doubts about the cost of the project.
Construction of the stadium is one of the conditions for the Tasmanian team’s entry into the AFL competition.
There are fifteen members in the upper house. Liberals Jo Palmer, Nick Duigan, and Kerry Vincent; Labor’s Sarah Lovell and Luke Edmunds, and independent Tania Rattray are expected to support the stadium, locking in six likely votes in favour. Eight are needed for the order to pass.
Green Cassy O’Connor and independents Mike Gaffney, Meg Webb, and Rosemary Armitage are expected to vote against the order, leaving the government needing two votes from independents Huon MLC Dean Harriss, Elwick MLC Bec Thomas, Montgomery MLC Casey Hiscutt or Murchison MLC Ruth Forrest.
In the event of a tied vote, Labor president Craig Farrell has said he would uphold convention and side with the negative.
Mr Harriss questioned the case for the stadium in his budget response, in which he noted massive blowouts in the deficit and a “disastrous dive into debt and deficit that has flooded the books with red ink”.
“The failure to manage the Budget and the failure to manage important infrastructure projects like the Devonport Ferry Terminal have real consequences – for example, they seriously undermine the case for the AFL stadium,” he said.
“If we can’t pay for essential services without running up repeated billion-dollar deficits, it is reasonable to ask the question: how can we afford a billion-dollar stadium?”
And member for Elwick Bec Thomas raised her concerns about cuts to funding for community sport over the forward estimates and contrasted that with the cost of the stadium.
“If only we could get some accurate estimates – or at least some estimates – on the life cycle cost of the asset and an asset-management plan for this proposed project,” she said.
“By my calculations, this equates to a total government spend of around $3.63bn for $1.5bn return to the economy [over 50 years], and I’m not factoring in some of the additional projects required here either.
“We as members of parliament, and the Tasmanian community, deserve to know and understand the costs and how the government proposes to raise revenue to cover them, or what it intends to cut to cover them, in order to make an informed decision on this stadium.”
And Ms Forrest indicated she didn’t think the state could afford the stadium either.
“The social and cultural value of major sporting facilities shouldn’t be dismissed, but
committing over $600m when you’re borrowing to pay for nurses’ salaries while cutting
productive infrastructure elsewhere when you’re heading toward unprecedented debt levels and
both credit rating agencies have put us on negative watch, downgraded us to negative, is not
prudent financial management,” she said.
“When you’re maxing out the credit card to pay for the groceries, buying a boat is not a prudent financial management decision, even if you really want to go fishing.”
Mr Hiscutt did not mention the stadium in his budget reply, but did express concern about the budget outlook.
“We must be honest with Tasmanians about the choices ahead. We cannot spend indefinitely, borrow indefinitely, and hope that someone else will pay the bill,” he said.
The Legislative Council will debate the stadium order in December.
‘A no-brainer’: Leaders praise Tassie stadium approval
