Act now on DEC and win, or wait and lose, says National Basketball League

The National Basketball Association has a licence for Tasmania on the table, but the state has to come up with the money to fix the DEC – or it could cost Tasmania in years to come.

An artist’s impression of a revamped Derwent Entertainment Centre.

SPEND taxpayers’ money now on the Derwent Entertainment Centre and get a $200 million investment and an NBL team in return – or spend it in five years time and get nothing.

That’s the message from Tasmanian NBL advisory board member and former premier David Bartlett as negotiations over the sale of the DEC between NBL owner Larry Kestelman, the Glenorchy City Council and the State Government heat up.

Kestelman has promised an investment in Wilkinson’s Point of $200 million to create a hotel, shopping, restaurant and sporting precinct and 1100 jobs if he lands the sale of the DEC and surrounds for about $18 million and gets Government support for the redevelopment of the Centre – believed to be in the range of $20 to $30 million.

If all proceeds, Tasmania would re-enter the NBL for the 2020-21 season in a brand-spanking new DEC.

Premier Will Hodgman and NBL boss Larry Kestelman at Riverside Primary School at an event launching the NBL Blitz in Tasmania. Picture: PATRICK GEE

The 30-year-old venue is the state’s only 5000-seat arena capable of hosting indoor concerts and sporting events, but urgently needs millions spent on lighting and audio and visual aspects as well as to become disability compliant and other occupational health and safety issues.

Mr Bartlett said if he was Glenorchy mayor, he would simply shut the doors and hand the keys back to the Government if this deal doesn’t go through.

“Whether or not this happens, Tasmania cannot be without a modern 5000-seat arena,” Mr Bartlett said.

“It is hard enough to get bands and concerts down here as it is.

“This money is going to be spent on the venue in one way or another, and it is going to be spent by the taxpayer.

Former Tasmanian premier David Bartlett. Picture: SAM ROSEWARNE

“The opportunity here is by doing it now to also receive more than $200 million of capital investment – the investment of scale of another Mona — into the city of Glenorchy over the next five years.”

He said unlike the AFL and the A-League pushes, there was an NBL licence on the table with Tasmania’s name on it.

“The other opportunities to enter into national competitions seem a bit out in the ether,” he said.

“The A-league bid didn’t really get off first base, the AFL is a decade away and will probably be a decade away then in my view.

“This is the real opportunity for Tasmania to have another team in a national competition, and I think it is absolutely vital we don’t fumble the ball now.”

With its cultural and food/restaurant success in recent years, Mr Bartlett said there was only one aspect missing from making Hobart a great city.

“Great cities of the world have culture, great food and a national sporting team,” Mr Bartlett said.

“The only missing ingredient to make Tasmania and greater Hobart great is an all-year-round sporting franchise that plays in a national league — and basketball is ready to fill that void.”