How a small shift could make a big difference to Hobart’s cultural and sporting future
In a strange way inactivity on Hobart’s waterfront could open up a once in a lifetime opportunity for the capital city and Tasmania if we grab it with both hands, says sports editor BRETT STUBBS.
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It continues to sit unloved on Hobart’s waterfront, its only use is as a political football being kicked back and forth repeatedly.
So it is somewhat ironic that Macquarie Point could be the solution to so many headaches, including football’s.
The once in a generation site could become the heartbeat of Hobart — the centrepiece of an entertainment precinct driving tourism, hospitality, culture and sport.
As Dark Mofo director Leigh Carmichael recently told the Mercury, the festival and the city is missing out on some of the world’s biggest artists due to a lack of a suitable winter facility.
A new home for Dark Mofo, an even bigger, better Taste, a venue for concerts, conventions, BBL and international cricket, soccer, NRL, international rugby union and the home for Tasmania’s AFL team.
The possibilities would be endless.
It offers all the perks of the proposed Regatta Point site originally floated by the Tasmanian government with added bonuses.
It is slightly closer to Hobart – meaning a more fan friendly engagement and easier flow on effect to nearby restaurants, pubs, cafes and hotels.
It is still on the water and at the end of the northern transports corridor, offering transport solutions via ferries and/or electric buses/light rail for concerts and match day whatever the sport.
It would not need to use reclaimed land from the River Derwent, immediately reducing some of the costs involved around the Regatta Point site – with one prediction it could slash $100 million or more from the final bill.
And politically all sides can claim some credit – always a must when trying to deliver such a bold vision.
The obvious hurdle is can the government extract itself from the few parcels of land already sold to private investors at Mac Point to make way for this precinct?
But it continues to percolate in the back of minds of the state government, as at one stage it was the preferred site for the Devils den as the AFL’s 19th team.
After the state opposition rightly highlighted the costing holes in the original Regatta Point plans, they could take some political credit in landing a new stadium as part of a major entertainment precinct at a much lighter price tag and fulfil their policy of creating a Tasmanian AFL team – a policy shared by all three major parties.
The current development of the site is mired in bureaucracy matched by a glacial time frame, completely wasting any community goodwill and excitement over the original venture.
It would instantly transform Hobart, just as Adelaide Oval and Optus Stadium has done for Adelaide and Perth respectively.
And it fulfils the AFL’s wish to a new stadium to help land a Tasmanian licence.
The AFL’s “no stadium, no licence” declaration on Thursday was immediately met with howls of protestations from politicians, footy and non-footy fans alike.
‘Another hoop to jump through, what’s wrong with our existing stadium, where’s the money coming from.’
Despite its current use, Blundstone Arena will not help a Tasmanian team long term with player retention, fan experience or revenue due to its obvious limitations.
But perhaps what was lost in the delivery was the message the AFL is now taking an active role in delivering the licence, including the stadium, leaving the government and the Taskforce buoyed by the outcome ahead of the August decision.
What the AFL does best is extract money from governments, at all levels, to fund infrastructure that suits its purposes.
The state opposition has been disingenuous in its claim Tasmanian taxpayers would have to foot the entire bill.
The AFL has offered its considerable resources and expertise in stadium design, management and business and government relations to land a commitment to the precinct, with funding to come from state, federal and local governments as well as the private sector.
The benefits of such a development would not only include Australia’ biggest domestic sport, or privileged professional athletes.
For the doubters, the recent redevelopment of MyState Bank Arena has delivered a living piece of infrastructure, thriving on happy families, community spirit and state pride.
The government recently allocated $1.5 million in the state budget to a stadium feasibility study.
This study should not be restricted just to Regatta Point alone as Mac Point could point Hobart and Tasmania into the future.
Hobart AFL stadium gets support from an unlikely quarter
THE director of Tasmania’s biggest cultural event has thrown his weight behind a Hobart AFL waterfront stadium, stating it could take Dark Mofo and the city to the next level.
Dark Mofo and Dark Lab director Leigh Carmichael said the festival was currently knocking back big artists as the city didn’t have the facilities to host such acts in winter.
He says the aspiration of a brand new, roofed stadium on the Derwent would be transformational.
“Absolutely,” Mr Carmichael told the Mercury.
“We are desperate for facilities and we want to bring in international artists to play for 10-15,000 people.
“We’ve certainly got interest from the artists, I can’t name the names, but there are some huge international artists that are now interested in Hobart but we just don’t have the facilities to be able to hold those shows.
“The upgrade of MyState Bank Arena has been excellent, but that is still capped at 7000 and having shows for 10-15,000 in the heart of the CBD or on the waterfront would be magic for us and all the businesses around that area.”
The stadium — which is not part of the state’s official AFL bid — was initially costed at $750m but documents obtained by the state Opposition showed the quote did not take into account a number of elements of building on reclaimed land on the Derwent and could cost as much as $1bn.
All 18 club presidents have been invited to Hobart to see the city and the state before voting on the club’s entry in August.
Mr Carmichael said he would gladly host visiting club presidents at Dark Mofo to help Tasmania land a team as he believes the two combination of sport and culture could work wonders for the state.
“I think they go hand-in-hand, having people come down to see a game of footy and then get out for other cultural offerings around Hobart, greater Hobart and further beyond would be a really good thing,” he said.
“I am in strong support of the stadium. I think the infrastructure in Hobart for large scale events has always been lacking.
“We are really at our limits with the festival and I think that sport and culture coming together could be a really good solution going forward.
“It needs to be looked at, it is not just where we are now but where we want to be as a city in 20 or 50 years time.
“Now is a good time for the government and the community to look seriously at our infrastructure, transport, stadia, event facilities, live music venues, outdoor areas for 10 or 20,000 people to get together.
“This is a really important time and I think there is an opportunity that is right in front of us to seriously have a look at and potentially grab hold of with both hands.”
He said with Dark Mofo starting on Wednesday, now was the ideal time to bring the presidents to Hobart to demonstrate the city at its best.
“We’d definitely get them amongst the Winter Feast and it would be great to show them some of the art offering, get them on a ferry out to Mona so they can see the potential for the waterfront and how the ferries might be able to connect people to a future stadium,” Mr Carmichael said.
“But just being around the waterfront and seeing the energy I think would really inspire them and I think they would see the potential benefits of what an AFL team in Hobart could do for the community and for the city — I really do.
“It would be brilliant to get them down.”
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