Tasmanian opposition changes stance to support Hobart stadium plan

Dean Winter, Tasmanian Labor’s recently appointed leader, has announced that the party is to now support the proposed AFL stadium at the Macquarie Point site in Hobart.

With the position of his predecessor Rebecca White having been ambivalent prior to March’s state election - first opposing the project, then saying a Labor administration would look to renegotiate the deal with the AFL - Winter’s support means that legislation for the project will almost certainly pass through the Tasmanian Parliament.

Winter made the announcement on Monday afternoon, saying that "Labor has changed" and it will back the AFL stadium based on its promised construction jobs, including hundreds of apprenticeships.

Construction of the 23,000-seat roofed stadium (currently budgeted to cost $715 million) was a condition of the AFL granting a licence to Tasmania in May 2023 for a team that is lined up to enter the competition in 2028.

However, plans for the waterfront has generated significant opposition from locals.

While the Greens and other minor parties still oppose the stadium, Labor’s backing for the project means it will likely pass in the Tasmanian Parliament's lower house - most likely next year.

However, in addition to the Tasmanian Government-backed project, the privately-backed Stadia Precinct Consortia last October delivered a proposal (the Stadium 2.0 project) for an alternative approach for the Hobart waterfront.

Winter’s statement from Monday expressing his support for a stadium, said that both proposals should be considered by the Tasmanian Government, advising “while we will not be standing in the way of the current Macquarie Point stadium proposal, we still hold concerns around the deliverability of the project.

“The Premier (Jeremy Rockliff) should not rule out the Stadium 2.0 project.

“Labor has changed. Under my leadership, the Labor Party stands for safe, secure, well-paid jobs. That means we will support projects with the potential to create thousands of new jobs - including a new stadium.”

Winter said that Premier Rockliff “needs to deliver” on his capped spend of $375 million, with private investors to cover any shortfall.

Premier Rockliff welcomed Labor’s decision, stating that he is “looking forward to working together” on the project.

Image: 2022 concept for the Hobart AFL stadium. Credit: Infrastructure Tasmania.