By Luke Costin
Thousands of Tasmanians have voiced their opposition to a $715 million stadium critical to the state’s entry to the AFL, a day after the project thrust the Rockliff government into minority status.
Liberal MPs Lara Alexander and John Tucker quit the party on Friday, citing concerns over debt and government transparency around the planned Macquarie Point ground, to be located on the edge of the Hobart CBD.
Protesters during the Stop the Stadium rally in Hobart on Saturday.Credit: Loic Le Guilly
Those issues were echoed at a protest outside state parliament on Saturday, as thousands rallied with signs including, “Team yes, Stadium No. Tell the AFL where to go!” and “We can’t eat stadiums or submarines”.
“You can stick your stadium up your bum,” musicians sang to applause.
Senator Jacqui Lambie soon joined in, telling Premier Jeremy Rockliff that “Tasmanians have had a bloody gutful over your stadium and you can stick it up your bum”.
Federal independent MP Andrew Wilkie addressed the rally, having earlier told parliament the 23,000-seat arena would look “at best like a monument to stupidity, at worst like a giant bedpan”.
An artist’s impression of the new sporting stadium to be built in Hobart.
Tasmania’s Labor opposition, meanwhile, took issue with the AFL making the stadium a condition of the state getting a team licence to join the league.
The state will enter the men’s league in 2028, with an AFLW club expected from 2029.
“We all know a Tassie team is richly deserved and should’ve been granted with no stadium attached,” Opposition Leader Rebecca White said in a statement.
“But what should’ve been a unifying moment for Tasmania has been ruined by Jeremy Rockliff’s reckless decision to write a blank cheque for a stadium we don’t need.”
The onus was now on Rockliff to earn back Tasmanians’ trust by committing to full transparency on the AFL stadium deal, state independent MP Meg Webb said.
“They arrogantly dismissed the concerns, questions and warnings raised by many Tasmanians from all walks of life over this issue,” she said.
Under the plan, Tasmania will contribute $375 million for the project, the federal government $240 million, the AFL $15 million, and $85 million will come from “borrowings against land sale or lease for commercial uses”. The stadium was finally given the go-ahead after securing federal government funding.
AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan on Friday said the new team – expected to be named the Tasmania Devils – and the stadium would proceed regardless as the agreement with the government was binding.
The loss of the two MPs leaves the Tasmanian Liberals with 11 out of 25 seats in the House of Assembly. They will need the support of two of the six crossbenchers to pass legislation.
“I’m extremely disappointed, but I’m getting on with the job,” Rockliff told reporters on Friday.
“People might not always agree with what we are doing, but we are doing it for the right reasons.”
Defending the stadium, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said plans to upgrade the Macquarie Point site went back to at least 2012 when he was infrastructure minister under Julia Gillard.
“This site has been left derelict for too long.”
AAP
https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMibWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnRoZWFnZS5jb20uYXUvbmF0aW9uYWwvdGhvdXNhbmRzLXJhbGx5LXRvLWRlbm91bmNlLTcxNW0tdGFzbWFuaWEtYWZsLXN0YWRpdW0tMjAyMzA1MTMtcDVkODU3Lmh0bWzSAW1odHRwczovL2FtcC50aGVhZ2UuY29tLmF1L25hdGlvbmFsL3Rob3VzYW5kcy1yYWxseS10by1kZW5vdW5jZS03MTVtLXRhc21hbmlhLWFmbC1zdGFkaXVtLTIwMjMwNTEzLXA1ZDg1Ny5odG1s?oc=5
2023-05-13 05:44:25Z
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