Tassie bid looking north

THE Tasmanian government’s affordable, fully-funded vision for the stadium that will seal a 19th licence is based on Townsville’s Queensland Country Bank Stadium.

Judgement Day is approaching for the Tasmanian bid, with a vote still expected this month and Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett declaring on Monday of the AFL: “Time to deliver has arrived”.

Tasmania’s bid believes a covered-roof stadium funded by the state and federal governments with private-partnership investment could be delivered for less than $500m.

But as the bid for that historic Tasmanian licence enters the decisive month of August significant tension remains between the league and government over the AFL’s refusal to approve the $150m offer that underpins the licence.

The Tasmanian government and task force remains adamant the league only made clear in recent months a stadium agreement had to be in place before AFL presidents would agree to a 19th licence.

The $1.25m feasibility study being conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers is still 4-6 weeks away so will not be delivered by the time presidents vote on a proposal but the vision for the stadium remains.

Townsville’s 25,000-seat $295m stadium and Dunedin’s 30,000-seat Forsyth Barr Stadium (built for $198m) are the inspiration for a new coveredroof stadium.

The stadium, which houses the North Queensland Cowboys, was built with $140m of state government funding and $100m of federal government funding as a multipurpose venue which opened in February 2020.

The Tasmanian government believes even with a rapid escalation of building costs in recent years a new stadium could be built for much less than the initial $750m guesstimate.

The hope is a new stadium at Macquarie Point could be built for $400-$500m, with the state government prepared to tip in half of that cost.

The Rockliff government has already engaged with the Albanese federal government about matching a contribution for a stadium on the Macquarie Point site next to the Hobart CBD.

Critically the government is open to a hotel on the site and even a convention centre that could bring about significant private partnership investment and eventually make the stadium and precinct cost-neutral.

It is understood the AFL has told the Tasmanian government it needs to have conditional funding set in stone for the stadium, with plans to turn sod on building by the time a new team plays its first game.

Premier Jeremy Rockliff’s strong statement last week that the government could withdraw its funding offer without due AFL respect was a chance to condition the Tasmanian taxpayers to the idea the league might make it too hard for the state to have its own team.

“We are very close to a final decision and I have called on the AFL to make good on its commitments and to treat Tasmania with the same equity and respect it has provided other states,” the Premier said at the time.