Mayor ‘disappointed’ over stadium plan snub
LORD Mayor Anna Reynolds says the Hobart City Council has been excluded from discussions around a new multipurpose stadium proposed for the state’s capital, describing the “oversight” as “unfair”.
Ms Reynolds’ comments come after AFL heavyweights met with government representatives in Hobart on Friday, touring potential sites for the stadium, including Macquarie Point, Regatta Point, and the lower Domain – the latter two sites being managed by the council.
The AFL has stressed that Tasmania will only receive a licence for its own team if a new stadium is built in Hobart.
Club presidents will vote on whether the state should be granted the 19th licence later next month.
Ms Reynolds said she wrote to Premier Jeremy Rockliff on Saturday to request an urgent briefing on the stadium proposal. She noted that she had made a similar request to former premier Peter Gutwein to no avail.
“Councillors may have a diverse range of perspectives but they deserve to be provided a proper briefing and then the council can decide whether it wants to reach a common position with the state government,” she told the Mercury.
The Lord Mayor said it was “really important” for both the AFL and the government to consult the council on the stadium proposal and to seek the expertise of council officers.
“It is really disappointing (that the council hasn’t been consulted) because this does potentially involve public land that is managed by the council,” she said.
“It’s just a courtesy, particularly on the part of, I would have thought, the AFL executives to seek out the council representatives and involve them in the tour that occurred. It’s just a major oversight to not reach out to the council.”
It’s understood the AFL on Friday presented a plan to the government for Macquarie Point – which is Crown land – to become the home of the new stadium, believing it would be a more cost-effective option than the proposed 27,000 seat stadium at Regatta
Point, estimated to cost about $750m.
Ms Reynolds said she didn’t believe Tasmanian taxpayers should have to foot the bill for a stadium and that the AFL should bankroll the project instead.
Sport Minister Nic Street said on Friday that the state had offered to pay $10m a year for a Tasmanian team’s first 10 seasons in the national competition, plus $50m for a high performance centre.
“While details, such as the AFL’s contribution to establishing the team, are being worked through, we believe that offer is strong enough to make history for Tasmania,” he said.