Labor supports a stadium in Hobart because it will create jobs, boost our economy and deliver the Devils AFL side that Tasmanians have wanted for decades.

Labor is concerned that embarking on a Registration of Interest process now is an admission by the Government that there are serious delays and a lack of interest for the claimed Public Private Partnership model.

What this process does to the legally binding delivery timetable with the AFL is anybody’s guess, but it is now inevitable that the stadium will be delayed, like Spirits of Tasmania and so many other projects overseen by Jeremy Rockliff’s government.

We get to the end of 2024 and the government has effectively admitted it still does not have a delivery model.  If there is really interest from the private sector, why haven’t they opened a process to select a partner?

Who is delivering this project?  The documents appear to show State Growth now running the process.  Has Macquarie Point Development Corporation been sidelined?

The process opened today and closes in just one month. With many businesses preparing to wind down over summer, why is there such a short timeframe? 

Premier Rockliff promised that a stadium could be delivered for $375 million and “not a red cent more”. To achieve that, he said the project would have to be managed within an inch of its life, but this process opens the door for a model that could be at arms’ length.

The last thing we need is for the Liberals to bungle another major project like they have done with the Spirits of Tasmania, which has turned into an international embarrassment. 

Tasmanian Labor stands for safe, secure, well-paid jobs, which is why we want to see this stadium built on time and on budget, and why we’ll continue to hold the government to account.

Luke Edmunds MLC
Shadow Minister for Sports & Events
Shadow Minister for Finance