Media release – Josh Willie MLC, Shadow Minister for Sport, 31 March 2023

It’s just not cricket…

Today’s revelations that Jeremy Rockliff’s planned stadium won’t be able to host Test or One Day cricket matches is further evidence the proposal was a thought-bubble and an absolute dud.

Cricket Tasmania CEO Dominic Baker told the Public Accounts Committee that ICC rules prevent Test and One Day Internationals being played in roofed stadiums.

This pokes more holes in the Government’s business case and cost-benefit analysis, which include Test and ODI content as part of the 44 events the stadium will attract each year.

We’ve said for a long time that the Liberals’ treatment of Tasmanians during this stadium debacle is just not cricket. Now that appears to be true in more ways than one.

The Liberals have been lying to Tasmanians about the need for this stadium from the start, and they keep on telling more lies to cover up their first one.

Tasmania deserves its own AFL and AFLW team but Tasmanians don’t deserve to be lied to by this Government about the stadium’s role in this deal.

Rebecca White MP, Tasmanian Labor Leader, 31 March 2023

No consultation and no respect shown to Macquarie Point stakeholders

Today’s Public Accounts Committee hearing into the proposed Macquarie Point stadium revealed there was no consultation with both the RSL and Taswater regarding the proposal to build a stadium.

The RSL has been completely disrespected. The whole thing has been done on the fly without any consultation and planning.

Clearly the stadium was cooked up by Peter Gutwein because he wanted a big announcement in his state of the state address in March 2022.

The RSL State CEO John Hardy said they were only told about the stadium at Macquarie Point after the state government announcement. The first heard they about it was on the news.

He told the Public Accounts Committee hearing today, “They (state government) gave us no respect at all.”

He said it wasn’t consultation at all, they were just told it was going to happen by State Growth Secretary Kim Evans.

Mr Hardy said they still haven’t got answers on the proposed stadium’s height, size and how long the build will take.

He said members voted against the location of the stadium based on the lack of information and the decision was close to unanimous.

The same situation occurred with Taswater – the first they heard about it was on the news.

Five million dollars will need to be spent on moving the sewerage pipe so it doesn’t go under the stadium.

These important stakeholders deserved to be treated with much more respect by the State Government than they have.