We checked in on the NO – AFL Stadium in Hobart – Wrong Priority petition to see how it’s going. With over 31,000 signatories, the comments also make interesting reading. Here are the latest:

Ila Rundle, 2 hours ago
I feel we need other buildings more!

Elizabeth Claridge Mackonis, 1 day ago
So many reasons. This proposal is too large and an irresponsible waste of public funds. The AFL and the government should be ashamed.

Simon Firth, 2 days ago
I’m a local in favour of an AFL team … but not at this cost and, certainly not at this location.

Robin McLean, 2 days ago
I don’t want a huge stadium so close to our waterfront and city centre.

Margaret Simmons, 2 days ago
I think its important to get our priorities right. We need to be concentrating on what is beneficial for the wider communities.

Louise Stubs, 2 days ago
A stadium in the city is not something we have space, hotels, roads and parking for. Travel around the city/any streets affected by Davey St is already bad during peak hours, bad weather or incidents, adding the stadium traffic will make travel almost impossible.

Vivi Martin, 2 days ago
Use existing resources for sport and that precious space for public good.

David Kernke, 2 days ago
Education, health, housing and sustainable development must come before squandering money on an unnecessary football stadium – we already have one that could be slightly modified to cater for football. Spending over $1billion on a football stadium in Tasmania with a population slightly in excess of 500,000 is simply not on. The Tasmanian Government has lost the plot and one must wonder and suspect that big business and company profits is the reason for the Government pushing this unwanted and unnecessary splurge of hard-earned taxpayers’ money.

Angela Gibbs, 3 days ago
Sport and its adherents are not special. Sports followers need housing, medical care and other social services too.
Sport is not above all else.

Jan Powning, 3 days ago
Listen Government! No-one wants the stadium, they want the $$ to fund essential services and housing. Also an engineers says a tunnel to eastern shore needs to be built from that point and the bridge is greatly deteriorated and soon to fall down.

Anne Griffiths, 3 days ago
Tasmania simply cannot afford this extravagance when it cannot fund a decent health service nor provide funds to educate our children to the level they deserve. It’s not just the initial cost quoted, (and that will surely end up way higher as first thought) but the ongoing interest payments on the money to be borrowed,

Gerhard Ammermann, 3 days ago
I believe there are two existing facilities already, modify one and spend unspent money on health and education.

Colette Alexander, 3 days ago
We could do better things (like housing) with money. We’re too small to need a stadium.

Sheila Hale, 3 days ago
I would like to e see the money go towards more urgent needs.

Neil Holloway, 3 days ago
It is an absolute waste of public money in a time when social services are needed more than ever. The AFL make around 64 million a year – let them pay for the stadium.

Jody Borland, 3 days ago
Sport is a distraction and stadiums we don’t need. Housing. Public housing is what is needed.

Richard Philipson, 4 days ago
Addressing the climate crises is our first priority until the job is done.

Roy Jackson, 4 days ago
Government priorities should be on health and education.

Anne James, 5 days ago
Our needs for hospitals with appropriate staffing and education facilities with appropriate staffing outweigh the need for an AFL team and new stadium.

Eve Lennox, 5 days ago
Tax payers money should be going towards more important causes.

Peter Scully, 5 days ago
Not needed: & even if it was, not there. Money needed urgently elsewhere.

Margaret Llange, 6 days ago
It does not belong here ever.

Dean Hingston, 6 days ago
White elephant.

John Mulcahy, 6 days ago
It’s not the right thing to do there are more essential needs warranted.

Stan Hardman, 6 days ago
Tasmania has top class ovals, money could be spent on improving existing infrastructure, being railroaded by AFL power broker into building a new stadium is a misplaced financial priority. Also the location putting aside parochialism, the most logical location is the central ‘UTAS’ stadium, allowing supporters to travel from the far north west and Hobart. For supporters to travel from northwest/ northern to Tasmanian to Hobart the cost for a family of four is prohibitive. Eg, travel time, fuel cost, ticket cost, meals, and in a lot of cases from the NW accommodation, let alone travelling time from the far NW approximately 5 and a half hours. I ask the Government to reconsider priorities, it would restore my faith in the Government, irrespective of the party in power to see in the Budget Estimates health, ambulance services, education, aged care and homeless being priorities. Government should be for the people, not political egos.

Stephen Green, 6 days ago
We don’t need another stadium.. just another drain on infrastructure maintenance budgets.

Gene Leja, 6 days ago
I live footy, but this is a wrong priority of the government. Too many other priorities need addressing to meet basic needs including but not limited too; the cost of living crisis, housing affordability including the lack of social housing, health and waiting times to see specialists for those who can not afford private health insurance. The government have only started speaking recently of these issues as the current government are aware they have failed and are in crisis to keep government.

Anita Parish Schouten, 7 days ago
Health and homes for people not a sport stadium.

Paula Karydis, 1 week ago
I am signing because we have more urgent priorities in Tasmania. Our health services are struggling. There is insufficient housing to meet the needs of Tasmanians and our public schools need more funding.
The proposed stadium will tower over the existing heritage buildings and detract from what makes the waterfront a special place for locals and visitors from elsewhere. It is a shameful indulgence.

Jeannette Harbourne, 1 week ago
We need better hospitals better housing better roads such a ridiculous amount of money on people kicking a ball around.

Gayleen Fall, 1 week ago
It is a total waste of money, our state needs help in many other areas than this monstrosity. It looks an eye sore as well. Help where help is needed the most, not bloody sport! They already have one, be satisfied with what you have.

Ante Burels, 1 week ago
I’m signing because health, education and housing need to be prioritised before a stadium which will be a huge cost and big on going costs that Tasmanians can’t afford.

Leishka Watkins, 1 week ago
So so many other things should a priority for Tas, over a stadium.

Jennie Obrien, 1 week ago
Catering to a minority! Wrong place and wrong time!

Dr Reginald Parton, 1 week ago
It is an obscene waste of money. If only those millions could be re-directed towards fixing Tasmania’s health, education, and social services.

Eric van der Neut, 1 week ago
We need to spend funds on health, housing, etc.

Jennifer Grist, 1 week ago
This is entirely the wrong thing for Hobart, Hunter Street, Salamanca and visually the whole city of Hobart. Furthermore, the cost to build such a huge thing where most of this area was an island would be very costly and difficult. Big disruption for many years.

John Powell, 2 weeks ago
Health, housing, homeless.