Media release – Nic Street, Minister for Sport and Recreation, 14 September 2023
Labor’s negativity hurting Tasmania
The wishy-washy Leader of the Opposition has been exposed.
If you try to stand for everything, you end up standing for nothing.
Labor has been exposed for trying to have it every which way on Tasmania’s AFL Team agreement and the stadium.
Despite campaigning against the stadium, the Labor Party supported the State Policies and Projects (Amendment) Bill 2023.
Minister for Sport and Recreation, Nic Street, said it would be completely disingenuous for the opposition to vote for the amendment bill and then to vote against the Declaration Order later this year.
“After saying they would take every opportunity to kill the stadium, they caved at the first opportunity,” he said.
“Construction cost escalation has been considered in the cost estimates that formed the basis of the $715 million estimate and funding allocation.
“Everyone knows where we stand – and everyone knows where the would-be, former Labor Leader David O’Byrne stands. Nobody knows where Labor stands.
“Labor knows that without a stadium there is no Tasmanian AFL team.
“The Rockliff Liberal Government are builders, not blockers. We are sticking to the long-term plan of delivering the dream.
“The Opposition’s negativity is hurting Tasmania, Tasmanian businesses and Tasmanian families. And it dismisses the dreams of so many young Tasmanians.
“The Macquarie Point Urban Renewal project will be an economic enabler and gamechanger for our whole state, which will bring more visitors, investment, and new jobs to Tasmania.
“Let’s not forget, when we get the team, we get nearly $360 million from the AFL that will flow through into grassroots footy and our communities.
“We’re about a strong economy and creating jobs. But we’re also about aspirations, and that means giving our young people that dream of running on to the field wearing an iconic Tasmanian jumper.”
Media release – Dean Winter MP, Shadow Minister for Economic Development, 14 September 2023
Has Street blown the roof off the stadium?
Minister for Stadia and Events Nic Street has today twice refused to confirm the Macquarie Point stadium will have a roof.
A roofed stadium will create significant engineering challenges, which will be compounded by the instability of the site’s foundations.
A roof also means the stadium will need to be at least 40-metres high, so lighting can be provided inside it, which in turn means the stadium will impact the Cenotaph.
And of course, a roof will also add significant cost to the project, which is already set to cost Tasmanian taxpayers dearly.
For more than a year, Jeremy Rockliff and his government have been promising something they know they cannot deliver. It is time they started being honest with Tasmanians.
Will the stadium have a roof, or not?
Given everything they’ve said about this previously, why is the government refusing to say?
Mac Point stadium on shaky ground
The minority Liberal government’s ability to deliver its pet stadium project is in serious doubt, with significant concerns over the foundations at Macquarie Point.
Not only is the Macquarie Point site on reclaimed land, but it also has significant engineering challenges and is highly contaminated.
Labor asked the Minister for Stadia and Events Nic Street last week about geotechnical advice that the site foundations are so unstable that water will be hit at the city end of the proposed site at a depth of just 2.5 metres.
The Minister said at the time that he hadn’t personally seen the advice but when asked today whether he has since sought that advice, he simply refused to answer the question.
He also refused to answer questions about contamination at the site – using the Project of State Significance process to wash his hands of all concerns about the site.
Macquarie Point was given $18 million for decontamination works in 2020-21 but this work appears to have not been undertaken and there is a significant risk that the site will be designated as Level 4 Contamination, the EPA’s highest level.
This government has an appalling track record of delivering on its commitments and the stadium it has prioritised above the health, housing and cost-of-living crisis for more than a year appears to be no different.
