Bombshell! Rockliff Backs Down on Stadium

To: Andrew Dillon, AFL CEO

From: Jeremy Rockliff, Premier of Tasmania

Date: 16 March 2024

Re: AFL-State of Tasmania Agreement for 19th Licence

Dear Mr Dillon Andrew

I write to you regarding the agreement signed between your organisation and the Government of Tasmania regarding a 19^th AFL licence to be awarded for an AFL/AFLW club in our state.

You will recall that the agreement was quite extensive and covered a range of matters in relation to the establishment of the club and its facilities.

Whilst much of the agreement has not been controversial, I must draw your attention to the matter of a new, purpose-built stadium with a roof at Macquarie Point.

In particular, I regret to inform you that:

1. Public opposition has been strong;
2. Public opposition has also been broad, indicating that it undermines the support we seek from across Tasmania for the new club;
3. A range of site issues – heritage, geotechnical suitability, visual impact, concern by ‘neighbours’ such as the RSL regarding the Cenotaph – have either arisen or have now been brought to our attention, and it is unrealistic to expect all can be resolved within the timelines envisaged by the agreement;
4. The Parliament of Tasmania has directed that the stadium proposal undergo a Project of State Significance (POSS) assessment. Previous experience with this process is that it is both rigorous and lengthy, again suggesting that the stadium can not and will not be realised within the timelines envisaged by the agreement;
5. The potential cost in particular has been a flashpoint, which led me to pledge publicly on 22 February this year that the Tasmanian Government contribution will be capped at $375M. With your contribution of $15M making a total pledge of $390M, the funding shortfall even at 2022 estimates appears to be at least $325M. The Australian Government has committed funds only to precinct works and not the stadium, while to this point no private investors have come forward with expressions of interest in funding the capital cost of the stadium;
6. There is serious doubt as to whether adequate funding to make up that shortfall will ever come from the private sector given that the official business case predicted a return of just 51 cents in the dollar for the stadium;
7. Criticism of the agreement and the way it was reached has damaged the reputation and standing of the AFL in Tasmania;
8. Prominent AFL figure Jeff Kennett has argued that the agreement is unfair on Tasmania, and that in any case the playing home of the club should be York Park in Launceston;
9. Parliamentary concern about the agreement and its cost was a key factor in the defection of two government MPs, leading to instability and the eventual collapse of the government;
10. Tripartite support by the Liberal, Labor and Green parties for the AFL deal has been lost. These parties currently make up 90% of the Parliament and are likely to collectively constitute a majority even after the upcoming state election. Without tripartite support, there is no guarantee that the POSS assessment even if positive will be ratified by the next Parliament.

In view of all the above factors, I must advise you that it is neither plausible nor politically viable to retain our commitment to an inner-city roofed stadium in Hobart.

Accordingly, I must withdraw the support of the Tasmanian Government for the agreement.

As you may be aware, the Parliament has been dissolved and Tasmanians will have a full House of Assembly election on 23 March.

By withdrawing support, I hereby de-politicise the stadium issue and the AFL deal. Tasmanians can vote according to their heartfelt belief in who can provide the best governance for the state.

They can also become involved with the new club from its launch and beyond, without feeling that doing so compromises their political choice.

When a new Parliament sits, we will seek a mandate to fully renegotiate all aspects of the agreement that have become sticking points with the broader community.

In doing so, we will aim to garner the statewide support for the AFL team and agreement that is currently lacking. This, I firmly believe, is what will give the 19^th licence the best chance of long-term success. Seen in this light, it is far more important than a stadium with a roof.

The AFL is itself a community organisation and has been implementing admirable initiatives such as the Indigenous Round and Gather Round to improve inclusiveness.

As a government, we also are duty bound to seek inclusiveness and consider the broader wishes and needs of the Tasmanian community, not just Australian rules diehards.

To achieve this, and to swing massive community support behind the Tasmanian club, you and I must admit that we made mistakes.

The solution to making mistakes is to fix them. Indeed, it is a sign of maturity and a hallmark of good leadership.

We can and will fix the flaws in the agreement. I am sure the next Tasmanian Parliament, regardless of its make-up, will look forward to working promptly and productively with you on a significantly-revised licence agreement that does not have an inner-city roofed stadium at its core.

Yours faithfully,

Jeremy Rockliff, Premier of Tasmania

16 March 2024

The above letter was not drafted by Jeremy Rockliff, not signed and not sent.

It is a letter drafted by Tasmanian Times.

It is a letter we believe the Premier can and should sign and send before the election.

It is a letter we believe he can and should offer co-authorship of to Tasmanian Labor and the Tasmanian Greens, the other parties currently represented in the Parliament.

In doing so he can remove the burden of controversy that hangs over the team as it prepares to launch, and pave a way for widespread community backing for the club.

It’s time for an end to winner-take-all politics. We all live on this beautiful island. We all want a fair go, we all want to see Tasmania develop its potential while preserving its unique natural attributes. There is more that unites us than divides us.

We can see with the JackJumpers that when properly done, Tasmanian sporting teams created out of thin air can work and can be totally uncontroversial.

The AFL deal has been badly done and needs to be fixed. So lets fix it, and give the AFL/AFLW club the best chance of success.

Show some leadership Jeremy. Unite us, don’t divide us.