The Hobart City Council has signed off its submission that it will make to the Tasmanian Planning Commission, stating its opposition to the controversial Macquarie Point stadium project.

In the submission Council will say that it “does not support this project being built at this location because the negative impacts outweigh the positives.”

The council will outline its concerns in the submission which include damage to heritage sites, environmental issues and poor planning processes.

As agreed by last night’s meeting, the final submission’s section on social and community issues will be amended to reflect local information and perspectives. The submission will include both SGS Economics and AEC reports, noting some limitations and that economic impact studies are not cost-benefit evaluations.

A response has been drafted, agreeing with many findings of the Tasmanian Planning Commission’s draft integrated assessment report.

However it highlights previously-raised issues like infrastructure, urban design, heritage, Aboriginal engagement, event management and environmental impacts.

The Planning Committee on 9 April 2025 expressed concerns about transparency and public involvement over the State Government plans to introduce legislation to progress the project, bypassing the usual process.

The Hobart City Council has noted and endorsed the submission to the Tasmanian Planning Commission subject to a number of additions that expand on the concerns about the social and community impacts and the limitations of the AEC Economic Impact Assessment.

While not the planning authority for the stadium, the City is an agency as defined under the State Policies and Projects Act 1993.
Spokesperson for Our Place – Hobart, Roland Browne ,welcomed the decision.

“The council’s decision is a breath of fresh air,” he said

“Unlike Liberal and Labor, a majority of the council is listening to the community and reading the materials. They, like their constituents, know the stadium would be a planning and economic disaster. They know the damage it would cause, especially to the Cenotaph, can never be undone.”

MacPoint Stadium PoSS – Elector Poll

The council has decided not to proceed with an elector poll in relation to the proposed Macquarie Point Stadium Project of State Significance (PoSS) process. This advice was requested after a resolution from the 9 April 2025 Planning Authority Committee meeting.

In contrast to community members or groups who are required to first launch a petition to demonstrate broader support for an issue, the council is able to initiate an elector poll on any issue. The last council-initiated elector poll was in 2007 about the Tamar Valley Pulp Mill.

The cost of an elector poll is estimated at $250,000, an unplanned expense that impacts Hobart’s operational budget.

The Tasmanian Government has not released a draft bill for the stadium yet, but through media reporting it could be debated in June 2025. The Electoral Commissioner advised that it takes three weeks to prepare for a poll, and it would need to be open for three weeks, making it unlikely to influence the parliamentary debate.

In making the officer recommendation, consideration was given to both timing and cost with the conclusion that the benefit of conducting an elector poll was considered low.

The state government appears determined to deny Tasmanians a say in whether the project should proceed.

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