The Tasmanian Government has broken its stadium funding promise taken to the 2024 election that Tasmanian funding of the Macquarie Point project would be capped at $375 million.

The ‘workaround’ is to dump the burden of additional debt on to the Macquarie Point Development Corporation rather from the state Treasury itself.

The government also backed away from a public-private partnership model due to the absence of any significant private sector interest in funding a ‘net negative’ project.

Labor, which has already backflipped on its own election promise to oppose the stadium, said the Premier had been caught out lying to Tasmanians. It says it still backs the stadium despite the additional state debt, the negative cost-benefit ratio and the many problems identified in the Tasmanian Planning Commission’s Draft Integrated Assessment.

The Greens noted that the State of Tasmania one way or another remains on the hook for the expected construction cost blowouts as well as the interest on the additional debt being announced.

JLN MHA Andrew Jenner said that rather than handing the stadium project a blank cheque, Tasmanians want a government that is going to prioritise health, housing, and education.

With the Parliament resuming Tuesday, independents had their say.

Hobart-based Kristie Johnston said Premier Rockliff was arrogantly attempting to avoid scrutiny of the project.

Northerners Miriam Beswick and Pentland bemoaned Labor having “abandoned the principles of accountability and fiscal responsibility.”

Read their statements below.

Media release – Eric Abetz, Minister for Business, Industry and Resources, 5 May 2025

Next step in delivery model for the Mac Point Precinct

The Tasmanian Government will fast-track the delivery of the Macquarie Point Multipurpose Stadium by implementing a ‘design and construct’ procurement methodology.

The decision follows a market sounding exercise, which sought feedback on the procurement and delivery options available for the Macquarie Point Precinct.

“Feedback from the market sounding process was crucial in understanding how to activate the precinct in a way that unlocks decades of economic investment, jobs and opportunities,” Minister for Business, Industry and Resources Eric Abetz said.

“The decision to prioritise the delivery of the multipurpose stadium through a ‘design and construct’ pathway provides certainty and confidence in the future of the Precinct and the Tasmania Devils AFL Club.

While there was strong interest in a public-private partnership model to deliver the stadium and broader precinct, it would cost the taxpayer more, take longer to implement and take away from the asset being owned by and for the Tasmanian people.

“We cannot afford any delays if we are to meet existing timeframes set out in the AFL agreement. Without a stadium, there is no Tasmanian AFL Team,” Minister Abetz said.

The wider activation of the Macquarie Point precinct will take shape as the multipurpose stadium progresses through construction.

Activation will occur through the staged release of commercial development opportunities to attract the right investments, at the right time, and to maximise the potential returns for Tasmanians.

“The transformation of Macquarie Point will shape Tasmania for generations and I know many will be excited by the prospect of being involved,” Minister Abetz said.

A procurement process for the stadium will commence following the passage of enabling legislation through Parliament.

Media release – Josh Willie MP, Shadow Treasurer, 5 May 2025

Premier will be held accountable for misleading Tasmanians

Today’s admission from the Minority Rockliff Government that it plans to fund the shortfall for building a stadium with funding through the Macquarie Point Development Corporation is also an admission that Premier Jeremy Rockliff lied to Tasmanians.

The Premier promised Tasmanian government capital expenditure on the Macquarie Point stadium would be capped at $375 million and ‘not one red cent more’, and repeated the commitment more than 100 times.

Funding the project through the Macquarie Point Development Corporation is entirely inconsistent with this promise.

After taking the massive risk of introducing enabling legislation, the Premier already has a tall task ahead of him to get his stadium through Parliament.

If the Premier fails, it will be a mortal blow to his leadership. It’s clear he needs to provide more answers to Tasmanians and parliamentary decision makers about the project’s progress and time is running out for him to do that.

Labor has changed and we are back as the party of jobs and economy in Tasmania.

We support a stadium because it will deliver jobs and help secure the AFL & AFLW teams Tasmania deserves. But we will use every mechanism available to us to hold the Premier to account for its delivery.

Media release – Rosalie Woodruff MP, Greens Leader, 5 April 2025

Rockliff Breaks Key Stadium Election Promise

In a stadium-sized broken promise, the Rockliff government has been forced to admit the state will be on the hook for the vast majority of the well over a billion dollars required to build the Macquarie Point stadium.

Premier Rockliff said from day one of the last state election campaign that the cap for taxpayer spending on the stadium would be $375 million – “not a red cent more”. There is no doubt that without this promise he would not be Premier today. But the Premier has now completely abandoned this commitment and been exposed for making what was always a dishonest and misleading claim.

It’s no surprise investors don’t want to get involved in a loss-making project that Tasmanians don’t want or need. The Liberal Government’s talk of private investment has always been a ploy to mislead the community about the true cost of the stadium to the taxpayer.

Tasmanian taxpayers are now responsible for many hundreds of millions of dollars more than Jeremy Rockliff promised. Plus, the AFL deal has Tasmanians on the hook for all stadium budget blowouts and huge ongoing annual interest on the debt.

It is unacceptable that the Premier has consistently misled the Tasmanian people on this issue. Tasmanians deserve an AFL and AFLW team but we don’t deserve to be forced into taking on billions in debt to build a stadium. Premier Rockliff must renegotiate the deal with the AFL.

The insurmountable problems with the stadium have been detailed meticulously in the Tasmanian Planning Commission’s scathing report. And well beyond the catastrophic financial black hole it would put Tasmania in, there are problems with planning, transport, heritage and the environment.

There’s no good model for funding the stadium, which is why the government should scrap it. Instead they are forging ahead with fast-track approval legislation that will bypass all proper process.

The Greens will continue to hold both the major parties to account and fight for the community’s voice to be heard.

Media release – Andrew Jenner, JLN member for Lyons, 5 May 2025

This morning’s revelation that the Government now plans to cover cost blowouts for the stadium is a slap in the face to Tasmanians who took them at their word when they promised not to spend a single red cent over $375 million.

The Rockliff Liberal Government promised Tasmanians it wouldn’t spend a cent over $375 million on the stadium, now they’re backflipping and asking taxpayers to foot the bill. It’s a monumental broken promise, but one that is not surprising to many.

It’s no wonder Tasmanians have lost faith in Liberal governments.

The question now is: what will Labor do? Their support was originally conditional on the project costing taxpayers no more than $375 million. Does that still stand or are both major parties prepared to show Tasmanians their promises are nothing more than empty words.

Rockliff is now essentially demanding a blank cheque for the stadium.

The Tasmanian Planning Commission’s draft assessment estimates that the state will be on the hook for $76 million a year in debt servicing for the stadium. That’s $11 million per game played at the stadium for the first ten years.

If the government chooses to borrow even more, those annual costs are only going to soar even higher.

When is this government going to start prioritising Tasmanians that are doing it tough? Tasmanians want a government that is going to prioritise health, housing, and education.

If the Government is having to cut services, sell off GBE’s and embark on a hiring freeze, then they cannot afford a stadium. Simple as that.

Media release – Kristie Johnston, independent MHA for Clark, 6 May 2025

New funding model but no new economic case for the stadium

n Question Time today, the Premier said he would not instruct the MPDC to submit a revised economic case to the TPC after announcing yesterday a seismic shift in his financing model for the stadium.

Despite the TPC Project of State Significance process being the only lawful and legitimate approval process on foot, he is refusing to engage with it in good faith.

The reality is, the government is obliged to see through the TPC process at least until – or if, and that’s a big if – if its enabling legislation is approved by Parliament.

Instead, he arrogantly assumes he will be able to bulldoze his special enabling legislation through Parliament.

He is taking disrespect to a new low.

He has been disrespectful to the experts engaged in good faith to give their professional and independent advice.

He has been disrespectful to the community by denying them due process, and now he is disrespectful to the Parliament by assuming the outcome of a Parliamentary debate yet to occur.

Media release – independent MHAs Miriam Beswick and Rebekah Pentland, 6 May 2025

LABOR FAILING TO PROVIDE A REAL ALTERNATIVE ON STADIUM SPENDING

Northern independents Miriam Beswick and Rebekah Pentland have expressed frustration at the Labor Party’s failure to stand up to the Government’s blank cheque approach to the Macquarie Point stadium.

“Labor has chosen to back in the stadium at all costs, and in doing so, has abandoned the principles of accountability and fiscal responsibility,” Mrs Beswick said.

“It undermines the attacks on the Government’s spiralling debt emergency.

“The Opposition needs to be clear with Tasmanians about how it would fund the stadium.

Independent Member for Bass Rebekah Pentland said Tasmanians who oppose the stadium deserve to be heard.

“I’d urge Labor to join the crossbench in applying serious scrutiny to this contentious project.

“Some of Labor’s questions in parliament this morning were encouraging but the opposition’s compromised by the fact it’s willing to back the stadium at any cost.”

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