Thousands of Tasmanians attended the No Stadium rally in Nipaluna / Hobart today.
Organised by community group Our Place, who have an alternative vision for Macquarie Point, the event featured several speakers.
Speech notes and statements received by Tasmanian Times are reproduced below.
The Federal Group media release was not related to the rally but is very relevant to the theme so we have added that plus the Beswick & Pentland response.
Media release – Cassy O’Connor MLC, Greens Member for Hobart, 10 May 2025
Thousands Rally Against Stadium
Tasmanians from across the island and all political persuasions rallied against Jeremy Rockliff and Dean Winter’s stadium folly on Parliament lawns today.
Community anger over the stadium has only grown since the Premier announced the independent planning process would be abandoned and special fast-track approval legislation presented to Parliament.
The strong message from today’s rally is that, overwhelmingly, Tasmanians want to keep the team we’ve earned and deserve but they reject a multi-billion dollar stadium and its drain on the public purse for generations.
Jeremy Rockliff knows the stadium he promised the AFL without a mandate is hugely unpopular.
He knows the project has huge problems associated with it, many of which have been identified by the Tasmanian Planning Commission in its Draft Integrated Assessment Report.
Yet, he’s trying to force this stadium on an island that can’t afford it and a community that doesn’t want it.
With Labor’s complete capitulation over the stadium, it will be up to the Legislative Council to save Tasmania from this disaster in the making.
Let’s hope they are listening to the strong message sent from Parliament lawns today. We need to reject the corrupted stadium approval bill, let the planning experts do their job, and call on the Premier to renegotiate the terms of the unfair contract he signed with the AFL.
Media release – independent Member for Nelson Meg Webb, 10 May 2025
AFL Stadium is a Case Study of Failed Government Leadership
The Rockliff government has demonstrated critical failure of leadership over the public backlash to its secret controversial AFL deal, a rally held by Our Place No Stadium was told.
“There has been a cataclysmic failure of government leadership from the get go over this controversial AFL deal, and it is only getting worse as the government gets more desperate,” Independent Member for Nelson Meg Webb, who addressed the rally, said.
“Lets be clear, the current community division, frustration and looming threat of financial disaster for decades to come is the Premier’s own making.
“A true and fearless political leader would seek to unify the community, not resort to gaslighting to justify broken promises and emotional blackmail.
“How dare the Premier of this state hold our promised team to ransom? How dare he hold its fate over the heads of the community and the Legislative Council, to emotionally blackmail people into legitimising his egregious error when signing up to his secret AFL deal.
“A true leader would not pick fights with community representatives, and would draw the line at pitting sections of the community against each other.
“A true leader would not interfere in the independent assessment Project of State Significance process, but would respect the parliamentary vote that sent this project there, and allow it to proceed to its normal conclusion.
“There is an alternative, where there is political will there is a way. We saw that when the Rosny community stood up and raised concerns over the proposed location of the High-Performance facility in their parkland area.
“We saw successful renegotiation of that facility’s location to the Kingston Sports Precinct, a fantastic result warmly welcomed by the local Kingborough community and myself.
“While that may not be the AFL’s first choice, this was a fantastic win-win for both communities involved, and provides a clear example of what can be achieved through mature renegotiation when our community’s interests are put first.
“The Premier stands warned. He will reap the bitter seeds of division, dissent and thwarted dreams he has sown, if he continues to fail to stand up for all Tasmanians and stand up to the AFL by saying back off, Tasmanians deserve better and we need to renegotiate.
“My moral compass sets a clear direction forward. I will not be dragged backwards to legitimate abandoning democratic independent planning processes, and I will not support any so-called enabling legislation for the Mac Point stadium.”
Stadium rally speech – Kristie Johnston, 10 May 2025
Expert after expert has confirmed what we already knew or strongly suspected. The stadium’s costs are grossly underestimated. Its benefits are overstated.
And it’s already showing the hallmarks of mismanagement.
I said those words at the last stadium town hall meeting, back in late February. I had hoped that with so much evidence and overwhelming community opposition – commonsense would prevail.
However, since then darker days have descended and we’ve stooped to new lows in our Parliament.
The Premier has declared he’s abandoning the project of State Significance process because he doesn’t like his chances of his stadium getting through.
A few days ago, he started seemingly blackmailing Members of parliament that if they don’t vote for his alternative process, so called enabling legislation, there will be no team.
And two days ago, the Minister in charge of the stadium Eric Abetz was forced to apologise for misleading parliament when he tried to argue the Premier has said all along that the stadium would require $375m as well as borrowings. That the Premier’s mantra ‘$375m and not a red cent more’ always included ‘as well as borrowings’.
What utter, insulting rubbish. As well as lumbering the state with staggering debt, trashing our democracy, this government now wants to treat us all as fools – are we going to accept this?
Sadly we have come to expect this from the Government – their level of incompetence regarding the Spirits was unparalleled until the stadium…
But what I find really insulting is Labor’s position on the stadium.
Because lets face it – when it comes to the stadium Labor have had more positions than in a karma sutra book –however just like with the book– whichever way we look at it they are still screwing us over.
They started off before the election saying they opposed the stadium – remember the stickers? Then after the election, the truth started to come out… they changed their mind and would support a stadium but it had to be capped at $375m – like that was ever going to happen!
And now their position is of unconditional support – they are going to fake scrutiny by asking a few questions but at the end of the day they are Liberal lite and are willing to vote for it no matter what. It is a blatant betrayal of their supporters and the community who NEED an effective opposition.
With Parliament now due to vote on the stadium, this week in Parliament I gave all lower house MPs the opportunity to state their line in the sand on stadium. At what cost, under what conditions, would they say is too much?
Is it a price tag that exceeds $1b? $1.2b? $1.5b? Is it a crippling level of state debt that will burden generations of Tasmanians?
Is it the fact the stadium is so big, barely anything else will fit on the site?
Is it the risk to health and safety, in construction and possibly afterwards, of building such a structure on contaminated land?
Is it the issues with stormwater?
Or the risks to pedestrian safety when 23,000 people try to exit through narrow pinchpoints?
Is it the unforgivable impact on the sacred Cenotaph?
Is it the blatant and disrespectful abuse of experts and processes, of democracy?
Is it the bordering on unlawful blackmailing of members of parliament?
It’s not a surprise that the government said, the sky’s the limit. We don’t care, essentially – no cost is too much. No risk is too much. No discomfort is too much. No amount of trashing of planning schemes, public consultation, proper process, is too much. Apparently, for the Government we must sacrifice all before the altar of the AFL.
But what did the Labor Party say? What was their line in the sand? They have no line in the sand!
Labor is prepared to sign a blank cheque.
No matter what the cost, no matter the scale of engineering issues, no matter the many community concerns – Labor support the stadium.
They’re not going to oppose the project in any way. Sure – they’ll ask some questions about it – maybe even some ones that embarrass the government and show the stadium up to be the disaster that it is – but at the end of the day they’ll still vote for it.
They were very vocal about the Spirits debacle, but they’re not bringing their voice to this – a debacle on a much bigger scale – one they can prevent!
They are now collaborators in the greatest threat to Tasmania’s economic future. And one that is trashing our democracy along with it.
So while the two major parties want to degrade our publicly owned waterfont, our planning schemes, our economy and our democracy, to keep the AFL happy, we don’t have to take it.
Are we going to let them? NO!
We can take back our power. You can write, phone, use social media to flood their inboxes and feeds with the message:
WE DON’T WANT YOUR STADIUM! Tell Labor that we will hold them responsible if this project goes ahead.
Tell them that they can no longer be an Opposition missing in action!
I believe in people power. We have done it before in Tasmania – with the Franklin dam, the pulp Mill, and we can do it again.
Let’s take back our power from Laborials and the AFL.
Let’s say yes to truth! Let’s say yes to democracy! Let’s say yes to Tasmania’s future! Let’s tell Labor it’s time to do their bloody job!
Media release – Federal Group, 10 May 2025
Polling shows strong community opposition to State Government’s fast-track Stadium legislation
Polling conducted by respected local firm EMRS shows strong community opposition to the State Government’s decision to withdraw from the Tasmanian Planning Commission and instead introduce fast-track stadium legislation.
This polling was commissioned by Federal Group to inform the company’s submission to the Tasmanian Planning Commission that is considering the proposed Macquarie Point Stadium under the current Project of State Significance process.
The research shows that those opposed to the decision to withdraw from the Project of State Significance process outnumber those in support, 2 to 1 (50% oppose and 24% support).
Of note, 38 per cent strongly oppose the decision, compared to just 14 per cent who strongly support it.
The research also shows that over two-third of voters (70%-21%) are opposed to the State Government spending more than their current cap of $375 million on the Stadium.
Importantly, 62 per cent believe that the Opposition and independents should oppose the fast-track legislation if the spending cap is breached.
Daniel Hanna, Executive General Manager, Corporate and Regulatory Affairs at Federal Group, said that the research should give the Tasmanian Government pause for thought on their proposed fast-track stadium legislation.
“The proposed stadium is already a very divisive project; abandoning the Tamanian Planning Commission process in favour of fast-track legislation will make that division even worse,” Mr Hanna said.
“Every developer in Tasmania must comply with the existing laws and processes. The Tasmanian community clearly wants the Tasmanian Government to play by the same rules.
“The research supports the Tasmanian Government reconsidering their position and continuing with the Tasmanian Planning Commission process,” Mr Hanna said.
Question: “The Tasmanian Government recently announced its decision to withdraw from the Tasmanian Planning Commission Projects of State Significance process. Do you agree or disagree with this decision?”
Strongly agree 14%
Somewhat agree 11%
Neutral 14%
Somewhat disagree 11%
Strongly disagree 38%
NET Agree 24%
NET Disagree 50%
Question: Would you agree or disagree that the Tasmanian Government should spend more than its announced $375m?
Strongly agree 12%
Somewhat agree 9%
Neutral 8%
Somewhat disagree 12%
Strongly disagree 57%
NET Agree 21%
NET Disagree 70%
Question: In your opinion, if the Tasmanian Government proposed to go beyond the spending cap of $375m should the Tasmanian opposition and independents oppose the special stadium legislation being introduced into Parliament?
Yes 62%
No 25%
Unsure 13%
The research was conducted from 16-17 April with a sample of 878 statewide. The margin of error is 3.3 per cent. The research was commissioned by the Federal Group.
Media release – Northern independent MHAs Rebekah Pentland and Miriam Beswick, 10 May 2025
GOVERNMENT IGNORING PUBLIC SENTIMENT
Northern independents Rebekah Pentland and Miriam Beswick say the latest polling on the Macquarie Point stadium shows the State Government continues to ignore the views of Tasmanians.
The polling conducted by EMRS confirms the majority of Tasmanians don’t agree with the decisions to abandon the Project of State Significance process and to scrap the spending cap.
“This should be yet another wake-up call for the State Government,” Mrs Pentland said.
“While the stadium itself remains unpopular, the Government’s constant shifting of the goal posts is completely on the nose.
“The Premier should consider sticking with the PoSS process so every element of the project is properly assessed.
“I don’t accept the argument that we have to rush a project of this size just to appease the AFL’s timelines.”
Braddon independent Miriam Beswick says many people in the north west don’t understand the State Government’s tactics.
“The Premier hasn’t adequately explained why he can’t sit back down with the AFL and find a way forward that causes less division in the community.
“Issuing an ultimatum to upper house independents is completely unfair. The Government’s own decisions have brought us to the position we find ourselves in.”
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