A group of Tasmanians from the No New Stadium group have taken their campaign direct to AFL Headquarters this morning.
Their aim is to meet with AFL CEO, Andrew Dillon, and to personally deliver him a letter that says Stop the Madness! The letter is reproduced below.
In it the group urge Dillon and the AFL to drop the demand for a new stadium at Macquarie Point as a condition for the state’s AFL licence, noting that it is deeply unpopular and, for the second time, has triggered a political crisis.
Roland Browne, spokesperson for Our Place, said:
“The AFL’s demand for a new stadium at Macquarie Point is unprecedented, unreasonable and will send the state broke. The projected cost of the stadium has already ballooned to almost $2b over 10 years.”
Browne said the stadium has already taken up a whopping 67% of this year’s total infrastructure budget. This is over six times that of the Adelaide Oval which was only 10% of South Australia’s infrastructure budget when construction started.
“There is overwhelming support for a Tasmanian AFL team — but not for a stadium that comes at the cost of health, housing, education, and political stability,” said Browne.
“Tasmania is already facing huge public debt. It can’t afford a new stadium. With Tasmania’s Parliament now in turmoil and mounting public opposition to the stadium, it’s time the AFL listened to the people of this state, recognised its responsibility to its Tasmanian supporters and dropped the requirement for the stadium.”
According to multiple polls 60 to 65% of Tasmanians oppose the stadium in Hobart.
“They know it will bankrupt Tasmania, and there is increasing anger at the AFL’s behaviour,” continued Browne. “It’s time for the AFL to stop bullying Tasmania, and to be part of the solution, not the problem.”
The AFL has been contacted for comment. The AFL’s listed phone number for general enquiries – (03) 9643 1999 – does not actually facilitate telephone contact with a live human being.
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