In response to the Tasmanian Planning Commission’s (TPC) final report on the proposed Macquarie Point Stadium, media releases from various politicians and organisations reveal a deep division.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff acknowledges the report but dismisses its financial and social findings as an underestimation of the stadium’s benefits, stating that the final decision rests with Parliament. In contrast, critics from across the political spectrum—including independent Members Meg Webb and Kristie Johnston, the Greens’ Vica Bayley and Cassy O’Connor and The Tasmanian Nationals—welcome the TPC’s findings as a decisive condemnation of the project, citing concerns over massive debt, damage to Hobart’s heritage and a lack of public benefit.
Labor Leader Josh Willie takes a more cautious stance, thanking the Commission and promising a thorough review, while criticising the Premier’s “mismanagement” of the project. The Hobart City Council and community group “Our Place” both align with the TPC’s negative assessment, with “Our Place” going further to call for the Premier’s resignation, arguing the project is a “vanity” that prioritises a stadium over essential services.
The report’s release has intensified the debate, with many now calling on the government to abandon the project and renegotiate with the AFL.
Media release – Jeremy Rockliff MP, Premier, 17 September 2025
Final report for Macquarie Point Stadium released
The Tasmanian Government has received the Tasmanian Planning Commission’s final report into the Macquarie Point Stadium.
The Recommendation Report and Integrated Assessment Report found that concerns around transport, access, safety, and noise can be successfully addressed.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff said, unfortunately, the report massively underestimates the social and economic benefits of the stadium, our Tassie Devils AFL and AFLW teams, and a supercharged events industry will have on our State.
“Stadiums are complex, and this is the reason why across the nation special laws are used to approve them, instead of the traditional planning scheme,” Rockliff said.
“The Commission has done its job, and I thank them.
“At the beginning of this process, it was known that elected Members of Parliament would have the final vote on the Project.
“It is now time for MPs to have their say.”
Rockliff welcomed the upcoming vote on the Project.
“As a growing State, reaching for aspiration and opportunity for young people, we must pursue ambitious projects like that at Macquarie Point,” Rockliff said.
“It will create jobs, boost our tourism and hospitality sector, secure world-class entertainment and keep our economy strong.
“It is time to get on with the job.”
Media release – Meg Webb, independent Member for Nelson, 17 September 2025
TPC Macquarie Point Stadium Recommendation Must be Heeded
Independent Member for Nelson Meg Webb today welcomed the release of the final Tasmanian Planning Commission recommendation report on the proposed Macquarie Point Multipurpose Stadium.
“This Report is a potential circuit-breaker that should bring the AFL and Tasmanian Government back to the negotiating table,” Webb said.
“Our independent planning umpire has spoken, and it should be respected.
“The unequivocal recommendation is that Mac Point is the wrong location and the stadium’s projected debt burden on Tasmanians is deemed unacceptable.
“This will be a leadership test for the Premier.
“Will Jeremy Rockliff demonstrate responsible leadership by accepting this unequivocal recommendation from the TPC planning experts, stand with them, and request the AFL to come back to the negotiating table?
“Tasmania’s promised football team should never have been put at risk by the ill-conceived Mac Point stadium requirement.”
Webb said the AFL must now seriously consider its reputational risk should it still stubbornly insist on the Mac Point stadium.
“Is the AFL seriously going to demand a democratically elected parliament, accountable to Tasmanians, to ignore the recommendations made by our independent planning umpire?
“The responsible and common-sense course of action is clear.
“The TPC recommendations should be treated as a circuit-breaker, which brings both the AFL and the State Government back to the negotiating table to secure the future of our team minus this divisive and unsuitable stadium – but maybe a different stadium in a more appropriate location.”
Media release – Josh Willie MP, Labor Leader, 17 September 2025
Time for Premier to lift his game on dealing with stadium concerns
I would like to thank the Planning Commission for its hard work in producing such a comprehensive report.
This is a monumental decision for our state, and Labor will take the time to go through the information carefully and methodically.
Tasmanian Labor understands the stadium is required to secure our AFL and AFLW teams. We also understand that the stadium is critical to the long-term viability of the team, on and off the field.
The Planning Commission’s report raises fundamental questions about the future of the project, and it’s clear there are several challenges that need to be overcome.
Labor will take the time to digest all the information thoroughly and give it the proper consideration it deserves – but the ball is firmly in the Premier’s court to explain what happens next.
The Premier has badly mismanaged this project from day one. He owes Tasmanians clear answers about how he intends to deal with such serious concerns, and he needs to lift his game.
I want to see a higher standard of debate where concerns are addressed openly and sensibly, not pushed away into a corner and treated like they don’t exist.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff is already responsible for the biggest infrastructure stuff-up in Tasmania’s history with the Spirits of Tasmania.
He has a mountain of work to do to make sure he doesn’t repeat that effort with the stadium, and he owes Tasmanians clear answers about how he intends to deal with such serious concerns.
Media release – Vica Bayley MP, Greens Sports Spokesperson, 17 September 2025
Planning Commission Recommendation Should Be the Death Knell for Stadium
Jeremy Rockliff must finally ditch his plan for a new stadium, following the Tasmanian Planning Commission’s clear recommendation that the project not proceed because of a raft of negative impacts.
The Planning Commission confirms that the stadium will have too great of a social cost for Tasmanians, and will diminish our economic welfare. Budget blowouts will leave the stadium costing more than a billion dollars, and Tasmanians footing the majority of the bill.
The stadium will require Tasmanians to be taxed for the next thirty years, or a significant accumulation of debt. When the state’s budget is in a mess and health and housing services are going underfunded, we just can’t afford a stadium that’s going to add $2 billion of debt in a decade.
It’s worth noting that the Commission’s finding that this stadium will cost Tasmanians far more than it delivers is based on the proponent’s latest construction cost estimates – estimates that have been undercooked in the past and cannot be trusted today.
The Commission found that the stadium just can’t comply with planning laws designed to protect our unique city. The impact this stadium would have on Hobart’s heritage and character will be ‘irrevocable and unacceptable’.
This stadium would be a ‘bulky monolith’ over the waters of the Derwent and foothills of Kunanyi. It’ll be an eyesore amongst Hobart’s heritage buildings and ruin views of the sacred Cenotaph site.
The Planning Commissions’ finding has to be the death knell for the stadium. The Premier can’t keep pretending his deal with the AFL isn’t a dud – on the back of this recommendation he needs to renegotiate it. Tasmanians want AFL and AFLWs teams, but not the stadium.
Labor need to rip up the blank cheque they’ve given the Liberals to build this stadium. They must show they’ve listened to Tasmanians and the Planning Commission, and finally take a stand against this mega-project that is both a budget bomb, and risk to Hobart’s unique characteristics.
Kristie Johnston, independent MHA for Clark, 17 September 2025
No surprise. Costs underestimated. Benefits overstated. This divisive, unaffordable project has been mishandled from the very beginning.
It’s been plagued with mounting problems as a result.
The TPC know it’s a dud, and its trusted experts have spoken clearly against the stadium.
I call now on the government to accept the refusal and move on.
Media Release – Our Place, 17 September 2025
Our Place welcomes the Planning Commission Report and says it’s time to move on and heal division. Calls on Premier to resign.
Spokesperson Roland Browne has called on the Tasmanian Liberal and Labor parties to accept financial reality and abandon Jeremy Rockliff’s stadium vanity project and for Jeremy Rockliff to resign.
‘The Report could not clearer that the stadium should not go ahead. It now will cost $1.8 billion using ‘the Proponent’s construction cost estimate’ but the TPC ‘considers there is a significant risk they will be much higher than estimated.’ At $1.8 billion it will cost Tasmanians an annual $50 million increased taxes, according to the TPC, ‘with obvious implications for the cost of living for all ‘Tasmanians, and yet it will return only 50 cents in the dollar.
‘Meanwhile the Royal Hobart Hospital is having its Cancer Unit staffing cut by 58 per cent forcing cancer patients to travel interstate or overseas in order to receive treatment.
‘Is this where we have got to—that Jeremy Rockliff would put his stadium folly ahead of the needs of terminally ill Tasmanians?’
The TPC further finds that stadium will be immensely destructive of Hobart’s heritage and city scape.
“I call on all politicians in the Liberal and Labor parties with a conscience to do the right thing and now work together with the majority of Tasmanians who have opposed this stadium from the beginning to ensure that the Tasmanian Devils football team has a future with the two existing stadiums.
‘As for Jeremy Rockliff, it’s time he resigned. It’s over, whether he accepts it or not.’
“The TPC report should be the final nail in the coffin for a project that has no majority public support, will bankrupt the state, and is a desecration of the Hobart Cenotaph and Sullivans Cove.
“It’s time for the Liberal and Labor parties to start listening to the experts and the community, and abandon their obsession with this stadium.
“The Minister ought not make any recommendation to the Governor; this project should lay where it has fallen.
And if the government is silly enough to press on, the parliament should reject it out of hand. It has nothing going for it. It represents a triumph of vanity over sensible government. It is a recipe for massive state debt and ongoing community division.
Media release – Hobart City Council, 17 September 2025
Response to Tasmanian Planning Commission’s assessment of Macquarie Point Stadium proposal
Today, the Tasmanian Planning Commission released its integrated assessment report for the Macquarie Point Multipurpose Stadium Project of State Significance, echoing the Hobart City Council’s concerns with this project.
The TPC report mirrors the Hobart City Council’s endorsed position at its April meeting that the negatives of a multipurpose stadium at Macquarie Point far outweigh the benefits.
Council has long supported urban renewal at Macquarie Point and recognises the potential economic benefits of government investment in this strategic site.
However, the current stadium proposal presents significant challenges that are of concern to Council which the Commission has confirmed.
These include the impact on the significance of the Cenotaph, as reflected in the RSL’s continued opposition; the overwhelming visual impact on Hobart’s waterfront heritage precinct and tourism brand; limited activation of the site outside game days; lack of planning and funding for public transport and pedestrian access; and concerns about the project’s financial implications for the state and for Hobart ratepayers.
Council remains committed to a transparent, evidence-based, and community-informed planning process.
We will continue to advocate for outcomes that reflect Hobart’s strategic objectives and community aspirations and ensure that any development at Macquarie Point upholds the principles of good planning.
“This is a project of enormous scale and consequence for Hobart. We acknowledge the Commission’s work, with the recommendations mirroring the position of the Hobart City Council – this stadium is not feasible at its proposed location, and the impacts far outweigh the benefits,” said Hobart Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds.
“We will continue to advocate for good planning, transparency, and genuine community involvement.
“Council has consistently supported urban renewal at Macquarie Point, but the stadium proposal raises serious concerns — from heritage impacts and urban design to infrastructure gaps and financial risks.
“Our submission to the Commission reflected deep concerns about the proposal’s impact on the Cenotaph, Hobart’s waterfront character, and the limited activation of this strategic site outside game days.
“We’re particularly concerned about the lack of planning for public transport and pedestrian access, and the potential cost burden on Hobart ratepayers.
“We urge the State Government not to use this report as a reason to bypass proper planning processes. Hobartians deserve a say in shaping the future of their city.
“I also urge the State Members of Parliament to consider this expert assessment and all of the evidence presented and bring an open mind to their decision-making.
“Council remains committed to a planning process that is independent, evidence-based, and informed by the community. That’s what good planning looks like.”
Media release – The Tasmanian Nationals, 17 September 2025
INDEPENDENT PLANNING UMPIRE VINDICATES TASMANIAN NATIONALS’ POSITION ON MACQUARIE POINT STADIUM
The Tasmanian Nationals have welcomed the Tasmanian Planning Commission’s (TPC) recommendation not to proceed with the Macquarie Point stadium, saying the independent verdict backs the position the party took to the last state election.
Tasmanian Nationals spokesperson Carl Cooper said the Commission’s findings confirm long-standing concerns about costs, planning impacts, and value for money.
“Tasmanians want the government to fix the basics first. The independent umpire has now said the stadium doesn’t stack up – financially, on planning grounds, or for community benefit. That is exactly the case we took to the election,” Cooper said.
The TPC’s assessment found the proposal would deliver minimal public benefit outside major events, pose unacceptable impacts on Hobart’s heritage and urban character, and leave taxpayers exposed to a heavy debt burden over time.
The Commission’s analysis cites potential public debt exposure approaching $1.8 billion over a decade if the project proceeded.
“We back Tasmanian sport and the Devils’ entry to the AFL, but the Devils should not be held to ransom by the AFL for this stadium proposal,” Cooper said.
“You don’t mortgage the state for a project that fails the value-for-money test. Let’s invest in health, housing, local roads, and community sport instead.”
The Tasmanian Nationals formally opposed the Macquarie Point stadium during the election campaign while supporting the establishment of a Tasmanian AFL team.
Today’s recommendation aligns with that position and should be accepted by the Government.
Cassy O’Connor MLC, Greens Member for Hobart, 18 September 2025
Premier Needs to Be Honest About How Tasmanians Will Pay for Macquarie Point Stadium
For too long, Jeremy Rockliff has got away with fudging or misleading Tasmanians over the true cost of a new stadium that they, ultimately, will pay for over generations.
From “$375 million not-one-red-cent-more” to yesterday’s confession the projected cost to build is now $1.13 billion, the Premier is treating Tasmanians like mugs.
It’s the fourth upward revision of costs since the stadium was first announced. With construction costs soaring, it’s unlikely to be the last.
The Tasmanian Planning Commission’s report released yesterday is oxygen-clear. On a proponent cost estimate of $945 million, the Commission found the debt attributable to the stadium would be $1.8 billion within ten years.
The report states, “There will be an ever-increasing debt associated with the stadium because of the compound interest effect, unless taxes are increased, or spending on public services reduced, or other planned state capital projects are abandoned to pay for it.”
Yesterday, Jeremy Rockliff was quick to rule out any new taxes to pay for the stadium. Apart from the fact he can’t speak for a Premier or Parliament in the future, what is his plan to fund his pet project against expert advice?
What services will be cut? What health or education facilities, or critical infrastructure, won’t be funded or upgraded?
The state budget is already in the most dire state in Tasmania’s history. Loading an extra nearly $2 billion to the debt within a decade is staggeringly irresponsible.
Jeremy Rockliff won’t be Premier when the stadium debt chickens really come home to roost. He does, however, have a responsibility to be open with Tasmanians now about the likely true costs they will bear for a project foisted on them by the blokes in suits at the AFL and a Premier too desperate for a team to get a good, fair deal for Tasmania.
Labor, meanwhile, has taken a welcome pause from their previous unconditional support for a new stadium but they will only be able to sit on the fence for so long. It’s time for them to take a stand against this stadium budget bomb.
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