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Stadium Austerity Budget Cuts Initiates Political Debate
The Macquarie Point Stadium continues to trigger ongoing political debate over budget priorities, with the Greens warning of austerity cuts to TAFE, climate and environment programs, whilst Kristie Johnston questions treasury competence and Hospitality Tasmania promotes economic opportunities.
Media release – Tabatha Badger MHA, Greens Skills and Training Spokesperson, 12 November 2025
Stadium Austerity Era To Hit TAFE Campuses
The Liberals’ fire sale of public land and assets to pay for the Macquarie Point Stadium folly has been foreshadowed, as Minister Ellis would not rule out looking to sell land and buildings owned and operated by TasTAFE.
Under questioning in Parliament, the Minister refused to directly address which campuses are in his sights for sale but indicated TAFE properties would be “streamlined”. In other words, TasTAFE buildings, possibly including some presently being used as childcare centres, will be sacrificed in the age of stadium austerity.
Minister Ellis refused to acknowledge that the flimsy 23-page TasTAFE 30-month Act Review identified efficiencies through divestment, and closing some campuses was informing these choices.
Training options for Tasmanians are being diminished and campus closures will further reduce education opportunities. Tasmania’s training sector shouldn’t suffer further because the Liberals want to invest in a stadium instead of TAFE infrastructure.
The Rockliff Government needs to come clean and tell Tasmanians which campuses, buildings and land, are to go under the auctioneer’s hammer to fund their stadium.
Media release – Kristie Johnston MHA, Independent Member for Clark, 12 November 2025
Stadium vote eve, Treasurer doesn’t know Tasmania’s take
The Treasurer wants to spend more than $1 billion building a stadium but doesn’t know – and doesn’t know how to find out – how much money from its economic activity will flow directly into state revenue to fund hospitals and schools for example.
Eric Abetz previously said money from the stadium would fund hospitals and schools, but he obviously has very little idea of the quantum of that contribution – which is a worry as huge as the stadium itself.
In response to my question today about state revenue from the stadium, as distinct from economic activity, Abetz said:
“How many people will be on extra payrolls and as a result generate extra payroll tax, or how many people will come to Tasmania to buy properties, and as a result pay stamp duty – look – we can all speculate on that,” he told parliament.
“Suffice to say that there is no doubt that there will be an enhancement of payroll tax payments and stamp duty.
“How much? I’m not willing to say.
“And I doubt there is an ability to exactly model that.”
Later in Question Time, Abetz was able to quote one estimate of how much would flow to Tasmania from the AFL payroll.
So, what is the answer? Clearly some modelling has been done. Why can’t we see it? Is it because the amount is so insignificant to our debt-servicing cost?
Tasmanians should be astounded their Treasurer hasn’t bothered to get this modelling done.
Media release – Steve Old, Hospitality Tasmania CEO, 11 November 2025
Tasmanian businesses to explore opportunities from Macquarie Point Stadium
Tasmania’s business community is being invited to two upcoming forums exploring how the proposed Macquarie Point Stadium will deliver long-term benefits.
The forums will be held in Launceston on Monday 24 November at Du Cane Brewery and in Hobart on Tuesday 25 November at KGV.
The sessions, presented in partnership with key industry organisations, will feature local spokespeople from the tourism, hospitality, construction and small business sectors and provide a chance for attendees to ask questions and hear directly from project leaders.
Hospitality Tasmania CEO Steve Old said the forums would help ensure businesses across the State understood the scale of opportunities that the project will unlock.
“This is about showing how the stadium fits into a much bigger economic story for Tasmania, which is much more than just football,” Old said.
“A new, all-weather venue at Macquarie Point will attract more visitors year-round, help fill hotel rooms through the winter months, and provide the kind of infrastructure that lets Tasmania compete for major events and conferences.
“Industry groups are hosting these sessions so that the business community can understand the range of opportunities that this project would bring.
“Tasmania has shown that when we invest in bold, world-class projects like MONA or the JackJumpers, it pays off many times over.
“The Macquarie Point Stadium can be the next catalyst for that kind of confidence and investment, benefiting businesses in every region of the State.”
Media release – Cassy O’Connor MLC, Greens Climate Change Spokesperson, 6 November 2025
Climate Change Denialism a Feature of Stadium Austerity Budget
State and national climate change risk assessments are clear the impacts of global heating are already being felt in Tasmania and will only intensify, but the first Abetz budget strips funding from the climate change office.
Funding falls from $10 313 000 in 2024-25 to $2 837 000 in 2028-29.
It’s as shocking as it is shameful.
This is climate change denialism at its worst. Funding an unaffordable vanity project at Macquarie Point whilst crushing the State’s capacity to tackle the single biggest threat and challenge of our times is negligent.
Climate action has never been adequately funded by the Liberals in government, but this is a new low as the planet continues to heat, threatening Tasmanian communities across the island.
The national and state climate risk assessment reports call on governments to invest in climate mitigation and adaptation, to buffer communities, the environment and our island economy from the coming shocks. The Rockliff Government is ignoring these calls, and the reality.
They’ve even gone so far as to push off a new Climate Change Action Plan, which was promised to be delivered this year. It’s just another indication of how unserious they are about a safe climate future.
It’s the equivalent of fiddling whilst Rome burns, and it sends the worst possible message to young Tasmanians about what their government thinks of their future.
The message is that the Rockliff Government is much more committed to a new, billion dollar stadium than they are to a safe climate future for all Tasmanians.
The Greens will continue to negotiate, advocate and fight hard for the Tasmanian Government to wake up to the reality of global heating.
Media release – Rosalie Woodruff MP, Greens Leader, 6 November 2025
Stadium Austerity Era Will Harm Environment
The start of the Liberals’ stadium austerity era is bad news for Tasmania’s environment and climate. Protection for the environment and climate measures are stripped, laying bare the government’s warped priorities as they scrimp for their stadium.
The State of the Environment report, released more than a year ago, presented a dire picture. Yet this budget has no funding for the remedies desperately needed.
The Liberals continue the major party tradition of subsidising Forestry Tasmania’s destruction of critical carbon stores, biodiverse native forests.
There’s no extra funding for the EPA to regulate the salmon industry, despite last summer’s marine catastrophe. Have they learnt nothing?
Despite the looming extinction crisis, the Liberals have slashed funding to threatened species and biosecurity. Even the critically endangered orange-bellied parrot program has been given the chop.
Whilst additional investment was included in May’s scrapped budget for parks and reserves, that’s now been stripped to the bare minimum for necessary safety upgrades. The $40 million prioritised for a wrong-place, wrong-time walk in the Tyndalls, however, is still on the books.
With summer weeks away, Tasmanians would expect the Liberals to ramp up their response to climate extremes. But there’s barely a cent to fund community resilience and volunteer support.
The Liberals’ priorities are not only all wrong, they also fail to acknowledge the true condition of Tasmania’s environment. The stadium austerity era is here. Big corporations and businesses won’t feel the pain, but the Liberals’ budget cuts will strike the community and nature equally hard.
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