The York Park Alliance has pledged to actively oppose the Macquarie Point Stadium order, despite the expectation that independent Legislative Councillors will today assist in its passage, calling the decision a betrayal of public interest and promoting the proven, affordable alternative – redeveloping York Park.
Media release – York Park Alliance, 3 December 2025
York Park Alliance will fight back against the Macquarie Point Stadium
Despite the shocking news that independent (in-name-only) legislative councillors (MLCs) will help assist the passage of the Macquarie Point Stadium order through the Legislative Council, like good little Liberal lapdogs; the York Park Alliance reject the proposed divisive stadium in its entirety and promises to join in the fight to stop it.
This fight will be long and ugly, owing to the division that has been caused by the Liberal Government over the project.
The public joined us in a peaceful protest in Devonport on Saturday, and protestors were verbally abused and slandered in a public place, with one pro-stadium supporter that stopped to physically intimidate and further verbally abuse a demonstrator, being reported to the local authorities. No-stadium advocates have been personally cyber bullied and ridiculed online for having a belief against the stadium. The government is squarely to blame for this divisive stadium.
We call on decision-makers and the public to back a better, fairer alternative: redeveloping York Park as the permanent home of the Tasmania Devils AFL team.
While supporters of the stadium at Macquarie Point may wish to celebrate the stadium folly, we believe the outcome does not reflect what is truly best for Tasmanian football or for Tasmania’s future.
York Park remains the sensible, responsible choice because the Macquarie Point stadium, now estimated at roughly $1.13 billion and climbing, carries a huge financial burden for the state, with long-term debt, maintenance and operating costs that may outweigh any estimated benefits.
In contrast, upgrading York Park would require a fraction of that investment and avoid saddling future Tasmanians with yet more debt.
The true cost of the stadium now becoming more apparent with fence-sitting MLCs squeezing what they could from the Government in last minute negotiations with Mr Harris and Ms Thomas. The Liberals again have back flipped on another principle of no new taxes to get this project across the line, to restore the budget from the debt spiral it was in.
Tasmanians will pay dearly for this stadium.
We have the alternative, York Park, to avoid the financial impost of a new stadium, York Park has long been Tasmanian football’s heartland and the home of AFL in Tasmania, not Hobart.
A full redevelopment of York Park would represent a true statewide vision for the Devils, not a Hobart-centric model. It keeps AFL accessible to northern Tasmanians and provides fairness and equality.
The process towards approving the Macquarie Point has ignored strong warnings from planning experts, including the Tasmanian Planning Commission, which concluded the stadium’s “disbenefits” outweigh its advantages. Rather than gamble on an unproven Macquarie Point development with uncertain returns, Tasmanians deserve a safe, proven investment that builds on existing strengths.
The York Park Alliance believes that Tasmania should interpret any Parliamentary approval of the stadium order not as the end of debate, but as the start of a comprehensive re-evaluation away from the pressure of the approvals process.
All the reports leading up to the AFL club funding and development agreement pointed to a dual north-south shared model, but the southern-leaning Liberals have disregarded the north of Tasmania in a decades-long campaign to take AFL football away from the home in Launceston.
The stadium approval has been aided by a spineless Labor Party that stands for a Liberal agenda. The current Labor Party are possibly the weakest opposition party in Tasmania’s Parliamentary history, who stand for nothing and fall for everything.
Today is not an example of democracy.
Today highlights the ongoing scam by vested interests who’ve captured both major parties in Tasmania.
The major parties no longer act in the public interest.
We do not accept Macquarie Point as the future of Tasmanian football. We stand by York Park, the proven, practical, affordable heart of football in Tasmania.
For northern Tasmanians, not only do we demand equal games to be played at York Park, but we remain firm that York Park must be the short-term and long-term, permanent home of the Tasmania Devils for it to be a truly Tasmanian team.
It was also telling that the Foo Fighters have announced their only Australian show to be held at UTAS Stadium – York Park, Launceston just today. So much for requiring a covered billion dollar stadium to attract world class performances.
The York Park Alliance calls on all Tasmanians to not let this vote be the end of this struggle for a fair go for northern Tasmanians.
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