The Australian Football League has doubled down on its vow that the future of the Tasmanian Devils is dependent on the successful delivery of a new roofed stadium, leading vocal opponents to claim that it amounts to “blackmail”. It comes as Vica Bayley and Cassy O’Connor from the Tasmanian Greens, along with independents Peter George and Kristie Johnston, travelled to Melbourne today to meet with AFL chief operating officer, Tom Harley.
The meeting came after Tasmania’s Planning Commission recommended that the proposed Macquarie Point stadium should not proceed. In its final report, the commission claimed that the stadium would “diminish the economic welfare” of Tasmania and have an “irrevocable and unacceptable” impact on the landscape.
Now projected to cost $1.13 billion, the new stadium, with a capacity of 23,000, has proved contentious and now faces a key vote in the upper house of Tasmania’s parliament in December. As it stands, the Liberal government and Labor opposition both back the project, but they require the extra votes of three independents to secure final approval.
Speaking after yesterday’s meeting, Bayley said his group of politicians remains supportive of the prospect of a new AFL team, but is still concerned about how the development of a stadium will impact both Hobart and the state. “We have a budget crisis, we’ve got spiralling debt, we’ve got a whole raft of issues, and we also have two existing stadiums where AFL is (already) played,” Bayley said.
“So we put the perspective very clearly, as reflected in the taskforce report, that the team should be stood up, it should play in the national competition. (But) It should play in the existing stadiums (at Bellerive and in Launceston).”
“Tasmania deserves this team. We’ve earned the right to be in the national league. Our message to the AFL today is treat us fairly, stop this corporate bastardry. Listen to the people of Tasmania,” O’Connor said. “And do not insist on a stadium that will break our state. We simply cannot afford it.”
However, the AFL is sticking to its guns on the terms of its 2023 deal with the Tasmanian government. “He (Harley) listened to a range of views and appreciated the group travelling to AFL House and putting those views forward.
“The AFL’s continued position is that a clear component of the licence bid from the Tasmanian taskforce was a new roofed stadium at Macquarie Point with a capacity of at least 23,000. It is a condition for the grant of the 19th licence, and that position has not changed. The AFL looks forward to the vote on the stadium in the coming weeks and the state continuing to build on the momentum and progress already made by the Tasmania Devils and their 214,000 members.”
Ahead of the meeting, Premier Jeremy Rockliff reiterated his view that the stadium will benefit the state. “It brings an AFL team, the Tassie Devils,” he said. “But also, it brings all the private investment needed surrounding the enabling infrastructure of a stadium to ensure the economy can grow. We’ve got employment opportunities, and the visitor economy will invest in and around the stadium, including hospitality venues and, of course, hotels as well,” the Premier said.
It comes after the Tasmanian Government earlier this month revealed updated renders of the Macquarie Point stadium, the world’s largest timber‑roofed venue in planning, with Premier Jeremy Rockliff doubling down on the project — now projected to cost more than $1 billion — as being “built on a site that has been screaming out for development for decades.”
Comprising a hybrid timber roof that (supposedly) utilises Tasmanian-sourced glulam to line the underside, paired with metal deck cladding, steel rod bracing, and translucent ETFE pillows on the exterior.
The clearspan structure has an internal clearance of approximately 49 metres, as determined from ball-tracking data, making it extremely unlikely that cricket balls will strike the roof. This allows the venue to stage Test-level cricket, as well as AFL, soccer, and rugby, with the government saying the stadium will provide an “awe‑inspiring experience”, while the timber form reduces perceived bulk from street level and preserves key harbour sightlines.
Wood Central understands that costs have risen from an initial estimate of $715 million to $1.13 billion, a jump the government attributes to design refinements, construction delays, and the addition of a client contingency fund. Additional infrastructure requirements include a $75.9 million northern access road and an optional 374‑space car park estimated at $97 million. The federal government has committed $240 million to the broader Macquarie Point precinct, while the AFL has pledged $15 million to the stadium and $360 million to Tasmanian football broadly.
The proposal now requires parliamentary approval and has been referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee of Public Accounts for ongoing scrutiny of costs and timelines. The government frames remaining objections as “matters of opinion and choice,” asserting that technical challenges — including traffic, parking, and noise — can be managed, leaving parliament to weigh the economic case against heritage and community concerns before a final decision is made.
- To learn more about the Macquarie Point Stadium, click here for Wood Central’s special feature.
