Canberra has formally cemented its $240 million funding commitment to Hobart’s Macquarie Point precinct, accepting the master plan and housing plan for the waterfront development set to house the world’s largest glulam timber-roofed stadium. That is according to federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine King, who today confirmed the project had met the Australian government’s financial and non-financial milestones under the funding agreement, with discussions now underway on delivery.
Wood Central understands the $1.13 billion, 23,000-seat roofed arena is a non-negotiable condition of Tasmania’s entry into the AFL and AFLW in 2028, with the project passing its do-or-die parliamentary vote in December — the Upper House voting 9–5 in favour — the final milestone required under the state’s Project of State Significance process, as Wood Central reported at the time.
Now it can reveal the master plan includes affordable housing, public plazas and hospitality spaces, whilst maintaining the freight, logistics and Antarctic research operations at the adjacent port. “Macquarie Point will become a world-class, year-round destination for Tasmanians and bring a significant boost to the state’s tourism sector,” King said. “The precinct will be more than a well-deserved home for the Devils — it will create new housing, improve transport links adjacent to the Hobart CBD and upgrade the wharves.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pledged the federal contribution on a 2023 visit to the site, which for decades served as a sewage works. The Tasmanian government, as part of negotiations to secure the parliamentary vote, capped its own contribution at $875 million.
Macquarie Point Development Corporation CEO Anne Beach told ABC Radio the corporation was aiming for practical completion by the end of 2030 — but the venue won’t be ready for play before the 2031 season, she said, citing “the size, the scale and the complexity of the structure.” Turf installation and establishment time are among the factors that must follow construction before the ground can host elite sport. The main construction contractor is expected to be announced by year’s end, with building work set to begin in mid-2027.
The Devils are on course to play their first three AFL seasons at Blundstone Arena in Hobart and York Park in Launceston. The funding agreement between the state government and the AFL carries a termination clause if the stadium is not built by the end of 2030 — a deadline Beach said remained achievable. Macquarie Point Urban Renewal Minister Eric Abetz acknowledged the compressed timeline:
“Rome wasn’t built in a day and the Macquarie Point stadium won’t be built in a day either.”
The stadium’s 190-metre fixed dome — slated to be framed (where possible) in Tasmanian-sourced glulam — will be clad in translucent ETFE pillows, making it the largest timber roof on any stadium in the world. It stands 51 metres above the playing surface at its apex, with a clearspan internal clearance of 49 metres.
What the roof is made of
As Wood Central reported in its full design breakdown, the Macquarie Point Summary Report specifies lightweight ETFE pillows, a 20-millimetre timber laminate, a secondary glulam system and Aramax metal deck cladding — all supported by steel rod bracing. The clearspan structure provides sufficient headroom for Test-level cricket, as well as AFL, soccer and rugby.
And the shadow problems that threatened cricket’s future at the venue six months ago are now closer to resolution, with Cricket Australia and Cricket Tasmania working with a Gold Coast company on a new matte finish on the ETFE roof lining, which disperses light rather than passing straight through, eliminating the sharp contrasts on the pitch coming from the roof.
- To learn more about the Macquarie Point Stadium, click here for Wood Central’s special feature.
