Our Place – Hobart has called on Premier Rockliff to show his face and to find some courage in the face of the Gruen report’s damning conclusions about the Mac Point stadium’s costs.
Spokesperson Roland Browne said: “We need the Premier, or failing that, just one politician in the Liberal Party with a backbone and the integrity to tell the AFL we’re going to have our AFL men and women’s teams, but not a stadium, until Tasmania can afford it at a site where we decide, not mainlanders. It’s that simple.
“The alternative, as Dr Gruen makes clear, is an economic catastrophe for Tasmania, lasting many years or even decades. That’s jobs and services and our children’s future that are in play here.
“Dr Gruen outlines the way forward: games to be played at the existing stadia until a proper decision is made as to where the Devils are to be based.
“In the meantime, the Federal Govt’s $240 million contribution to the Macquarie Point redevelopment could be used to build 1,000 new homes at Macquarie Point as we showed in our 2023 Vision for the site launched by former Governor, Professor Kate Warner.
“The Gruen Report makes clear that this is a crisis. Tasmania needs just one politician with the guts to stand up to the AFL corporates and to stand up for Tasmania so we keep our team, build badly needed homes, and so we don’t bankrupt our state. If that’s not Premier Rockliff, then it’s time for the Liberals to find a new leader.”