Leading anti-stadium group Our Place – Hobart has backed in Clark MP Andrew Wilkie’s letter to the Prime Minister, saying the now invalid Federal government grant of $240 million would be far better spent on social housing at the Macquarie Point site.
Spokesperson Roland Browne said:
“The Tasmanian Planning Commission (TPC) report released yesterday made clear that the stadium proposal no longer meets the Federal government’s criteria for its $240 million grant. That means, other than the pathetic $15 million the AFL are giving, Tasmanian taxpayers are on the hook for the entirety of the now, according to the TPC, $1.8 billion dollar stadium. That’s on top of any risk in cost overruns and revenue shortfalls.
“That money should go to building 1,000 new homes for Tasmanians on Macquarie Point—the vision Our Place outlined in detail in 2023 showed just how this could be achieved in a way that created jobs, long term economic activity 365 days a year and not just seven, along with cafes, restaurants, offices and a major inner city public transport hub.
“This would help solve Tasmania’s existing problems rather than create new ones as the stadium will.
“The Premier says the stadium will drive future economic activity — but then only last year he was saying it wouldn’t cost the Tasmanian tax payer ‘one red cent more’ than $375 million. Now its $1.8 billion and, according to the TPC, that massive debt can only be paid for by increased taxation of all Tasmanians. No wonder the Premier dismisses the report of his own government body.”
You can read Mr Wilkie’s letter here:
