Tasmanians deserve honest answers about who’s building their stadium. Instead, there is something rotten in the state of Tasmania, and its name is Webuild.
Webuild, the Italian construction giant shortlisted to build the Macquarie Point stadium, is facing criminal charges in the NSW Industrial Relations Court over an incident on the Snowy 2.0 project that allegedly put two workers’ lives at risk. The company didn’t declare those charges when it applied to bid for the Tasmanian stadium even though MPDC’s own tender rules require bidders to disclose any legal matters “on foot.”
When this came to light, MPDC’s excuse was that the charges “have only just been outlined” and couldn’t have been declared in time. But court documents obtained by The Australian (paywalled) tell a different story. The charges were filed in October 2024, almost 16 months before Webuild’s stadium bid, with public court dates in February and April 2025. MPDC’s explanation simply isn’t true.
On 11 May 2026, Webuild sent MPDC a letter that has been tabled to Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee, claiming it “has acted transparently at all times and has proactively notified relevant regulatory authorities of any allegations.” Given what we now know, that statement doesn’t hold up either.
Our spokesperson, Roland Browne said:
“We have a tenderer failing to disclose serious criminal charges, a Probity Advisor who has been kept in the dark, and MPDC which is trying to cover up its own failings and the considerable failings of Webuild.”
You can read our full media release here.
This isn’t a minor paperwork slip. It’s a trend of diminishing transparency – cost blowouts hidden, and now a bidder’s own conduct misrepresented. Webuild should be disqualified immediately. And with 60% of Tasmanians opposed to this project, it’s time for a plan B: a better vision for land use at Mac Point, and a fairer way to fund the AFL/W teams. All the world’s a stage, but Tasmanians shouldn’t have to pay for this tragedy.