The Federal Government is reportedly set to approve funding for a multi-purpose stadium in Hobart, ticking off the final hurdle for a 19th AFL licence being awarded to Tasmania.
According to WIN News Tasmania’s Brent Costelloe, the Albanese government will fill the $240 million shortfall for the 23,000-capacity venue, which has been proposed to be built in Macquarie Point.
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The proposed stadium, which is understood to cost about $750 million, will not include a roof, according to Costelloe.
An announcement is expected within the next week, but the AFL is still awaiting official confirmation from the Federal Labor government ahead of the May 9 budget.
It would pave the way for the AFL and its 18 presidents to approve the 19th licence, bringing Tasmania into the competition.
“This timeline could absolutely change given we‘re dealing with the Prime Minister and his schedule… but as we sit here this morning, I’m expecting a pre-budget announcement within the next week and the funding from that point to be delivered,” Costelloe told SEN Breakfast.
“It is pretty exciting news.
“We’re going to have around a 23,000-seat stadium … I’m not sure it’s going to have a roof, that’s the other mail I have which could be interesting.
“We heard recently that you can’t play Test cricket under a roof, that’s part of the ICC rules. We’re going to have to play Test cricket at this venue to make it viable.
“They were talking about a Perspex permanent roof at one point, a retractable roof is going to cost you $300 million more.
“Again, why do we need a roof? I think part of the beauty of the footy in the middle of winter is going and getting rugged up and keeping warm.
“It’d be a nice luxury, but do we need it? We’ve got one stadium in the country with a roof, Marvel Stadium, so not sure it’s required, to be honest.”
In 2012, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, then the infrastructure minister, provided $50 million for the initial development of the Macquarie Point site.
“I feel the federal government understands how we believe this as an incredible opportunity for Tasmania,” AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said last week.
“It would be a facility that goes well beyond sport, it would be a community asset, it would be a precinct asset, it would be about urban renewal and it would be an asset that actually stimulated Tasmania and their sense of pride and had a benefit beyond football, beyond sport.
“So I feel we’ve had a really good hearing from the federal government and continue to prosecute our case.”
