Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has again fired up about the slow progress at Hobart’s Macquarie Point, while spruiking the benefits of the proposed stadium development.
Speaking to Hit, Albanese said years of “bugger all” have happened at the waterfront site, despite his earlier commitment to the area when he was federal infrastructure minister.
“I put money in … $50 million for planning for Macquarie Point and basically bugger all happened, I think is the technical term, for a long period of time,” he said.
The PM’s latest assessment follows ongoing criticism of the project’s sluggish pace, as he continues to pitch the 23,000-seat venue as much more than just a footy ground.
“I support it. I think that you need to view Mac Point as an entire urban redevelopment opportunity,” Albanese said.
“To have not just a sporting facility, but recreational activities, restaurants, residential, commercial.”
He said cities around Australia have figured out how to make the most of their waterfronts, while Hobart’s development still stops around Salamanca Place instead of extending “all the way to the Derwent”.
“It will make an enormous difference to the city. It will attract concerts and activities here, not just sporting events,” the prime minister said.
Albanese says local businesses are strongly backing the project because of the economic boost it will bring.
“The small businesses I’ve spoken to are so supportive as well, because it’ll bring a lot of life to the city, as does of course, [Dark] Mofo and other activities,” he said.
“You look at the MONA facility, there was some opposition to that when it was built. What it’s done is bring people to the great state of Tasmania and add to the economy here.”
The $945 million stadium will be funded through a combination of $375 million from the state government, $240 million from the federal government and $15 million from the AFL. The rest will come from borrowings.
The stadium is a crucial piece of the puzzle for the Tasmania Devils’ AFL licence, with the state needing to build the venue to get its team into the competition.
