Cricket Tasmania has signed a landmark agreement to play elite level cricket at the proposed Macquarie Point stadium, ending two years of negotiations over concerns about shadowing from the roof design.
The Heads of Agreement signed this morning commits Cricket Tasmania to transitioning elite level games like Big Bash League matches and pursuing international cricket at the venue, while the government will support a new facility at Seven Mile Beach.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff said the multipurpose stadium had always promised to deliver for cricket.
“This is a tremendous result,” he said. “We always said this was a multi-purpose stadium – it’s not just about AFL, but it’s about events, concerts, entertainment, community and many sports.”
Cricket Tasmania chief executive Dom Baker said shadowing concerns had been a “no or go” for the sport due to player safety issues.
“For anybody who knows cricket, if you want Riley Meredith coming at you at 150km an hour and the ball is coming in and out of shadow, I don’t think we would have got too many batters too keen to face that,” he said.
However, technology designed on the Gold Coast will disperse light to eliminate shadows.
“It could be quite ironic that we might be playing in the only stadium in Australia that has no shadows,” Baker said.
The agreement includes $500,000 in additional annual funding over three years, capped at $5 million, to support grassroots cricket.
Participation among children aged five to 12 has grown 40 per cent since government funding increased 18 months ago.
Cricket Tasmania will establish a turf centre of excellence at Seven Mile Beach to grow drop-in wickets for the stadium.
Macquarie Point Development Corporation’s Anne Beach said cricket had been central to the stadium design from the start.
“It is a unique element. It is a bit of a first, but it’s also … an opportunity for the state to make sure we can get the best content we possibly can and provide a unique environment for players and fans,” she said.
The dome roof was selected specifically to support cricket while minimising street-level impact.
The announcement came was made just minutes after an anti-stadium rally concluded on Parliament Lawns.
The rally featured speeches from politicians, footballers and activists, with former VFL player Brent “Tiger” Crosswell declaring the stadium “a great moon ball that’s fallen through space” that doesn’t fit the city.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff shut down claims made by organisers that there were upwards of 6,000 people at the rally.
“There was no way there were 6,000 people there,” he said.
“People have a right to … have a say. That’s what democracy is all about. I look forward to attending the Yes Stadium Yes Team rally next week.”
The Legislative Council will vote on the fate of the stadium in early December.
