Tasmania’s Macquarie Point stadium project has cleared its final parliamentary hurdle, passing the Legislative Council late Thursday night following hours of scrutiny.
The upper house approved the $1.13 billion project around 11pm, securing the necessary nine votes – including from independents Bec Thomas, Casey Hiscutt, Dean Harris and Tania Rattray.
Liberal MLCs Nick Duigan, Jo Palmer and Kerry Vincent voted for the stadium, joined by Labor’s Luke Edmunds and Sarah Lovell. Independents Tania Rattray, Bec Thomas, Casey Hiscutt and Dean Harriss completed the supporting votes.
Five members opposed the development, including independents Ruth Forrest, Meg Webb, Mike Gaffney, Rosemary Armitage and Greens MLC Cassy O’Connor.
Hiscutt acknowledged the significant financial implications of the project during his address to the chamber.
“The current estimate is $1.13 billion and this is likely to grow – it would be naive to think otherwise,” Hiscutt said.
He contextualised the expenditure by comparing it to other government spending.
“In health alone, we are looking at spending $14.5 billion over the next four years. That means the amount we are proposing to spend on the stadium would keep our lights on in our hospital for three months.”
“When you start looking at those numbers, the stadium starts to look like small fries in comparison.”
Opposition came from members including Ruth Forrest, who criticised the project’s fundamentals.
“I cannot support a project that fails basic planning tests, violates the government’s own investment criteria and will drain economic activity through debt servicing while generating uncertain returns,” she said.
Forrest added that the stadium “creates a space that is uninviting when major events aren’t on, impacts the most sacred site of remembrance and dishonours our Aboriginal people.”
The project will go to tender for construction in the new year.
