An alternative stadium proposed for Hobart’s Macquarie Point has received the tick of support from the Hobart City Council.
At a meeting on Monday night, councillors voted to provide in-principle support for the ‘Mac Point 2.0’ project, dreamt up by Stadia Precinct Consortium Pty Ltd’s Paul Lennon and Dean Coleman.
The council has agreed to, if needed, transfer what’s needed of their Regatta Point land to Stadia Precinct Consortia if the state government determines that the projects offers superior advantages compared to their own proposal.
“The Council decision recognises that it is a condition of the State Government’s consideration of the Stadia 2.0 proposal that, among other things, it receives the in-principle support of the Hobart City Council,” a spokesperson confirmed on Tuesday.
They said the decision was subject to “considerations and conditions” and that their support was “not at the exclusion of any alternative proposals for Regatta Point”.
“The ongoing support of the Council is conditional upon the preparation of a further report containing qualified advice about the proposal and the request for in-principle support of the disposal of public land in accordance with Council’s probity policy and s177A of the Local Government Act 1993,” the spokesperson said.
The alternative vision for the stadium includes a structure built into the Regatta Point hillside, an underground carpark, public transport and freight access, as well as private apartments, a hotel, convention centre, restaurants, retail space and a private hospital.
In late November, Stadia Precinct Consortia Managing Director Dean Coleman said they had been asked to supply the Tasmanian Government with “financial information in relation to investment, ownership and operation of the stadium and environmental and cultural aspects” by February 5, 2024.
“The Tasmanian Government has agreed to defer consideration of any other approaches around an alternative stadium until it has received our response,” he said.
“At this stage, we feel we have sufficiently addressed government concerns on a range of issues, including the impact of stadium height on Hunter Street, the TSO and the Cenotaph and the operational financials and we await the government’s public release of their responses to stakeholders on these same issues.”
