Updated 1pm, Wednesday December 3: Independent MLC Bec Thomas has delivered an emotional speech announcing her support for the Macquarie Point stadium, bringing the $1.13 billion project one step closer to reality.
Thomas fought back tears while addressing the Legislative Council this afternoon, apologising to constituents who opposed her decision.
“I am genuinely sorry to those who desperately did not want me to support this,” she said, briefly pausing to wipe away tears.
“I really hope that in time, you can come to understand the reasons behind my decision and that you can see the work I have put in to try to make the best of a bad situation here.”
She said she has received an outpouring of correspondence from constituents, which her mum volunteered to help her review.
” I have received over 3,200 emails and letters, and whilst early analysis showed around 75 per cent of people writing in were against the stadium, over the last week the yes emails started flowing in by the dozen.”
“A late analysis levelled up to them coming in at around 50-50. Rarely do we get emails in support of something.
“Rarely do we see rallies in support of something. I appreciate the efforts of our community to make their views heard.”
Earlier: The proposed Macquarie Point stadium has moved closer to approval after key crossbench MP Bec Thomas declared she will vote yes.
Thomas, the independent member for Elwick, announced her decision on Wednesday morning, just hours before the Legislative Council is set to debate the $1.13 billion project.
Her support brings the stadium within reach of the eight votes needed to pass Tasmania’s upper house.
“This has been the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make,” Thomas said.
“With all my heart I have wanted to support this project. But I remain deeply aware of the community’s mixed feelings about it.”
“Many Tasmanians are worried about the cost, location and whether the benefits will truly flow to local people. Those concerns are valid.”
The former Glenorchy mayor had been vocal about her concerns over grassroots sports funding, previously questioning how she could support a high-performance stadium when Hobart lacks indoor basketball courts for children.
Thomas said her support was conditional on the government agreeing to comprehensive safeguards.
“All the public focus has been on who will back the stadium. For me, the question has been under what conditions could it possibly earn support,” she said.
“That’s why my support for the project is strictly conditional on economic, governance, design and community safeguards that seek to protect the welfare of Tasmanians.”
The safeguards include an $875 million fixed cost cap on the state’s contribution, independent oversight through a probity adviser, a design quality review panel and $105 million over four years for community sport infrastructure.
“My support for government investment in high performance sporting infrastructure has always been conditional on it also adequately funding community sport,” she said.
“These safeguards ensure grassroots sport receives the attention and funding it deserves. They ensure Hobart is [a] place where you can not only watch sport – you can play it too.”
Thomas acknowledged there was still risk associated with the project.
“The economic and social benefits of a stadium and AFL team are extremely difficult to quantify with certainty. Any investment of this scale is, in part, a gamble – if we never take this opportunity, we will never know,” she said.
“So, the risk must be balanced with safeguards. We owe it to all Tasmanians, particularly the most vulnerable, to ensure conditions and protections are in place.”
She noted the community remained deeply divided on the project.
“Polling shows Tasmanians are split on this stadium – across Tasmania around 40% support it, 60% oppose it. In my electorate it’s closer to 50-50,” she said.
“The Tasmanian Planning Commission found this project would ‘diminish the economic welfare of Tasmanians.’ That finding deeply troubles me.”
“But with the majority of parliament supporting this project, I’ve focused on securing safeguards to protect Tasmanians as much as possible.”
Thomas was critical of the government’s handling of the process.
“This government has not covered itself in glory through this process,” she said.
“It dismissed expert concerns, ignored community feedback and only took me seriously when it realised project approval was on shaky ground.”
“I’ve been raising concerns about project governance since May – they fell on deaf ears until last week.”
The 23,000-seat roofed venue at Macquarie Point is a condition of the Tasmania Devils entering the AFL and AFLW competitions.
Thomas joins the three Liberal and two Labor upper house members to vote yes. Independents Tania Rattray and Casey Hiscutt are expected to vote yes.
Fellow independents Dean Harriss and Ruth Forrest are yet to declare their positions.
Opponents including Greens MP Cassy O’Connor and independents Meg Webb, Mike Gaffney and Rosemary Armitage remain firmly against the project.
The Legislative Council will begin debating the stadium bill on Wednesday afternoon, with a final vote expected on Thursday.
