Bulk earthworks have begun at the Macquarie Point stadium site in Hobart, with diggers now on the ground preparing for one of Tasmania’s biggest ever infrastructure projects.
Tasmanian company Hazell Brothers is leading the site preparation after winning the work through a competitive tender process.
The work will run through to mid-2027 and involves excavating around 100,000 cubic metres of soil, along with site preparation and archaeological investigations.
Macquarie Point Development Corporation chief executive Anne Beach said around 11,000 cubic metres would be moved in the first phase before the job scales up around September and October.
“We will have construction coming out of the ground, we will be looking to appoint a contractor at the end of the year,” she said.
Hazell Brothers managing director Geoffrey Hazell said a truck would leave the site every eight minutes, carrying material to local tips or the Copping facility for contaminated soil.
“Hazell Brothers is a very proud local firm, we’ve clicked over 80 years and to be here to be part of building something that’s a state-of-the-art stadium that’s gonna be here for many futures to come, we’re really proud to be here,” he said.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff said the project would support thousands of jobs and inject billions into the economy.
Federal Labor minister Julie Collins said the federal government’s $240 million contribution was helping to open up the site for housing, economic opportunity and major events.
The project budget remains at $1.13 billion.
Beach confirmed tenders for the main construction contract are due next month, with a contractor expected to be appointed by the end of the year.
She was pressed on concerns about WeBuild, one of the tenderers, which faces criminal charges interstate relating to worker safety.
Beach said the charges were untested before the court and were not a reason to exclude a qualified party.
“We don’t have concerns about the bidders’ capacity,” she said.
Beach said safety would be front of mind throughout the project and further due diligence would be conducted when bids are assessed.
The stadium is expected to be completed in time for the start of the 2031 AFL season.
