Premier Jeremy Rockliff has seized on the Hobart Hurricanes’ first-ever Big Bash League win to ramp up the push for a new stadium at Macquarie Point.
The Hurricanes defeated the Sydney Thunder by seven wickets in front of a sold-out crowd of 15,706 at Bellerive Oval on Monday.
Raving about the electric atmosphere at the match, Rockliff said it was a shame thousands of fans missed out on the historic moment due to the stadium’s limited capacity.
“It was fantastic to see 15,000 people there, screaming fans and what a fantastic result,” he said.
“My only disappointment on yesterday is that if we had a 23,000-seat stadium at Macquarie Point, we’d have filled it to the brink.”
The Premier said a new, multi-purpose waterfront stadium would not only benefit fans wanting to attend sport, music and other events but give the local economy a boost.
“10 minutes after that game, there will be 23,000 people either walking to their hotels or walking to Salamanca or walking to local hospitality venues,” he said.
“Bellerive Oval is not fit for purpose. It was fantastic there last night. The game was brilliant … but we can build on that and make it even better.”
A roofed stadium at Macquarie Point is a must-have requirement set by the AFL for the Tasmania Devils to join the league in the coming years.
Northern Independents Miriam Beswick and Rebekah Pentland argued the opposite to Rockliff, saying Bellerive “can more than hold its own as a venue for premium sporting events”.
“It’s proof that it would serve the state well as a secondary AFL venue while the case for a new stadium is built and Tasmania’s budget is repaired,” Pentland said.
“I’m not fundamentally opposed to a new stadium being built in Hobart but it shouldn’t be forced on us, the case should be made first.
The project is currently before the Tasmanian Planning Commission, which is assessing it as a Project of State Significance.
