Labor has thrown its support behind the University of Tasmania’s move into Hobart’s CBD and vowed to “strongly oppose” government legislation that would make selling its Sandy Bay campus more difficult.
Leader Dean Winter said his party stands for “well-paid, safe and secure jobs”, a stance that led to their post-election shift in support for the Macquarie Point stadium project.
“The move puts education into the heart of our capital city. It builds world-class facilities in a more accessible location for all southern Tasmanians. It will revitalise the city and rebuild our state’s education assets,” Winter said.
“In all, $700 million worth of construction activity will have been completed in Hobart by the end of next year. The Forestry building will open in 2026 for over 3,000 staff and students.”
The Liberals have promised to pass legislation requiring the university to obtain approval from both Houses of Parliament before selling land at its Sandy Bay campus.
Winter criticised the proposed legislation as an “embarrassment” that would put the university at “serious financial risk” and “scare investors away”.
“The Liberals plan to team up with the Lambies and the Greens to put a handbrake on UTAS, freezing the university’s assets and preventing any development on its vacant land in Sandy Bay,” he said.
Liberal MP Madeleine Ogilvie questioned the timing of Labor’s announcement, saying they avoided making their position known during the election campaign due to fears of “electoral backlash” from voters, something they received when they switched their ‘No Stadium’ stance.
“The site of the University of Tasmania was gifted by the people of Tasmania to the University in 1951,” she said.
“The government has a very clear election mandate to implement this policy, noting Labor did not oppose it during the campaign.”
She added that the policy allows the university to establish new facilities in the Hobart CBD and elsewhere if they wish, while maintaining a presence in Sandy Bay.
“This legislation strikes the right balance between protecting the public interest and allowing the University to get on with their business, which is to educate young Tasmanians,” Ogilvie said.
A 2022 elector poll carried out in the Hobart City Council area found 74% of voters were opposed to the city move.
