A tender for major excavation work at Macquarie Point will be released tomorrow, Premier Jeremy Rockliff has confirmed, after the stadium project cleared its final parliamentary hurdle.
Two requests for tender will be issued to begin bulk excavation and carefully pack down the heritage-listed Goods Shed.
The announcement follows what the premier described as a “marathon session” in state parliament debating the $1.13 billion development.
“Together, we will turn this wasteland into a hive of economic activity that will strengthen our state for decades to come,” Rockliff said.
“Now, it is time to get this done. It’s time to come together and make sure this stadium is the very best it can be.”
Rockliff acknowledged the intense scrutiny the project has faced throughout three years of planning and urged opponents to accept the outcome.
“I understand the emotion of blockading a Franklin Dam or a forest coupe. I get it,” he said.
“But democracy has taken place. I promised this would go through both houses of parliament and it has and I understand there will be people who will keep our government accountable to delivering this project.”
“That’s where I believe people’s focus should lie, because that will deliver a better project.”
“But to keep fighting against something that’s gone through both houses of parliament – democracy in action – I believe is not in the best interest of Tasmania.”
The Greens and Our Place remain firmly opposed to the project, with Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff promising to “keep fighting all the way down the line”.
Greens MLC Cassy O’Connor, one of five upper-house members to vote against the stadium, said the party “won’t give up the fight”.
“We’ll keep standing with and for those many, many Tasmanians who know this island and its people deserve better,” she said.
The stadium is designed to seat 24,500 for sporting events, expanding to 31,500 for major concerts and includes a 1,500-person function room.
An expression-of-interest process for the lead construction contractor will open in January.
The Macquarie Point Development Corporation (MPDC) said it was still too early to know whether it could meet the key deadlines of being half-complete by October 2027 and fully finished by 2029.
“We’ll be able to lock down and communicate clearly to the community the timelines and the key milestones along that delivery pathway and what they can expect to see when once we appoint the major construction contractor,” MPDC CEO Anne Beach said.
“We have spent the last 10 months preparing for this moment so that we can have a high quality tender process that is supported by the right contracts that we’re ready to deliver.”
The government says the stadium will create 1,500 construction jobs and 200 ongoing roles, supporting the one in six Tasmanians employed in tourism and hospitality.
The stadium is central to Tasmania’s AFL licence, with the Tasmania Devils set to begin playing in 2028 and at the new venue in 2029.
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