A Greens motion to order the state government to release an updated cost estimate for the Macquarie Point stadium has been defeated 25-7 in the House of Assembly tonight.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff posted on social media after the vote, saying “the Greens’ attempt to sabotage the Mac Point Stadium process was just soundly defeated in Parliament.”
“Common sense has prevailed,” he said.
Greens deputy leader Vica Bayley told parliament the government had ignored a motion passed in May calling for an updated cost estimate by August 11.
“No one genuinely believes the stadium cost is going to be $1.13 billion, including the government’s own treasurer,” he said.
Bayley said Treasurer Eric Abetz had effectively admitted costs would rise during a Public Accounts Committee hearing last week.
“He as good as walked away from the government’s $875 million cost cap,” Bayley said.
Bayley accused the government of writing a blank cheque and hiding the true cost from Tasmanians.
“Every single dollar of taxpayer money is important and the question on so many people’s lips is ‘how can we afford a third AFL stadium when government services are already failing to keep up’,” he said.
The Treasurer hit back, arguing the motion would compromise the tender process and effectively hand sensitive commercial information to the two companies bidding for the construction contract.
“I think there are only two organisations that want the figures more than the Greens and do you know what those two organisations are? The two tenderers,” he said.
“They would love to have the figures, they are urging Mr Bayley on and the Greens in their motion.”
“They would love to have the details, because you know what they would do – they would adjust their tender and their discussions with the team evaluating on the basis of that information.”
He cited a letter from Macquarie Point Development Corporation board chair Kim Evans warning that “releasing a revised estimate before completion of the evaluation process is likely to compromise procurement integrity and be inconsistent with procurement principles.”
Labor did not support the Greens motion despite backing the earlier call in May.
Labor MP Dean Winter said his party supported transparency but would not undermine an active tender process.
“What I don’t support is undermining an active tender process where the outcome could actually be that they will cost the state more, which is the compelling argument made by the government,” he said.
However, Winter raised serious concerns about the tender process itself, questioning whether construction giant Webuild should still be involved.
“I do have grave concerns about whether Webuild has actually adhered to the EOI process,” he said.
“What Webuild has been found through findings of the Kimber inquiry is very serious, the court cases that they are involved in are very serious and there are serious questions about whether they should be still included in this tender process from here.”
Winter said he had asked the head of the MPDC on two separate occasions to explain how Webuild had not breached the expression of interest process and had “not been convinced by the arguments.”
He said the MPDC was looking to sign the construction agreement in December, leaving “plenty of time for the government to complete the tender process and release the cost estimate before they sign.”
Independent Kristie Johnston was scathing of Labor’s position, saying the party had shifted from supporting a call for transparency in May to opposing an order requiring it.
“They were more than happy just to kind of perform the art of scrutiny rather than actually requiring scrutiny,” she said.
“So we’re back to again the position of Labor of a blank cheque with no scrutiny.”
Johnston said it was “incredibly naive” to suggest the two tenderers did not already understand the cost pressures facing the project.
“Of course they would be aware of what the construction industry is doing in terms of response to the war in the Middle East and how that is putting inflationary pressure on costs right across the construction industry,” she said.
Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff said every dollar over $875 million would come at the expense of health, education and other essential services already facing cuts.
“We know every dollar over $875 million is a dollar that will not be going into health services,” she said.
The stadium project budget officially remains at $1.13 billion, with the government committed to an $875 million cap on the Tasmanian taxpayer contribution.
