Premier Jeremy Rockliff says Tasmania would still be “living in paddocks and caves” without major infrastructure projects, as the Greens ramp up their opposition to the proposed Macquarie Point stadium.
In parliament on Tuesday, Rockliff brushed off concerns from Greens MP Vica Bayley about the project’s price tag, arguing that investment in infrastructure was essential regardless of budget pressures.
When asked twice by Bayley to name an upper spending limit for the stadium, the premier instead pointed to a century of public works.
“If governments of all persuasions over the course of the last 100 years had a belief that we did not invest in key enabling infrastructure, because it in turn does not benefit the economy and then does not come back and benefit the community more broadly, then we would be living in paddocks and caves,” Rockliff said.
“We have got to continue to grow the economy and continue to invest in enabling infrastructure.”
The debate comes as Treasury warns Tasmania’s budget is under strain, with rising debt levels requiring action to stabilise the state’s finances.
Bayley argued that essential services were already stretched and questioned whether the state could afford additional spending on the stadium project.
“We cannot just grow the economy to dig ourselves out of this budget hole,” Bayley said. “We need to cut spending and raise revenue.”
Rockliff dismissed the Greens’ concerns, saying voters had rejected their anti-stadium stance at the recent state election, where 25 pro-stadium candidates were elected compared with just 10 opposed.
“I know, to the Greens, you were very clear when it comes to your election campaign with the ‘No stadium’ stickers and all sorts of matters as well,” he said.
The premier said the Macquarie Point development would create 4,000 construction jobs and unlock growth in an area that had been “underdeveloped for decades”.
The project is backed by $240 million in Commonwealth funding, $375 million from the state and $15 million from the AFL.
The remaining $300 million will be financed through loans via the Macquarie Point Development Corporation.
A critical Tasmanian Planning Commission report is due next Wednesday, which will help determine whether parliament signs off on the project.
