The collapse of Jeremy Rockliff’s Liberal government will cause “real problems” for delivering the Macquarie Point multipurpose stadium on time, a senior minister has conceded.
Minister Eric Abetz made the frank assessment outside parliament yesterday after Premier Rockliff lost a dramatic 18-17 no-confidence vote, throwing the $945 million project into uncertainty.
Fast-track legislation for the stadium was tabled in parliament earlier this week, with construction originally expected to begin later this year, ahead of the Devils taking to the field in 2029.
But Abetz admitted the political upheaval and likely election could blow out that already tight timeline.
“Dean Winter is a wrecker and this is going to cause real problems for the timeline,” he told Pulse exclusively after the vote.
“But we will do everything we possibly can to make sure that the timeline can be achieved, despite Dean Winter’s wrecking.”
The concerns add another layer of uncertainty to a project that has long divided Tasmanians and dominated state politics.
Political observers have warned the government’s downfall could derail the entire project, with the no-confidence motion potentially pushing key decisions past critical deadlines or even killing it altogether.
And if the stadium goes, so too does the Tasmania Devils’ AFL licence as it hinges on a new stadium being built at Macquarie Point.
Abetz said Labor leader Dean Winter, who moved the no-confidence motion, had jeopardised the project and the team’s future.
“He can no longer claim to be supportive of the team and the stadium when he knows that that which he has done will prejudice that,” Abetz said.
Winter, speaking before the motion passed on Thursday, insisted Labor still backed the team and the stadium but said health and housing were also at the top of his priority list.
Abetz continues to stand firm behind the project, calling it “transformational” for Tasmania and pointing to Hobart City Council data that suggests the stadium would inject $179 million a year into the city’s economy alone.
“Then you’ve got Glenorchy and Kingborough and Clarence councils, where there will be a spin-off as well. Huge dividends will come to our state for a relatively small investment,” Abetz said.
“I don’t know what it is within the Australian psyche, be it in Townsville, in Melbourne with Federation Square, in Adelaide or Perth. The majority seem to be against them until they’re built.”
“And then they all rave about it and say what a fantastic thing it is. How did we ever live without one? I have every confidence that is what will happen in Tasmania as well.”
In a statement yesterday, the Tasmania Football Club said they “remain focused” on bringing the Devils to life.
“We may not have played a game yet, but we are a strong club steeped in tradition, belief and Tasmanian toughness,” the statement read.
“These strengths and the power of our 210,000 founding members and community of support will stand us in good stead as we continue to build.”
