The RSL’s latest attack on the proposed Macquarie Point stadium has been met with criticism from within its own ranks, with some members accusing the organisation of ignoring the views of local club supporters.
In a letter to Premier Jeremy Rockliff, RSL Tasmania CEO John Hardy said the organisation has been “disrespected and misled at every turn” and criticised the stadium’s design that will impede the Cenotaph’s sightlines.
“The Cenotaph was purposely sited on vital ground in 1925 to command important sight lines. The sight lines to the Derwent Estuary, Battery Point and St Georges Church will be blocked by the stadium 1.0 plans that have been released publicly,” Hardy wrote.
“At 54m high and only 96m from the Cenotaph the stadium will dwarf the Cenotaph.”
He urged the Premier to honour the government’s pledge to build a stadium that is ‘sympathetic to the Cenotaph’, suggesting the proposed Stadium 2.0 design, which the state government has already ruled out.
“The Cenotaph is a sacred place. RSL Tasmania cannot and will not stand by and do nothing,” Hardy said.
“We ask you to adopt this proposal and abandon any further consideration of stadium 1.0.”
However, members from smaller RSL sub-branches have taken to social media and local radio to express their frustration, claiming they were never consulted about the project.
One member said: “I’m a long-term member of the Kingston Beach RSL club and our members have never been asked for our opinion.”
Another said: “I’m sorry but the RSL’s position screams of NIMBY-ism and they definitely don’t speak for all returned servicemen and women.”
“Mac Point is my preference, not the other. 28 year veteran,” wrote another.
“I served for 12 years and think the stadium is a fantastic Idea. The RSL should be working with the developers so the 2 sites complement each other,” one member wrote.
Hardy responded by saying the RSL is split into three levels: RSL National, RSL Tasmania and RSL sub-branches.
“When we debate with sub-branches, we debate with presidents of sub-branches. We cannot and would not ever know what level of debate the sub-branch has with its members,” he told Local Radio.
“In terms of Kingston Beach, which has been mentioned, their president is quite clear in regards to his opposition to the current stadia position, not his opposition to an AFL team.”
“So it’s up to the sub-branches to instruct us on which way they would or would not like us to go forward.”
“We will not, have not and never have said that we represent every returned serviceman in Tasmania. That is an impossibility. No one in the community represents everybody in the community.”
Sport and Events Minister Nic Street told Pulse the state government “understand the RSL has concerns”.
“Our multipurpose stadium has been carefully designed and informed by the surrounding areas, including keeping the outer-edges as low-profile as possible and to a similar scale as the existing buildings along Evans Street,” he said.
“The stadium has been carefully positioned on the site to sit between the existing sight lines to ensures the views up and down the Derwent River, to sunrise and sunset and across to the eastern shore are not impacted.”
“Of the five sight lines listed in the Sullivans Cove Planning Scheme, two are partially impacted. These run along the edges of the stadium and early roof area, and purposefully avoid the middle of the transparent domed roof.”
“We’ve carefully selected a transparent roof covering and minimal supporting structure to specifically reduce impact on views to and from the Cenotaph, as well as having designed the seating bowl to create new views to key landmarks including the mountain and the Cenotaph from within the stadium.”
