Tasmania’s new AFL team could have its first confirmed future location for a new $70 million High Performance Centre as early as next week, with the Clarence City Council set to vote on whether to locate it at Rosny on Monday.
A report to councillors has identified Charles Hand Park, next to Rosny College, as the preferred option to accommodate the centre’s primary oval, training and administration buildings, with a second oval located in the Rosny Parklands.
The alternative ‘mirrored’ option is for the Rosny Parklands to accommodate the primary oval, with a second oval located in Charles Hand Park.
Both come after a four-week community consultation period that received 966 responses and submissions, 79% of which were from local Clarence residents.
“What we heard was 68 per cent of Clarence residents, and 71 per cent of total respondents, were supportive of our city being the home of AFL and AFLW in Tasmania,” Mayor Brendan Blomeley said.
“We heard from respondents that the High Performance Centre could have huge social and economic benefit, and be a transformative development for the city.”
Another option expected to be put to a vote later this month by Kingborough Council is the Twin Ovals site, near the home of the JackJumpers, in Kingston.
The AFL wants to know the preferred site by the end of the year so construction can begin as soon as possible ahead of a 2025 target completion date.
The estimated economic benefits of the such a centre include almost $20 million during the construction phase, an average of $55 million per annum in additional income to local businesses and an overall financial impact of $23.7 million to the region.
Research by SGC Economics also suggests that centre staff alone would spend $127,000 each year at local cafes and bakeries and property values would increase while private investment would be drawn into the community.
