The Tasmanian Planning Commission has strongly rejected claims of bias in its assessment of the proposed Macquarie Point stadium in a new letter sent to lawyers for the Macquarie Point Development Corporation.
In the letter, the Commission dismissed suggestions it had relied too heavily on external reports and defended its economic analysis of the multi-purpose stadium development.
“The Panel did not rely on Dr Gruen’s report as claimed. It conducted an independent assessment. Any suggestion of bias is rejected,” the letter read.
“A simple reading of the report indicates that the Panel drew on both the proponent’s, the Macquarie Point Development Corporation estimates of revenue and expenditure as well as those of Dr Gruen and formed its own view.”
The Commission has requested the government identify specific “untested and incorrect assumptions” it claims exist in the assessment process.
It is the second time the Commission has publicly challenged the state government’s characterisation of its work, having previously dismissed claims it exceeded its scope in preparing the assessment.
Greens Deputy Leader Vica Bayley claimed the latest correspondence exposed what he described as a “disinformation” campaign by the government.
“They have just been making things up and hoping nobody notices,” Bayley said.
“Six independent and highly credentialed experts have spent more than a year examining the stadium through this assessment process.”
Bayley described the government’s push to bypass the Commission through special legislation as “desperate politics” with “zero justification”.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff has defended his decision to fast-track the project, saying it would create significant economic benefits for the state.
“This is a Tasmanian project that all Tasmanians can be very proud of that will deliver a Tasmanian team,” he said on Sunday.
“We cannot afford not to deliver this project and we cannot afford delays.”
He said the stadium is a “once-in-a-generation” opportunity that will help “set up Tasmania for the future”.
