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A panel that evaluates the Macquarie Point stadium proposed in Hobart believes that the government has greatly underestimated the cost and overestimated the benefits to the point that the risk of Tasmania’s credit rating is running.
In his draft report, published on Monday afternoon, a panel of the Tasmania Planning Commission (TPC) described the stadium as “dominant”, “disproportionate” and against local planning schemes.
The TPC is evaluating the stadium as a project of importance of the State, a process that must be completed before it can be voted in Parliament and construction can begin.
However, the draft of the report is scathing in a variety of measures, including economic implications for the community and insufficient transport planning.
The government estimated that the cost-benefit would be 69 cents for each dollar spent, however, the TPC panel believes this would be 53 cents.
The proposed Macquarie Point stadium in Hobart has divided the opinion in Tasmania. (Supplied: MPDC)
The draft report raised concerns about the required loan level.
“According to its central scenario, the construction of the project would require that the State provides, or in another way at the same cost or greater, approximately $ 992 million,” reads the report.
“At the end of the 10 years of operation, the additional debt directly associated with the construction and operation of the project would be approximately $ 1.86 billion.”
“The additional debt that the State would take to build the project and finance its operational losses can trigger a reduction of credit rating.”
The government estimates that the stadium will cost $ 775 million.
The TPC panel estimates that this would be $ 861 million, which increases to $ 1,197b once a required catwalk, changes in road access, public transport infrastructure, relocation of goods shed and sewerage realignment is included.
Those additional costs were not included by the government.
Air vision Visualization of the concept of the Macquarie Point stadium proposed, launched in July 2024. (Supplied: Tasmania Government)
The panel believed that interstate visits would be 15 percent of the crowd in the AFL games instead of 25 percent, as suggested by the government, and up to 5 percent for the sand concerts, instead of 20 percent.
The public has until May 8 to comment on the draft of the report.
The TPC will evaluate the comments, you could hold an audience in July and then publish a final report on September 17.
The proposed stadium must still be approved by the Parliament of Tasmania. (Supplied: Macquarie Point Development Corporation)
The design is ‘entrometry into the identity’ of the city, according to the report
The panel was particularly scathing on how the stadium interacts with its immediate surroundings, as well as in the urban landscape of Hobart more widely.
The Macquarie Point stadium roof proposed may need to be redesigned. (Supplied: Macquarie Point Development Corporation)
Its height and volume would be “incompatible” with Hobart’s planning principles, and its scale “would exacerbate the negative aspects of its form.”
“The panel considers that the shape of the stadium does not respect the natural land form in hobart layers between Kunanyi/Mount Wellington and Timtumili Misanya/River Derwent, with the cove as the center of the amphitheater,” reads the draft of the report.
A contour of the proposed stadium, as could be seen from near Salamanca. (Supplied: MPDC)
The materials and finishes used for the stadium would not reflect the surrounding area.
“The height, the coarse grain and the size of the stadium roof are entrusted into the identity of the place and the city,” says the panel.
“Due to the remaining lack of space around the stadium structure, the panel considers that the activation of the public sphere around the stadium would be difficult and would contribute to important problems.”
The relocation of the goods that are quoted in the heritage to an area behind the stadium was described as “a bad design result” that would create a narrow space.
The location of the proposed Crick Wicks was also called “problematic” when restricting the pedestrian circulation.
Critical transport options
The panel described that the stadium was “potentially insecure” for pedestrians for emergency evacuations.
The Planning Commission panel launched a map that shows where it believes that pedestrian pinch points could be (Supplied: Tasmania Planning Commission)
The draft report estimated that up to 80 new buses would be required for events, but the lack of bus stops would create long delays.
The panel estimated that customers would have to wait more than an hour for a bus, with one in four attendees that are expected to travel by bus.
This would be exacerbated by overcrowding, argues the draft of the report, and the crowd could be subject to strong wind conditions.
“The path and the waiting area adjacent to the eight event stop stops will probably be overcrowded during most of the first hour for customers who leave an event of 24,500 people,” says the draft report.
“For greater capacity events, overcrowding would be worse.”
The use of park and trip facilities was described as “aspirational”, the transfers would only be adequate “for a very small group of events of events”, and there was limited planning to update the general bus network for Hobart.
“The panel considers that the plan for transport to the stadium is directed by the vision and unrealistic,” says the draft of the report.
Commonwealth financing consulted
The panel questioned the construction of housing on the regatta, adjacent to the Macquarie Point site, and the additional implications that this could have in the stadium.
Site plan proposed for the stadium, including some vehicle access from the north. (Supplied: MPDC)
A housing construction plan was a key condition of the Commonwealth that provides $ 240 million for the Macquarie Point enclosure as a whole.
The panel described the use of this land for housing as poorly thought.
“[It is] It is an isolated land area that seems inappropriate for residential amenity and has a high potential for earth use conflicts with activities in the adjacent Macquarie Wharf, “says the draft of the report.
Other problems included the impact on traffic movement for the adjacent port area and how it could interact with cruise arrivals.
The stadium extension, as seen from the hobart cenotaph, with trees proposed to obscure part of the view. (Supplied: MPDC)
There were also concerns about how the stadium would affect neighboring cenotaph.
“The panel considers that the constructed form of the stadium would have a significant detrimental effect on the visual amenity of the cnotafio and the way in which it is understood and experienced,” says the draft of the report.
The ‘committed’ government to the stadium
The ceiling stadium is a condition for Tasmania that enters AFL and AFLW.
It must be completed in time for the 2029 season, with the Tasmania Club to play the 2028 season on the existing lands in Hobart and Launston.
Government Minister Eric Abetz, head of the Stadium, said the Macquarie Point (MPDC) development corporation will work through the problems raised.
“The report seems to be minimizing the immense benefits of the stadium and the enclosure that will unlock, including the key result of securing our own AFL/AFLW team,”
said.
“The report has also raised general problems and has taken a broad scope of the project, and we are concerned about any delay in a narrow timeline.”
Work spokesman and Events, Luke Edmunds, said the project is “hung by a thread.”
The Government may require the support of the Labor to the stadium to approve the Parliament.
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