Former Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett backs rethink on Macquarie Point Stadium

 

Former Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett backs rethink on Macquarie Point Stadium New plans should be developed for a Tasmanian AFL team – one that doesn’t involve building a stadium, former Victorian Premier and footy club president Jeff Kennett says. His thoughts.

David Killick@davidjkillick 2 min readAugust 3, 2023 - 5:00AM ... 48 comments

What Hobart's AFL stadium at Macquarie Point could look like. Images supplied by AFL

The Tasmanian government and the AFL should come up with an alternative plan to building a stadium at Macquarie Point for a locally based Australian rules football team, former Victorian premier and Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett says.

In an opinion piece in Melbourne’s Herald Sun, Mr Kennett said Launceston’s York Park should be considered as the team’s sole team base if the Macquarie Point plan proves impractical.

“I have concluded that the building of the proposed roofed stadium, a condition of Tasmania being awarded their own AFL team, is not a done deal,” he wrote.

“There is a lot of public opposition to the cost of the stadium, the majority cost being borne by Tasmania’s 550,000 population.”

Mr Kennett said the cost of the stadium would be added to state debt and could become “a stone around the necks of Tasmanians for decades”.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - Newswire Photos July 20, 2023: Jeff Kennett arrives at the state funeral of Simon Crean at St Pauls Cathedral in Melbourne. Picture NCA NewsWire / Aaron Francis

“The AFL and the presidents have a responsibility to grow the game, but that should not be at the cost of a ridiculous financial burden to the people of Tasmania,” Mr Kennett said.

He said that in his opinion it was unlikely that the stadium could be built on time for the budget allocated and under the conditions imposed by the AFL.

“I have no doubt when the decision was made by the AFL Commission and the presidents, everyone was thinking of Tasmania’s contribution to the code over many decades and the desirability of a Tasmanian team, but not the financial cost we were imposing on the Tasmanian public with a roofed stadium that will hold only 23,000 patrons,” he wrote.

“At this stage, it is a stadium or no licence. There should be a Plan B.

“If the stadium does not proceed, I would advocate the Tasmanian team be based in Launceston.”

Roland Browne, spokesman for Our Place, which is promoting an alternative vision for Macquarie Point, said Mr Kennett’s comments go to the heart of the outrage many Tasmanians feel about the proposed stadium.

FIRST LOOK: New designs of what Hobart's new AFL stadium at Macquarie Point could look like. Images supplied by AFL

He backed calls for a rethink about the stadium being a precondition for a team.

“The [government] argument is, no stadium and no team, “ Mr Browne said.

“That may suit Mr Rockliff as he prepares to lose the next election and retire to his farm, claiming he did everything he could to get a Tassie team. But the truth is he hasn’t.

“The stadium is just a kamikaze stunt by a flailing premier.”

A spokesperson for the state government reinforced the position that the state’s AFL and AFLW team licences with the AFL was contingent on the construction of the Macquarie Point stadium.

Tassie needs a new AFL stadium, but let’s rethink where

“You cannot have a Tasmanian AFL team without a new stadium at Macquarie Point- it’s as simple as that,” the spokesperson said.

“The AFL have been clear that we need the stadium to ensure our Tasmanian AFL team is viable for the long term.”

david.killick@news.com.au