Tasmania’s Planning Commission says Macquarie Point Stadium should not go ahead for AFL Devils

The Tasmania Devils’ prospects of entering the AFL have suffered another major setback after Tasmania’s Planning Commission recommended that the Macquarie Point Stadium should not go ahead because the “monolithic” project is too big for the site and not worth the cost.

The most detailed assessment of Tasmania’s proposed $945 million AFL stadium has been made public today, shaping a parliamentary vote on whether it — and the expansion team — gets the green light.

The report, which includes non-binding recommendations, creates more headaches for the Rockliff government which had said it plans to build the stadium.

The commission also found the construction and operation of the stadium would result in a “substantial net social cost” to the Tasmanian community.

The state Liberal government previously pledged to cap its contribution at $375 million.

The Commission says the stadium would “diminish the economic welfare” of Tasmania, as the state government would have to accrue $1 billion in debt for construction, which would rise to $1.8 billion over a decade.

The construction costs would amount to $5,900 per Tasmanian household.

The report comes as Nathan Buckley was on the verge of being appointed as the team’s inaugural coach after being overlooked for the Melbourne Demons job because of his interest in coaching the AFL’s newest team.

The stadium would cause “irrevocable and unacceptable adverse impacts on Hobart’s spatial and landscape character, urban form and historic cultural heritage”, the report said.

“It offers almost no scope for the site to become a vibrant active place that is attractive to visit outside of major event mode,” it added.

“In very simple terms, the stadium is too big for the site and the benefits it will bring are significantly outweighed by the disbenefits it creates.

“The panel recommends that the project should not proceed.”

Both the Liberals and Labor support the stadium, meaning it should pass the lower house.

However, it faces a trickier path through the independent-dominated upper house, which the two major parties don’t control.

Multiple independents are anti-stadium and several are on the fence.

The waterfront stadium is one of Tasmania’s largest-ever infrastructure projects and has been deeply divisive.

Critics say the stadium isn’t needed given AFL is played at two existing venues and have expressed doubts over the site’s suitability.

They also argue it would add an unacceptable burden to the state’s already increasing budget debt.

Building a roofed venue at the site was mandated by the AFL in negotiations with the Tasmanian government over the provision of the league’s 19th licence to the AFL-mad state.

While some have argued for a renegotiation of the deal, AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon is holding fast to the “no stadium, no team” mantra.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding the project, the Devils have ploughed on with key moves, including recently announcing teams would enter the VFL and VFLW in 2026, appointing a board and chief executive Brendon Gale, while also recruiting a 200,000-strong membership.

The state government, which previously capped its contribution at $375 million, will likely have to borrow hundreds of millions of dollars on top of that to make up funding gaps.

The report’s release is a key milestone in the path towards the Tasmanian team, which was announced in May 2023 after decades of campaigning.

The state government had hoped to bypass that planning regime and fast-track its assessment, only for a snap state election in July to torpedo that plan.

Speculation is also swirling around the possible imminent hire of Buckley as inaugural coach.

The former Collingwood boss - perhaps with an eye to the report’s release - stepped out of the race to coach Melbourne after his request to “wait a couple more days” was declined by the club.

“I had to risk sacrificing an opportunity to coach Melbourne, to keep an opportunity to coach Tasmania,” he told Fox Footy.