Despite government promises the stadium would cost $1.13 billion, another stadium price rise looks to be on the cards, with the Minister for Infrastructure refusing to guarantee the cost won’t go up. The Liberals need to tell Tasmanian taxpayers just how much stadium costs are set to increase.
The Liberal Government has made many promises across this sorry stadium saga, but last year committed the stadium would cost no more than $1.13 billion. This commitment was key to securing the support of a number of members of Parliament and formal approval of the stadium.
As many people predicted even before the war in the Middle East, it appears another stadium price rise is on the cards, with the Minister for Infrastructure saying he can’t and won’t guarantee costs won’t go up. It’s a concerning but unsurprising admission from a government already known for breaking its stadium cost cap promises.
While Minister Vincent said there is a $150 million contingency for price escalations, it’s unlikely this would cover the cost increases as a result of the conflict in the Middle East. Economists and industry experts have warned soaring construction costs will mean budgets set prior to the war in Iran will need to be revisited.
The question now is just how much the stadium price is set to go up. It’s why the Greens moved a successful motion this week calling on the Liberals to reassess the cost of the stadium costs and ensure it is made public.
While the Liberals opposed our motion calling for an updated stadium budget, they must honour the will of Parliament and tell the public just how much the stadium price is set to rise.
