A Greens’ motion calling on the Liberal Government to provide an updated stadium cost estimate has passed Parliament’s lower house – despite the government opposing it. The Liberals must now be honest with Tasmanians about any stadium cost escalations as a result of rising fuel and construction material prices.
The conflict in the Middle East continues to drive up prices across the construction sector. With the construction industry relying more on diesel than any other sector, industry bodies and analysts have warned of significant impacts on construction costs.
Rising fuel prices and supply concerns are flowing onto material and freight costs. It’s putting major projects and their budgets at risk. Projects which haven’t yet been contracted to a builder are on the rockiest ground as costs skyrocket.
The stadium cost estimate was developed before the war in the Middle East. It would be naive to assume it will be immune from rising fuel costs, especially with the contract still out to tender. Yet that’s what the Liberal Government wants Tasmanians to believe.
The Liberals’ stadium budget has already had multiple blowouts before construction has even begun. Tasmanians know they can’t trust anymore of the Liberal Government’s stadium cost assurances.
It’s why we’ve brought on this motion to try to make sure they’re honest with Tasmanians about what impact the fuel crisis is going to have on stadium costs. The stadium was already set to cost over a billion dollars, and the public deserves to know about any further cost escalations.
We thank our Parliamentary colleagues in Labor and the crossbench for supporting this motion. The Liberal Government must honour it and now table any revised stadium cost estimates developed in response to the fuel crisis or develop a new cost estimate for the Tasmanian public by August 11.
