Representatives from across the political spectrum have written to the AFL CEO requesting a meeting on the untenable stadium condition in the Devils’ license agreement, off the back of the Tasmanian Planning Commission’s report.
The Tasmanian Planning Commission was clear – the stadium should not go ahead. The economic cost to Tasmanians will catastrophic and the negative impacts on the city of Hobart will be irrevocable.
Despite expert warnings, the Liberals are hell bent on pushing forward with the stadium. It’s because the condition in the AFL’s license agreement for the Devils requires the building of this stadium. Jeremy Rockliff won’t even try to stand up to the AFL and renegotiate this condition.
The AFL never should’ve dictated this stadium be built at Macquarie Point in the first place, but to continue to to do so despite independent planning experts’ recommendation against is completely unacceptable.
It’s corporate overreach on a massive scale. Tasmanians are so passionate about the Devils team, and they will make it a success. But they’ve made it crystal clear they don’t want a stadium. The AFL is holding them to ransom. No other state had to spend more than a billion dollars on a stadium to get a team.
When Tasmania’s budget is in a mess and there’s so many problems in this state that need fixing, we just can’t afford it. Tasmanians are already struggling to find an affordable home and access the healthcare they need – any services cuts to pay off the $2 billion stadium debt will have disastrous impacts.
This delegation of representatives from across the political spectrum has come together to stand up to the AFL. It’s time the AFL listened to the expert recommendation of the Planning Commission, to elected representatives and to the majority of Tasmanians who oppose this stadium.
The letter to the AFL CEO can be read here.
