Mr BAYLEY – Minister I’m going to start with the stadium and its impact on the Cenotaph – obviously an incredibly important symbol for veterans. The CEO of RSL Tasmania wrote to the Premier on 18 July. In fact, he cc’d all of us and put unequivocally his organisation and its sub‑branches’ opposition to us in relation to the stadium and the treatment at the hands of government. I’ll quote and read into the Hansard, just quickly, a part of this letter:
RSL Tasmania has been clear and steadfast from the start. It has always known the stadium would dominate the Cenotaph and we have always known that it would destroy key sightlines. The RSL has been disrespected and misled at every turn, be that by State Growth, Macquarie Point Development Corporation or Cox Architecture, with the former telling us that it would be no more than 40 metres high at our Congress in 2023 and the latter stating only six weeks ago in a meeting with us that it would be six storeys.
The reason the RSL is so passionate is that the Cenotaph was chosen as a site for its prominence. The hill where the Cenotaph now stands was the last thing of the city that departing World War I soldiers would see from their ships. That’s why the sightlines are so important, including sightlines to the water, and that’s why they’re protected in the planning scheme. You, I know, minister, have been long aware of this.
Did you ever advise the Premier of the unsuitability of Mac Point for the stadium before, during or after it was chosen by the AFL as the only site upon which to consider a stadium, despite at the time having numerous options?
Mr BARNETT – Quite a long question and I’ll be pleased to respond to that and indicate my strong support for our veteran community and RSL Tasmania. I appreciate their ongoing engagement with me, my office and with the Premier over a long period of time. I also indicate with respect to Macquarie Point Development Corporation, we will be establishing a working group that will provide engagement and feedback in the process as it goes forward. The project of state significance has taken a new step and that submission has been made for the Tasmanian Planning Commission to consider.
There will be further opportunities for ongoing consultation and engagement, but that’s at the forefront of my mind as the relevant minister and I expect that to continue.
Mr BAYLEY – And the question, did you ever advise the Premier that this site would be unacceptable because of the impacts on the Cenotaph?
Mr BARNETT – Both the Premier and I visited with RSL Tasmania – the president and the CEO – the site at the Cenotaph and we talked about the plans for Macquarie Point. We got feedback from RSL Tasmania, so the Premier is very well aware of the views of RSL Tasmania as am I and others. We take on board the views of RSL Tasmania and other veteran organisations. Indeed, there are mixed views in the community and in the veteran community more broadly but, yes, those views have been taken on board in the development application and meaningful engagement will continue.
Mr BAYLEY – What about this working group? Who is on the working group? Can you talk us through what the working group looks like, who’s on it, how often it will meet and what it’s going to do or what it’s trying to do? You already have a design that’s published.
Mr BARNETT – Yes, for sure.
Mr BAYLEY – What’s it seeking to achieve?
Mr BARNETT – The main objective is to ensure that the veterans are honoured and respected in the development of the multipurpose precinct and that their views –
Mr BAYLEY – Hasn’t the horse bolted on that one, minister?
Mr BARNETT – No, not at all – that the views of the RSL –
Mr BAYLEY – The RSL has been –
CHAIR – Mr Bayley, you can ask follow‑up questions but let the minister answer the question and then you’ll get another opportunity.
Mr BARNETT – It’s very important that there’s ongoing engagement with the veteran community and RSL Tasmania will be front and centre there. Other veteran members will likewise be on that working group to engage with the Macquarie Point Development Corporation on the development. As I’ve said, there’ll be further consultation. You’ve seen the concept plans already, you’ve made reference to them and they’re on the public record, which I think we both acknowledge is important.
How to better represent the interests and honour our veterans in the development process, that will take some time, and there will be opportunities for the RSL and other veterans to have input into that development process.
Mr BAYLEY – To your comment around this working group, making sure that veterans are honoured and respected, I just reiterate what Mr Hardy wrote to the Premier, which says that ‘The RSL has been disrespected and misled at every turn’.
It seems that this working group has a lot of catching up to do, minister. Who is on it? I can appreciate it would be representatives of the RSL but could you be more explicit about who is on it from the veterans’ side of things and also the government/Macquarie Point Development Corporation? Are you on it, for example, minister?
Mr BARNETT – It hasn’t been established as yet, but it will be established. I want to make that clear. They’ll work with the Macquarie Point Development Corporation and be consulted, engaged, and I think the important thing is meaningful engagement. As Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, I get the feedback consistently. I meet with the RSL Tasmania and other groups on a consistent and regular basis, but we’ll certainly be consulting with the veteran community and ensuring that feedback is made clear to and offered to the Macquarie Point Development Corporation and to me, the Premier, and the government. We want to make sure that those interests are protected and supported.
