In a landmark decision that threatens to derail Tasmania's entry into the AFL, the state's independent planning authority has unequivocally recommended against the construction of the controversial Hobart stadium, branding the project excessively large and fundamentally inappropriate for its prized waterfront location.
The Tasmanian Planning Commission's bombshell report, released publicly on Tuesday, represents a monumental setback for the state government and the AFL. The commission found the proposed 23,000-seat roofed stadium at Macquarie Point would "significantly exceed a scale and mass that is appropriate for the site" and fail to comply with the area's own planning scheme.
Core Flaws and Overwhelming Opposition
The commission's assessment was scathing, identifying multiple critical failures:
- Massive Overdevelopment: The stadium's sheer bulk and height were deemed completely out of character with the low-scale, urban design vision for Macquarie Point.
- Traffic and Transport Chaos: Plans for managing event-day traffic and crowd movements were labelled insufficient, posing major risks for congestion.
- Inadequate Urban Integration: The design was criticised for failing to connect properly with the surrounding city, acting as a barrier rather than a bridge to the waterfront.
This verdict follows a consultation period that revealed overwhelming public opposition, with a staggering 80% of the 1,200 submissions received expressing clear objections to the project.
Political Fallout and AFL Ambitions in Jeopardy
The recommendation places the Rockliff government in a perilous position. The $715 million stadium is a non-negotiable condition of the licence granted to the Tasmania Devils AFL team, set to enter the league in 2028.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff, who has passionately championed the stadium as a vital economic and cultural asset, now faces a critical choice: appeal the decision to the federal government or go back to the drawing board with a radically redesigned, smaller proposal.
This ruling throws the entire timeline for the Tasmanian AFL team into serious doubt, challenging the very foundation of the agreement between the state and the league.
