Stadia Precinct Explains Why MAC2.0 is Tasmania's Affordable, Low-Risk Choice in The Mercury.

What is your response to the Macquarie Point Development Corporation's stadium application lodged with the Tasmanian Planning Commission? Do you believe the costings are overly optimistic and that the project can be delivered on time and budget?

The Stadia Precinct Consortium congratulates Macquarie Point Development Corporation on the release of its application to the Tasmanian Planning Commission and welcomes the increased transparency provided to the Tasmanian people.

 MPDC costings and its ability to meet its expected budget and timeframe is a matter for MPDC.

We maintain that Mac Point 2.0 can be delivered with no further upfront capital contribution by the State and presents the government with an affordable and low-risk option.

Furthermore, our submission transfers all delivery and cost blow-out risk away from the State and onto the private sector.

The Mac Point 2.0 proposal addresses MPDC's reason for choosing the Evans Street site over the Regatta grounds—"State control of the site."

Thanks to our collaborative approach with Hobart City Council (HCC) and key stakeholders, we secured unanimous in-principal support from HCC to proceed with formal planning, eliminating any risks related to "state control”. Developing on HCC land offers significant economic, cultural, and heritage benefits.

Our approach brings together world-class sporting facilities, an economic hub, and a vibrant mixed-use precinct that directly addresses the evolving needs of all Tasmanians while respecting the views of our stakeholders, particularly the RSL, the Royal Hobart Regatta Association and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. 

Critically, the Mac Point 2.0 proposal leaves the Evans Street site unencumbered to maximise the development potential of both sites at Macquarie Point, and we are the only opportunity for the Tasmanian Government to achieve this outcome.

Can you please give me an update on where the Stadium 2.0 proposal is currently at? Have you prepared planning documentation of your own, and, if so, is it being considered by any particular bodies? 

The consortium made its detailed formal submission to the State Government on June 28, at the request of the Department of State Growth, and has been advised that an Assessment Panel has been formed to assess our proposal. 

We have been advised that following its assessment, the Assessment Panel will provide a recommendation to the Cabinet.  We are not aware of the status of the assessment. 

Additionally, following the request from the leader of the Labor Party, Dean Winter, to include our proposal in a comparative assessment against the TCCI’s 6 key principles for the Stadium undertaken by Dr Nicholas Gruen, we have supplied Dr. Gruen with the relevant information for his comparison and await any clarifications.

We continue to engage with a range of stakeholders in relation to our proposal.

Our goal is to deliver a project that not only complements the existing vision for Macquarie Point but also ensures that all Tasmanians benefit from a world-class precinct that unlocks significantly more developable land providing more surrounding commercial developments such as affordable housing, private housing, private hospital, mixed-use retail and hospitality venues, 2,700 space car park, hotel(s), convention centre, medical accommodation, and a ferry terminal.

The Mac 2.0 proposal is a sensible alternative that offers considerable benefits to the State and Tasmanian community than the equivalent scoped stadium at the Evans Street site. 

We are committed to providing to the Tasmanian Government and the Tasmanian people an option that represents the optimal use of Tasmanian Government funding contributions.

We remain committed to transparent and constructive dialogue with all stakeholders as we move forward.