Overview
- The House of Assembly approved the Macquarie Point order 25–9 with backing from Liberals and Labor.
- The 15-member Legislative Council will vote in early December, with undecided independents Bec Thomas and Dean Harriss expected to determine the outcome.
- Both have pressed the government on affordability, rising debt and uncertain cricket use, with Thomas also tying her support to stronger funding for community sport.
- The project is costed at $1.13 billion, including $375 million from Tasmania, $240 million federal precinct funding and $15 million from the AFL, with the balance to be borrowed as state debt heads toward $10 billion by 2028/29.
- Despite a Tasmanian Planning Commission recommendation against the build, the AFL’s licence requires a roofed stadium and the state faces penalties if it is not operational by 2029.