Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
AAP
AAP
Politics
Ethan James

Premier defies parliament's AFL stadium cost request

The Macquarie Point stadium in Hobart is expected to come with at least a $1.13 billion price tag. (PR IMAGE PHOTO)

Updated cost estimates for Tasmania's new AFL stadium won't be made public, with the island state government defying a call from parliament.

The Greens in May successfully passed a motion with support of the Labor opposition calling on the Liberal government to provide fresh figures by Tuesday.

The contentious waterfront stadium at Macquarie Point in Hobart, slated to be ready for the 2031 season, carries a $1.13 billion price tag.

It was a key condition of the AFL granting the Tasmania Devils an AFL and AFLW licence for 2028, with the construction contract expected to be awarded by the end of 2026.

The Greens motion, which was non-binding, called on the Liberal government to table any revised construction costs in response to the fuel crisis, or develop a new cost estimate.

Hobart stadium
The new Hobart stadium is due to be ready in time for the 2031 AFL season . (HANDOUT/TASMANIAN GOVERNMENT)

Premier Jeremy Rockliff said neither the government or state-owned Macquarie Point Development Corporation would be providing cost updates.

"That would of course really damage the procurement process," Mr Rockliff, who governs in minority, told reporters on Monday.

"The Greens have of course always been against the stadium. The (development corporation) will not be providing any figures at all."

The 23,000-seat roofed stadium, which was approved by parliament in late 2025, was initially costed at $715 million in 2022.

"It is very clear that the premier and government's approach to the will of the parliament is to defy what has been called for," Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff said.

As part of political deals to get the stadium approved, the Rockliff government agreed to cap its contribution at $875 million and seek permission from parliament if it needs extra money.

At a recent inquiry, Treasurer Eric Abetz said the $875 million limit was the government's current position but it would be agile should the situation change.

Dr Woodruff said the Greens would speak with other MPs about continuing to pressure the government to provide an updated estimate.

Rockliff
Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff has rejected calls to provide updated stadium costings. (Linda Higginson/AAP PHOTOS)

Labor's shadow finance minister Luke Edmunds said he understood the government's argument around cost estimates impacting the tender process.

Labor would continue to back the stadium project but apply scrutiny to the process, he said.

The development corporation is assessing two construction bids, one from Australian company Besix Watpac and the second from a venture including Webuild.

Webuild has been criticised for failing to disclose it was facing charges in the NSW Industrial Court over worker safety.

The development corporation said the company had abided by disclosure requirements and a deeper dive into their suitability for the job will be undertaken as part of the process.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.