Hobart's Macquarie Point stadium project cost increases to $775 million as planning documents submitted

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Common questions still remain about Tasmania’s new stadium costs, how you'll get there on game day, why it needs a roof and what other events could be held there.

Transcript

00:00With the stadium project now forecast to cost $775 million, the Macquarie Point Development

00:08Corporation says that extra $60 million is needed for potential fluctuations in fees,

00:13materials and labour costs.

00:15But they're confident the stadium can be delivered at a lower cost by finding tweaks in the design

00:20as planning progresses.

00:22The State Government says its contribution will remain capped at $375 million.

00:27The AFL will provide $15 million and the Federal Government has committed $240 million.

00:33But that could impact Tasmania's share of GST revenue.

00:37Whatever the shortfall will need to come from the private sector, but no one has signed

00:41on yet.

00:42The cost of the stadium is adding to Tasmania's ballooning debt.

00:46Ratings agency S&P Global is flagging it as a risk, saying it will probably shift the

00:51state's AA plus credit rating down.

00:54Of course, one of the key questions in the stadium debate has been, how do we get there?

00:59And will there be gridlock in the city on game day?

01:01Well, to start with, there'll be no public car park at the stadium.

01:05Punters will be encouraged to catch a bus, ferry, ride a bike or walk.

01:10There will be park and ride facilities in outer Hobart suburbs and rapid bus services

01:14closer to the city.

01:16The traffic modelling in the report actually presumes 60% of patrons will use public transport

01:21on game day or night.

01:23Under that scenario, developers liken traffic congestion to a typical weekday morning during

01:28peak hour.

01:29A large portion of the stadium budget funds the roof, $190 million.

01:35The Macquarie Point CEO points out that not having a roof would create costly issues and

01:40design challenges, including disruptive light towers and noise problems.

01:45If we were to look at an alternative without a roof, we would still require that solid

01:49annulus and it would need to be a bit higher to get the weather protection for the drip

01:52zone across the seating bowl and it would need to stretch out a bit further.

01:57So how much will the stadium actually be used?

01:59The report estimates the ground will host events on at least 35 to 38 days per year.

02:05Most of those are likely to be sport, including cricket and rugby, along with one full stadium

02:10concert and one smaller concert, plus an event like boxing or monster trucks every second

02:16year.

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