Tasmanian stadiums and sport the focus of Premier’s address

Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein used Tuesday’s State of the State Address to speak about the State’s position on the national sporting stage, in terms of facilities and events, with some big items on the agenda.

As revealed on Monday, a new 27,000-seat multi-purpose stadium in Hobart was the big-ticket item. Also mentioned was the upgrade of UTAS Stadium and further development of the Dial Regional Sports Complex.

While an AFL and AFLW license appears to be the number one priority, an A-League license clearly remains on the table, with the new stadium earmarked to host games, along with UTAS Stadium, which will have retractable seating installed to bring fans closer for rectangular sports.

Below is sections of Peter Gutwein’s address relating to sports events and infrastructure.

Never before has there been an opportunity greater than now to challenge ourselves with “what if”, instead of ‘what is’.

It’s reflected in our pursuit to position Tasmania to be represented in national sporting codes – whether that’s NBL, BBL, AFL, Hockey, A-League Football or Netball.

Time and again, Tasmania has proven its ability to host elite sporting content, and to put on a show worth coming to.

In 2021, Tasmania successfully hosted a record 14 AFL matches, including two Elimination Finals, and the first 20 matches of the 2021 Women’s Big Bash League.

Hobart’s Blundstone Arena recently played host to the very successful Fifth Ashes Test.

The JackJumpers are in the NBL and the Perth Glory A-League team has just played four games at UTAS Stadium and the Western United team will play three games later in the season as well.

And later this year, Hobart will play host to nine ICC Men’s T20 World Cup matches, further highlighting our State’s ability to hold major sporting events.

All these games are broadcast nationally and some worldwide, once again showcasing Tasmania on the national and international stages.

We remain focussed on securing our AFL and AFLW licence later this year, and it is very pleasing that we have four-time Premiership-winning master coach Alistair Clarkson assisting us with our bid.

Alistair is working through the matters raised in the Carter Report ahead of a final position being put to the AFL Commission and Club Presidents for a decision on a Tasmanian AFL team.

We will continue working closely with the AFL ahead of the decision on our own AFL team, including important strategies to grow the base of community football as well.
This has been an incredible 30-year pursuit for our own AFL license, and I have never been more confident that Tasmania will ultimately be successful.

Now more than ever it is important to plan for the future.

To be ambitious and set the longer-term goals that underpin our aims, but also demonstrate to the rest of the country that we are on a pathway to where young Tasmanian men and women can aspire to be the best right here in their own state.

At the last election we outlined a commitment to establish Stadiums Tasmania, to position Tasmania and its sporting infrastructure to be able to be represented in national sporting codes, and to ensure the sound future management of Tasmania’s major public stadium assets and infrastructure.

Today I can announce that we will task Stadiums Tasmania to work with the Central Coast Council and continue to invest in further development of the Dial Regional Sports Complex to support the community and the aspirations of young people in the North-West.

The complex has been designed to AFL specifications and when we have secured our own men’s and women’s AFL and A-League teams and our own VFL teams I want games to be played on the North-West coast as well.

We will work with the Council to facilitate the inclusion of the Dial Regional Complex in the future structure of Stadiums Tasmania and today we are committing $25 million to enhance spectator and participant infrastructure.

Our plans for UTAS Stadium, once the transfer of the ownership from the Launceston City Council to Stadiums Tasmania occurs, and subject to the Australian Government matching the $65 million that is allocated in our Budget, are to progress the $135 million first stage of the $200 million master plan.

Stage one, subject to funding will be developed over the next three to five years and will increase the capacity of ground, while also providing retractable seating to enable A-league, AFL and other events to be held, future proofing the stadium for decades to come. Stage two will provide an indoor arena capable of holding basketball, netball and other sports and entertainment events.

Currently Blundstone Arena and UTAS Stadium meet the needs for major sporting events, but in the medium to long term we need to have a bolder vision and subject to achieving an AFL license and the highly likely prospect of an A-League one as well along with a growing population we will need a stadium that can meet Tasmania’s needs for decades to come.

The Government has recently undertaken preliminary feasibility work to understand what opportunities there are to develop a major entertainment, sporting and event stadium with a capacity of up to 27,000 seats as well as up to 30,000 for a major concert or event including standing space, within easy commuting distance of the Hobart CBD and connected to a variety of transport modes.

A new southern stadium was first proposed by the AFL Taskforce in 2019 as a not immediate, but necessary part of our AFL license bid, and forms a key part of our long-term vision for sporting and entertainment infrastructure across Tasmania.

It builds on the Government’s significant investments into and plans for existing major facilities such as MyState Bank Arena and UTAS Stadium in Launceston as well as Dial Park at Penguin.

A southern stadium supports the aspirations for Tasmania securing its own AFL team which would be based in Hobart and will also be able to host rectangular sporting codes that will support ongoing discussions about an A-League Football team.

The stadium will put Tasmania on the national and international stage for both sporting and entertainment events on a scale that hasn’t been possible in the past.

Today I am pleased to announce that subject to stakeholder consultation and planning approval, and achieving later this year an AFL license, we plan to develop this new stadium at Regatta Point.

This part of the city holds great significance for Tasmanian soldiers that have served their country, and the Government will work closely with the RSL on how such a stadium could enhance the Cenotaph area and invite people to remember and celebrate our servicemen and women, year-round.

The area is also important for the Royal Hobart Regatta, which is one of Australia’s oldest continuous aquatic events, and the Government will work with the Regatta Association to incorporate their needs into the development and explore opportunities that could shore up the longevity of the event into the future.

Our goal is to develop a multi-purpose stadium that takes the best of today’s stadia design standards and trends, has a flexible design that allows for future evolution of the facilities and infrastructure.

The stadium will include a retractable roof for all weather playing and performances, making it one of only two such AFL venues in the country.

Blundstone Arena would remain the home of Cricket with all forms, including Tests being played there with the option for the larger Stadium to be used when capacity becomes an issue.

The new stadium, which will form a key part of the 10-year strategic stadium plan that Stadiums Tasmania will be tasked to develop, will cost in the order of $750 million and we will seek to fund this through funding from all levels of Government, as well as private sector involvement and equity raising, drawing on numerous examples and lessons of how this works very successfully in other parts of the world.

Subject to achieving an AFL licence later this year and the timing of that being made available it is envisaged there would be approximately a two-year timeframe for planning, approvals and contracting and a further three years for construction, meaning that the new Stadium could be ready for the 2027 season.

The Regatta Point site is ideally located given its proximity to the city and to future passenger transport links, such as the Northern Suburbs Transit Corridor and ferries on the river and will create a spectacular and iconic entry to the city.

My Government is an aspirational Government and this Stadium will be a game changer for Tasmania.

The economic opportunities that this will bring to the State with the hosting of National and International events are enormous.

It will set us up to have teams in National competitions at the highest level and enable us to host national and international sport, arts and cultural events and concerts.

It will be an important part of the State’s sporting and entertainment evolution, growing and supporting Tasmania’s visitor economy and inspiring infrastructure and transport systems to support industry, business and community growth filling the city and the State with accommodation, hospitality and retail activity.

The Premier’s full address can be read here.