Concerns have been raised for what the proposed Hobart Regatta Ground foreshore stadium means for the future of AFL in the North of the state.
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It comes AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan reaffirmed that the proposed $750 million dollar stadium was a 'contingent' factor for Tasmania's bid for the 19th licence.
Former Windermere independent MLC Ivan Dean believed that Launceston and the greater North was at risk of being left behind.
"I had strong support and I still have strong support for a Tasmanian team but I do not have support for this monstrosity in Hobart at this time," he said.
"It just spells danger for Launceston, why would they have a new stadium in Hobart and then still play five or six games in Launceston, it's not going to happen.
"I don't begrudge Hobart having a you-beaut stadium, I am not that parochial but it's not the right time for it and it spells the end of AFL football in Launceston as we know it."
While UTAS Stadium has proposed plans for a plans for a $208 million upgrade to improve its capacity to 24,112 with retractable seats, the suggested Hobart stadium would have 30,000.
Earlier this year, the AFL Taskforce has indicated that an ideal split of 11 home matches a year would be a five-six allocation between Launceston and Hobart to be swapped yearly.
Sports Minister Nic Street backed a similar model in March, with five games for the South, five for the North and one for the North-West Coast.
Launceston Mayor Albert van Zetten revealed the council had a plan to safeguard the AFL action.
"The council intends to negotiate a Memorandum of Understanding with the state government in respect of future content and use for the stadium, which will ensure the North and North-West continue to enjoy top-level AFL, cricket, soccer and other forms of sport and entertainment," he said.
"Northern Tasmanian football fans have a proven track record of supporting those games and we know that North-West Coast fans are more likely to travel to Launceston than Hobart. Attendance figures over the past several years support that.
"We do want assurances that Northern Tasmania will retain its share of significant AFL content into the future."
Hawthorn have played home games at UTAS Stadium since 2001 while North Melbourne have played home games at Bellerive Oval since 2012.
Greens leader Cassy O'Connor indicated UTAS Stadium and Bellerive Oval negated the need for the proposed Hobart arena, which she labelled a 'pipedream'.
"Tasmanians have been paying for rich Melbourne teams to play here, all without a pipedream stadium, in our great existing stadiums north and south," she said.
"After years of sending our best and brightest players to the national league, as well as the millions the state has poured in to the Hawthorn and North Melbourne deals, we deserve more respect from the AFL."
Dean believed there would consequential flow-on effects for other industries if Launceston missed out on AFL action.
"Our entertainment areas miss out, our restaurants miss out and all the other businesses that rely on people attending their premises miss out," he said.
"McLachlan said that nobody he has spoken to is against it, well, he hasn't been in the North of the state and he hasn't been in the North-West of the state or even probably to the East Coast and those areas because the people I've spoken too are very strongly in support of our position."
Political lines drawn
Support for the proposed Hobart stadium has wavered between the state opposition and the Tasmanian Greens, who labelled the stadium as 'needless' .
As part of the Tasmanian bid, the three major Tasmanian political parties launched a campaign with bi-partisan support alongside the 'Last Push to Play On' commercials.
However, that support is not bi-partisan for the proposed stadium, with concerns raised over it's necessity .
O'Connor slammed the proposed stadium concept given the social issues impacting the state.
"Gil McLachlan must have a hide of steel, rocking up in Tasmania - while people are sleeping in freezing conditions in their cars, and in tents - and demanding we build a needless stadium," she said.
"Given the health, housing and cost of living crisis in Tasmania, we made it clear to the Premier and the AFL Taskforce that we did not support the proposed $750M floating stadium."
The Labor party echoed the sentiment that it's support did not extend to the stadium.
"We offered our full support for the government's bid based on the briefing we were provided, which did not include a floating stadium, a fact that was confirmed by Premier [Jeremy] Rockliff again this week," they said in a statement.
"Tassie deserves an AFL team but we shouldn't have to pay $750 million to join the national competition."
The $750 million stadium - which features a retractable roof and 30,000 capacity - has become a centrepiece of the state's push for the next AFL side.
The Tasmanian government has also pledged $150 million for the bid including $50 million in a high-performance centre, and $10 million per year for a decade.
On Thursday, McLachlan arrived in Hobart to further discuss the state's AFL future with Premier Rockliff and Head of AFL Tasmania Damian Gill in attendance.
"Whether it's contingent or however you want to frame it, and I'll take responsibility for this, this team needs and will have a new stadium if it wants a licence. And I think Tasmanians will expect that, north and south," McLachlan said.
Former Premier Peter Gutwein unveiled the stadium plans in a state of the state address in March and said it was contingent on the state being approved for an AFL team.
While the funding split for the stadium between private investment, state and federal funding is yet to be revealed, right to information documents obtained by Labor showed that site specific costs are yet to be specified for the stadium.
"It now appears former Premier Gutwein might have overplayed his hand by announcing an unfunded floating stadium commitment, with no plan for delivery, that has been caught up in the bid for an AFL team," Labor said in a statement.
Rockliff used Perth's Optus Stadium and the South Australia's Adelaide Oval as examples of how sporting infrastructure can revive a city.
Both of the stadiums cited by Rockliff went over-budget from their original estimated price with the Perth stadium costing $1.6 billion dollars after being estimated at $1 billion to $1.4 billion reportedly and reports putting the final cost of Adelaide Oval at $610 million.
Richmond Tigers forward Jack Riewoldt supported the Premier's view when asked for his thoughts on the Tasmanian bid.
"The AFL is clearly playing hardball about the stadium, which is one thing they want to see go hand-in-hand with the team being allowed to have the licence," he said on SEN Tassie.
"I am glad people are using Adelaide Oval as a good example, it's not only going to be a football mecca, it's going to be a huge cultural mecca.
"We do need a stadium, 100 per cent you need a stadium and the AFL want to have that enstoned that it comes as part of a 19th licence."
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