With the clock counting down on his time as head of the AFL, Gil McLachlan flies into Tasmania to again try to recruit supporters to the cause of a new stadium and team — but the issue remains as divisive as ever, with public feedback on the issue rivalling that of voluntary euthanasia.
Key points:
- Tasmanians are still divided on the need for a new AFL stadium in Hobart, which has been cited as a condition for a state team being granted entry into the national competition
- The AFL chief executive is visiting Tasmania again to try win business community support for the plan
- A parliamentary committee examining the stadium project has had almost the same number of public submissions as an earlier enquiry into voluntary euthanasia
McLachlan will spruik the benefits of a new Macquarie Point arena to Tasmanian tourism and business leaders today as a decision on federal funding for the contentious project looms.
He'll come armed with a multi-million dollar bounty for football in Tasmania in an attempt to win over stadium doubters.
It's understood McLachlan will announce a massive suite of funding for the local and grassroots game, regional talent academies, as well as a contribution to the stadium build.
The funding, understood to be upwards of $100 million, would be spread over 10 years but would be contingent on federal funding being granted for the new stadium.
But he will be swimming against a tidal wave of public opposition to the stadium project, with the $750 million price tag placed on it deemed unacceptable by a swathe of Tasmanians who say they instead want investment in the state's health system and public housing projects.
A day before McLachlan's arrival in the state, a parliamentary committee exploring the government's process into the feasibility and planning of the stadium revealed it had received a massive 926 public submissions, with most expressing concern about the cost and need for its construction.
The response is one of the largest ever to a Public Accounts Committee inquiry — by way of comparison, 1,162 public submissions were made in response to a report on the need for legislation on voluntary euthanasia in 1998.
It follows a recent Hobart Town Hall forum, where 300 members of the public attended to voice their opposition to the stadium and team plan.
McLachlan will address a northern audience at a business breakfast in Launceston this morning before speaking at the Tourism Industry Council of Tasmania's "Dialogue" event in Hobart this afternoon.