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Premier Jeremy Rockliff has defended upping the amount Tasmanian taxpayers will pay for an AFL team, saying it's necessary to secure a 19th AFL licence.
Key points:
- The Tasmanian government has upped its funding offer for an AFL team licence, from $100 million over 10 years to $144 million over 12 years
- It's also said it will pay up to half of the estimated $375 million cost of a new stadium at Hobart's Macquarie Point
- The Greens say they will support extra funding for an AFL licence — but backing a new stadium is still out of the question
The government's bid put forward to the AFL over the weekend includes extending the term of the proposed funding deal by an extra two years, and spending an additional $54 million over that 12-year period.
The new funding deal, which was presented to club presidents consists of operational funding of $12 million over 12 years, comes at a total cost of $204 million — that includes a $60 million contribution to establish a high-performance complex, increased from the previous offer by $10 million.
The government has also promised to build a new multipurpose stadium at Hobart's Macquarie Point but has stressed it will not pay more than half of its estimated $750 million cost.
Mr Rockliff said the deal would trigger a "massive increase" in the AFL's operational, financial and resource commitment to the code in Tasmania, but did not map out what that would look like.
He said there were huge benefits to the state if it secured the 19th licence and the deal "struck the right balance".
"A yearly investment of some $12 million can return a yearly investment of $120 million-plus," he said.
Greens Leader Cassy O'Connor said she had not been consulted about the cost to taxpayers' increasing, despite the three major parties previously providing tripartite support for the initial $150 million plan.
"We're prepared to cop it, $12 million a year for 12 years but we will not, do not, support a billion-dollar stadium on Hobart's waterfront," she said.
"Given the tri-partisan push for an AFL and AFLW team, we were disappointed the collegial relationship had disappeared, but that may be because the Greens don't support the premier's push for a billion-dollar stadium..
"The upped bid is still around what Tasmanians are paying Hawthorn and North Melbourne to play games here, which is somewhat reassuring. This was a key factor in our support for the bid."
A Labor spokesperson said they weren't consulted about the additional funding to secure the bid.
"The party supports an AFL and AFLW team for Tasmania but we can't just write a blank cheque for the AFL — and we have never supported the Rockliff government's plan for a $750 million stadium in Hobart," they said.
"We haven't been consulted about the changes to the bid but we have made it very clear that we do not support a stadium because it is the wrong priority in the middle of a cost of living crisis."
Mr Rockliff said he had spoken to Ms White and Ms O'Connor about the deal.
"They will make up their minds with respect to that, we've had very good tri-partisan support for an AFL team and I expect that will continue," he said.
AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said on Monday that the stadium was one of 11 "work streams" that had not been resolved by the government's bid documents, but said he was confident "we can continue to resolve that issue".
"We and the Tasmanian government agree that a new stadium is important to the success of a new club and the Tasmanian economy," he said.
"And we agree that we will solve that together at the right time."
The 18 AFL club presidents have taken the bid documents away to discuss with their boards, with a final decision on the bid expected in the next two to three weeks.
Mr McLachlan said the AFL commission's initial discussion about the bid was "really positive", while a meeting with the club presidents was "wide-ranging" and "pretty productive."
"There is still work to be done and feedback from the clubs is important, but as the Tasmanian premier said in his letter to presidents late last week, the state has committed considerable funding to both a roofed stadium solution and also to ensuring a 19th licence be strong and sustainable," he said.
"One of the points we made to the presidents was that over the years we've succeeded as a code because we were prepared to take bold, but calculated decisions, generational decisions to build our code."
While both Labor and the Greens have opposed the proposed waterfront stadium, Mr Rockliff said it would "transform the Macquarie Point precinct" and grow the state's economy.
"All that flow-on effect allows us as a state to fund the essential services that I know Tasmanians value and deserve," he said.
"We will not be able to fund our schools, our hospitals, our police officers if we simply do nothing. We have to continue to invest, we have to continue to grow our economy."