Tasmania Begins Hunt for $1.13bn AFL Stadium Builder
Contractors have a month to express interest in building Hobart’s $1.13-billion Macquarie Point Stadium but Tasmania’s government expects to take a year to decide which company or consortium gets the job.
Plans for the contentious stadium approved by the Tasmanian Parliament in December 2025 comprise a 23,000‑seat, fully roofed colloseum on the city’s waterfront.
Expressions of interest in finalising the design and building the stadium opened on January 10 and are due to close on February 11.
Minister for Macquarie Point Urban Renewal Eric Abetz said the process was likely to shortlist one or possibly two suitably qualified contractors to progress to a request for tender stage.
“The EOI seeks to attract contractors with demonstrated experience in the delivery of large-scale, complex infrastructure projects, strong financial capacity, proven governance and risk management frameworks and a track record of delivering major construction projects safely, on time, and within budget,” he said.
“Inherent in this, and importantly, at every stage of this construction process, local benefits must be considered.”
Abetz said a local benefits test would make up 30 per cent of the project’s assessment criteria.
“This is vital—this project will be distinctly Tasmanian and the cultural beating heart of our state—it is integral that Tasmanians are at the heart of building it,” he said.
He said work to determine the successful applicant would be “conducted over the year to come”.
The stadium’s projected cost has ballooned from initial estimates in 2022 of $715 million to a current price tag of about $1.13 billion.
Backed by the state and with contributions from the Federal Government and Australian Football League, the finances behind the stadium had been central to debates over its merit.
Under the deal, the AFL will chip in $15 million and the Commonwealth $240 million, but most of the bill will be footed by Tasmanian taxpayers.
Along with AFLW games, cricket and concerts, the stadium is intended to host the much-vaunted Tasmania Devils side due to enter the AFL in 2028.
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