Tasmania’s premier concedes he has work to do garnering community support for a $715 million (US$478 million) stadium, a condition of the state getting an Australian Football League (AFL) team. Jeremy Rockliff on June 23 appeared at a parliamentary inquiry examining planning behind the proposal for a 23,000-seat roofed stadium at Macquarie Point on Hobart’s waterfront. The stadium project received federal government funding in late April, prompting the AFL to award Tasmania the league’s 19th licence.
Thousands have protested against the stadium and the state’s Labor opposition and the Greens are opposed to the plan.
The governing Liberals were plunged into minority in May when two MPs quit the party and became independents, claiming a lack of transparency around the stadium and AFL deal. …