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Infrastructure Tasmania

Tasmania's new Arts, Entertainment and Sports Precinct, Macquarie Point, Hobart

A once in a generation vision for Hobart’s last remaining waterfront and urban development site will be realised, under a partnership between the Australian and Tasmanian governments.

An Australian Government investment of $240 million under the 2023-24 Budget will help unlock the potential of the Macquarie Point precinct, cementing the site as the next step in building a more vibrant Hobart.

The Macquarie Point Urban Renewal project has a multi-purpose stadium at its core, which will inspire economic activity around it and strengthen our economy for decades to come.

The Macquarie Point Development Corporation is preparing a Precinct Plan for the site.

It will be a unique destination to attract visitors to our state and will finally mean Tasmania can host events that have previously bypassed the state. It creates certainty for investment and thousands of new jobs which will give young people a reason to stay in Tasmania. A new arts, entertainment, and sporting precinct with a stadium at its core will be an important multi-purpose entertainment venue which will provide significant economic, health, social and community benefits not just for Hobart but for the whole state.

It will enable Tasmania to compete for arts and cultural events including major concerts, conferences, exhibitions and sporting fixtures, whose organisers currently don’t consider Tasmania as an option due to the lack of world class venue facilities and capacity constraints.

All these activities will bring jobs, economic activity and visitors to Tasmania and will allow us to build the image of our state as a clean, sustainable destination that is leading the way in Australia.

It will deliver jobs for our construction workers and allow Tasmanians to build greater expertise in the events industry, the conference industry and drive more traffic into our hotels, restaurants, bars and cafes.

It will strengthen Tasmania’s economy, delivering $2.2 billion in economic activity over 25 years providing more opportunity to invest in schools, hospitals, roads, social housing and future critical infrastructure projects. Transport corridors will better connect communities and open further housing and development opportunities.

It’s expected that at least 44 events (28 new to Tasmania) could be hosted at the new stadium, seeing 587,000 attend per year, including 123,500 overseas and interstate visitors.

During construction of the stadium $300 million in additional economic activity and 4,200 jobs will be created whilst $85 million in additional economic activity, and 950 jobs per year will be created during stadium operations. Opportunities in the precinct around the stadium will create up to 6,720 jobs.

The Australian Government commitment of $240 million completes the total funding requirement of $715 million. The Tasmanian Government has announced a commitment of $375 million. The AFL will contribute $15 million. A further $85 million is proposed to be funded through borrowings against land sale or lease for commercial uses. It is estimated that the stadium could operate at break-even or generate a small profit annually.

The Macquarie Point Stadium will be a place for everyone, excitement and entertainment, Tasmanian aspiration, gathering, recognition and reflection, global connectivity and the pursuit of the extraordinary.

The Macquarie Point site can host the stadium as part of an Arts, Entertainment and Sports Precinct, while benefitting the Antarctic and Science Precinct. The site will also provide hospitality venues, convention facilities, and will also incorporate a truth and reconciliation park developed in liaison with the Tasmanian Aboriginal community.

The development of Macquarie Point is a Tasmanian Government priority as it will enhance and support wider urban renewal projects already planned or underway across Greater Hobart. Further, the site is well located for ferry, pedestrian, cycling and road-based passenger transport traffic, creating a central activity centre serviced by three key transit corridors.

The urban renewal development that the Macquarie Point precinct unlocks will see the development of the Northern Suburbs Transit Corridor including a bus-rapid-transit service and the development of a Hobart Transit Centre. Appropriate parking and ensuring easy access to the precinct will be critical parts of our design and we want our city to be more walkable as well, along with increased ferry access to our waterfront.

Such is the success of ferries on the Derwent, the Tasmanian Government has committed to expanding the network which works perfectly with how we plan to expand access to our waterfront and Macquarie Point Urban Renewal Project.

It is anticipated that there will be development and commercial opportunities around, and as part of, the new precinct. The types of development and locations will become clearer as we work through the design processes. We will continue to engage with developers and stakeholders to explore these opportunities.

The Next Steps

In parallel to the revised Precinct Plan work being undertaken by the Macquarie Point Development Corporation (MPDC), the Department of State Growth will progress further stadium project scoping and development work including procurement options and market engagement.

The business case for Tasmania's new Arts, Entertainment and Sports Precinct at Macquarie Point, Hobart, which strongly supports the feasibility of the project, is available here:

Hobart Arts Entertainment and Sports Precinct – Business Case

Appendices:

  1. Macquarie Point Stadium – Tasmanian Arts, Entertainment and Sports Precinct – Liminal Studio Pty Ltd
  2. Hobart Stadium – Site Selection Process Report – MCS Management and Consulting in conjunction with Philp Lighton Architects
  3. Pre-Feasibility Study for Regatta Point and Macquarie Point Sites – Aurecon
  4. Hobart Stadium Economic Impact of new Arts, Entertainment and Sports Precinct - PwC
  5. Macquarie Point Estimating the economic contribution of commercial uses at the new arts, entertainment and sports precinct – PwC 
  6. Hobart Stadium Capacity Optimisation Analysis – MI Global Partners
  7. Hobart Stadium Cost Benefit Analysis Report - MI Global Partners 

Initial Stadium Views Analysis based on Indicative Designs

LIMINAL architecture has prepared an initial stadium key views analysis (see link below) based on Aurecon’s report prepared as part of the stadium site feasibility process undertaken in 2022.

Importantly, an architect has not been appointed and an official design process for the stadium has not yet commenced, therefore the designs are indicative only.

The official design process when commenced will include full consultation with key stakeholders and will include consideration of strategies to mitigate any potential impact on views both to and from the Cenotaph associated with the specific location and final height and shape of the stadium in the Macquarie Point precinct.

For initial analysis purposes a height of RL40 metres at the highest point of the roof pitch has been assumed.

A stadium size of 240m long x 210m wide has also been assumed. This does not include a concourse around the stadium.

For comparison purposes, this stadium height has been compared to Hobart’s tallest building, the Wrest Point Hotel Casino which is around twice as high as the stadium.

Based on the floor level heights of the casino the current planned stadium heights compare to just below 7 levels at the sides and just under 9 levels at the roof pitch point.

Based on comparison to a city office building the floor levels would be around 8 levels at the sides and around 10.5 levels at the roof pitch.

The final specific location of the stadium on the site and exact shape and height, including RL commencing height, will not be determined until the official design process is undertaken including further consultation.

The current analysis location for the stadium has it sitting in excess of 100 metres from the Cenotaph at its closest point.

The stadium views analysis work indicates that important views to and from the Cenotaph will not be impacted such as to and from Macquarie Street which is associated with the Anzac Day march as well as the rising sun in the east and the setting sun in the west which will not be directly in line with the stadium and therefore will not result in shading of the Cenotaph.

For more information please contact: contact@macpoint.com