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Tasmania’s government and the AFL have reached an in-principle agreement on commercial terms for the state’s bid for a 19th licence, but the timeline around a final decision remains unclear.
AFL boss Gillon McLachlan and Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff announced the agreement on Friday in Hobart, describing it as a “great step forward”.
The Tasmanian government’s funding commitment includes $12 million per year over 12 years, plus $60 million towards a high-performance and administration complex.
McLachlan indicated an announcement on Tasmania’s bid was “close” but wouldn’t specify a time frame or commit to sealing the deal before his tenure as chief executive finishes at the end of the year.
“The decision requires the support of our AFL clubs and we are having productive discussions there,” he said.
“In recent days we’ve come a long way with our clubs.
“They’ve had detailed information around every aspect of the bid. We’ve got generally very positive feedback.”
It appears that the final piece of the puzzle is locking in funding for the construction of a new stadium on Hobart’s waterfront, which could carry a price tag of $750 million.
The state Liberal government has promised to fund half the cost, with the remainder to be sought from the federal government, private sector involvement and equity raising.
University of Tasmania Stadium in Launceston. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
Rockliff said the state government had finalised a stadium business case and would soon take it to the federal Labor government.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has previously backed Tasmania’s bid for inclusion in the AFL.
Federal Assistant Minister for Infrastructure Carol Brown on Friday told reporters the government would assess any business case on its merits, as per due process.
The stadium proposal does not have universal backing in Tasmania, with the state Labor opposition and the Greens among those opposed.
“Every change that we make in the AFL has people who have different views and I would ask them to look at the bigger picture. It’s our obligation to lead,” McLachlan said.
The state government claims the stadium will per year deliver 950 full time-equivalent jobs and $85 million into Tasmania’s economy.
It says an AFL and AFLW team will inject $120 million per year into the state’s economy.
Hawthorn, meanwhile, announced it had extended its contract to play four games a season in Launceston to 2023.
“We are delighted to be extending our time in Tasmania, while at the same time also continuing our support for their pursuit of their own AFL team,” Hawks CEO Justin Reeves said in a statement.
“The club will have discussions in the new year to work towards a further extension of the partnership.”
© AAP
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