Macquarie Point Stadium Clears Parliament, Ending Years of Uncertainty Over Hobart’s Waterfront

Hobart’s proposed AFL stadium at Macquarie Point has passed both houses of the Tasmanian parliament. The Legislative Council gave the project final approval late on 4 December 2025, after two days of debate. Its passage had been assured the day before, when enough independents declared their support.

The vote cleared the way for a roofed, 23,000-seat arena costing $1.13 billion on the edge of the Hobart CBD. The stadium was a condition of the agreement between the state government and the AFL for Tasmania to enter the competition. Nine members of the upper house voted for it and five voted against.

A long road to approval

The project has divided the state. Premier Jeremy Rockliff moved the proposed site from nearby Regatta Point to Macquarie Point, and the location was then written into the AFL agreement. The stadium was declared a Project of State Significance, and the Tasmanian Planning Commission was asked to assess it.

In its final report, the commission recommended against the stadium on several grounds, including its impact on the Tasmanian economy and poor city planning outcomes. The government decided to proceed anyway, and laws were changed so that parliament would have the final vote. Labor switched from opposing the stadium to supporting it after the 2024 election, so the government needed the support of only three upper house independents.

Debate ran until 2:47am on the first night and until 11pm on the second. Opponents questioned how events, pedestrian access and bus services would be managed and how Aboriginal heritage would be protected.

What happens next

The state-owned Macquarie Point Development Corporation is expected to appoint a head construction contractor by the end of 2026. The ABC reported that physical construction is unlikely to start for at least 12 months. The stadium is scheduled for completion in time for the 2029 men’s AFL season. The Tasmania Devils will enter the league in 2028 and play at least their first season at Bellerive Oval and York Park.

The property angle

Before the vote, agents had linked the stadium decision to the outlook for Hobart’s housing market. Speaking to API Magazine in late 2025, Harcourts Tasmania chief executive Tony Morrison said the stadium was expected to “kickstart another upsurge in prices” if it went ahead. He said a low vacancy rate would also attract interstate investors, along with buyers looking to the short-term accommodation market.

The stadium is one part of a larger pipeline. API Magazine reported that Tasmania’s infrastructure pipeline is expected to bring in more than $30 billion over the next decade, including the Treasury Building Complex redevelopment and energy projects such as Marinus Link. Cotality’s head of research, Eliza Owen, said the completion of the new Bridgewater Bridge could support demand in Hobart’s northern suburbs.

There are also headwinds. Cotality data reported by API Magazine put Hobart’s annual value growth at a modest 2.4%, well behind Darwin, Brisbane and Perth. Tasmania recorded net interstate migration of minus 2,217 in the year to March, and population growth was running at 0.2% compared with 1.6% nationally. Owen pointed to low labour force participation, slower jobs growth and relatively high state debt as challenges for future investment.

What to watch

• Appointment of a head contractor, expected by the end of 2026.
• The final construction cost, with ABC reporting that the project could need another parliamentary vote if costs blow out.
• Rental demand in inner Hobart and the eastern shore as construction begins.
• Progress on the Macquarie Point precinct and other waterfront projects.