Cassy O'Connor MP | Greens Leader
Macquarie Point belongs to the Tasmanian people, not the Liberals or the AFL. There’s no mandate for a billion dollar stadium and very little public support.
Tasmanians know we can do better for Macquarie Point.
Launched by former Governor Kate Warner today, the Our Place: a Tasmanian Vision for Macquarie Point Master Plan is an inspiring reminder of the site’s potential to be a real place for people, Aboriginal culture, sustainability and science.
The Our Place plan reflects the true potential and original vision for Macquarie Point. This master plan brings together a diverse range of purposes in a thoughtful, creative, and inclusive way.
It's about what is best for Tasmania - not what’s best for the AFL.
Thanks to the Liberals' go-slow approach, Macquarie Point has become something of a sore spot for the people of nipaluna/Hobart. The government's lack of enthusiasm for a bold community vision has seen remediation work drag on for years, only for the site to be promised to the AFL for an unneeded and unwanted billion dollar stadium.
The Liberals clearly don't see the incredible potential for this priceless location, but the Tasmanian community does.
People from all walks of life, from all over Hobart and around lutruwita, know that Macquarie Point has so much to offer - if only the government could take its head out of the sand.
While the Rockliff Government has abandoned the promised Truth and Reconciliation Park for Macquarie Point, the Our Place plan recognises and celebrates this island's rich, 60,000 year history, and acknowledges the deep suffering caused by colonisation. This could - and should - be a nationally significant development.
The Liberals' neglect over a decade has created the housing crisis, so it’s no surprise they’re crab walking away from the Escarpment housing project. The Our Place master plan, on the other hand, prioritises housing over a $1 billion stadium, and includes homes for 2000-3000 people.
The plan includes a new State Library, a swimming basin, access to the foreshore, a transit hub, public art, pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, and a beautiful plaza square.
It would create a vibrant space for Tasmanians and visitors every day of the year, not just when there's footy on.
Does Jeremy Rockliff want to keep doing the AFL's bidding and sink the state into hundreds of millions of dollars of state debt into an unnecessary stadium? Instead he could do something truly visionary and transformative for the benefit of the Tasmanian community.
View the whole 'Our Place' plan: https://macquariepointvision.net.au/