Wedoany.com Report-Dec.4, Tasmania's $1.13 billion Macquarie Point stadium project has secured final legislative approval after the Upper House voted in favour on Wednesday afternoon. The decision followed independent member Casey Hiscutt joining colleagues Bec Thomas and Tania Rattray to provide the required majority of eight votes in the 15-member Legislative Council.

"I will be supporting this order and the future of our state," Hiscutt said. "My decision goes beyond the statements, beyond the reports, beyond the spreadsheets. It goes beyond the fear of the unknown and the unease of change."

The approval clears the way for construction of the world's largest oval-shaped stadium with a timber roof. The venue will secure an AFL licence for the Tasmania Devils and is projected to host over 300 events annually, including AFL matches, cricket, soccer, and rugby.

Premier Jeremy Rockliff welcomed the outcome, stating: "It's time to get on with the job."

Hiscutt dismissed suggestions that Tasmania could enter the AFL without a new stadium. "I hear a lot of people saying we have earned a team or we deserve a team — and those statements are true," he said. "However, the AFL is a business, and it does not work on words like 'earned' or 'deserved'; it works on words like 'long-term sustainability' and 'profitability'."

Bec Thomas secured several binding safeguards, including an $875 million cap on state government expenditure (with any overruns to be met by federal funding, the AFL, or private investors), a $105 million ceiling on the Kingston high-performance centre, and enhanced parliamentary oversight of future changes.

The stadium's distinctive hybrid timber roof will incorporate Tasmanian-sourced glulam beams, lightweight ETFE translucent pillows, 20 mm timber laminate, secondary glulam framing, Aramax metal deck cladding, and steel rod bracing. The design achieves a 49-metre clear internal span suitable for Test cricket while reducing visual mass and preserving harbour views.

Economic modelling forecasts 1,510–3,229 jobs during construction and up to 276 permanent operational roles. The venue is expected to attract 104,000 interstate and international visitors annually, generate an average $2 million operating surplus, and support demand for an additional 254 hotel rooms in Hobart.

Project costs have increased from an initial $715 million estimate due to design enhancements, construction timing adjustments, and contingency provisions. The Australian government has committed $240 million to the broader Macquarie Point precinct, while the AFL has pledged $15 million directly to the stadium and $360 million to Tasmanian football development overall.

With legislative hurdles now cleared, preparatory works at Macquarie Point are expected to accelerate, paving the way for main construction to commence.