An alternative vision for nine hectares of prime land near Hobart's waterfront is being launched by a group of prominent Tasmanians, this time with a thousand homes and a swimming basin in place of the "stinky" old sewage works.
Macquarie Point has been slated for development since 2012, when the federal government handed over $50 million to kickstart its transformation.
But despite several master plans — including one from MONA's Leigh Carmichael which included an Aboriginal Truth and Reconciliation Park — very little has happened.
It is now the AFL's and Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff's preferred site for a stadium, which the AFL says is essential to the state getting its own AFL team.
A decision on $240 million in federal funding needed to green light the stadium is expected to be made in next month's federal budget, but an announcement could come as soon as next week.
Ahead of the budget, Booker Prize-winning author Richard Flanagan, former governor Kate Warner, lawyer Roland Browne and tenants' advocate Ben Bartl have teamed up to develop their own vision for the site, with housing and Indigenous history at its heart.
"What we want from this is a real discussion, a real community discussion about what people want from the site," Mr Flanagan said.
"We can have a thousand homes here, we can have an internationally significant truth and reconciliation park.
"Tasmanians want housing and they want reconciliation and we should talk about that instead of being bullied by whoever walks into town with a briefcase."
Mr Flanagan says the new concept brings back the best elements of the two previous master plans — MONA's Truth and Reconciliation Park and the design restraint of architects John Wardle and Leigh Woolley — and optimises the chances of getting Commonwealth funding.
"There's federal money for housing, there's a national movement for change with our Indigenous people, this speaks very much to the politics of the Albanese government and the mood of the nation," Mr Flanagan said.
"It is a disgrace that these ideas weren't raised earlier. The story of Macquarie Point is utterly disgraceful because our government is a complete failure.
"These are things that are happening in other cities around the world, why should we accept the worst of the worst because our politicians are so easily bullied by executives from other states?"
The new vision includes a thousand homes — with room for 2,000 to 3,000 residents — made of laminated timber that's manufactured in Tasmania's north-west.
"The question for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is, does he want to be remembered as the man who funded a white elephant Tasmanians didn't want? Or the man who funded the thousand homes that Tasmanians needed?" Mr Flanagan said.
It would relocate the State Library to the site and rehabilitate the "broken, stinky, antiquated sewage works" to create a swimming basin with freezing cold water brought down from kunanyi Mount Wellington via a rerouted Hobart Rivulet.
"As testament to this precinct's industrial, gritty past, selective retention of the infrastructure from the sewage treatment plant is proposed," the plan says.
"Its giant tanks, spiralling staircases, gantries and pipes form a strikingly beautiful sculptural backdrop."
The vision has been developed with input from architects and has been costed at around $400 million — about half the cost of the stadium proposal.
Kate Warner is a former Tasmanian governor, who also coordinated the state government's report on the path to treaty and truth telling in Tasmania.
"I love the combination of ideas that this encapsulates," she said.
"It has a thousand houses involved but what really appeals to me is that it combines the idea of a truth and reconciliation park and an Indigenous cultural centre as well.
"When I did the path to treaty and truth-telling project for the government, that was one of our recommendations, that we have this at Mac Point."
Ms Warner is in favour of Tasmania getting its own AFL team but not the stadium plan.
"I would much prefer to see a plan like this for Mac Point," she said.
"I think it's so much more imaginative and it addresses our needs in a much better fashion than having a new stadium."
'We already have a plan': premier
Premier Jeremy Rockliff said the time had passed for an alternative vision.
"Rather than another vision, what Mac Point needs is real action now to finally activate the site and get things done, which is exactly what our government is doing," he said in a statement.
"The Mac Point urban renewal project will drive massive economic activity and thousands of jobs, plus secure the AFL team Tasmanians deserve.
"We already have a plan, a business case, a cost-benefit analysis, and an ideal location – all we need now is the federal funding to make this project a reality."
Richard Flanagan said he was realistic about his chances of changing the premier's mind, or even getting a meeting with him.
"The premier consistently refuses meetings with people in the community who don't share his views on the AFL," Mr Flanagan said.
"He is isolated from his cabinet and isolated from what Tasmanians think, believe and want."
