The push for a Tasmanian AFL team is set to enter overdrive, with the state government to officially endorse the construction of a new inner-city stadium that would house a new team.
Premier Peter Gutwein will outline details of his government's plans during his State of the State address at parliament this afternoon.
The government will reveal its preferred site for a new stadium as Hobart's Regatta Ground foreshore, which neighbours the Macquarie Point site in Hobart's CBD.
Concept plans show a new stadium with a retractable roof built on the foreshore, jutting out on to the River Derwent.
The stadium would have seating capacity of about 27,000 and cost about $750 million.
Key stakeholders, including several of the state's leading sports organisations, have been briefed on the government's plans to push forward with exploring the feasibility of a new AFL stadium in that location.
The Tasmanian RSL, which is closely associated with the nearby Hobart Cenotaph and as the Hobart Regatta association, met with the Mr Gutwein this afternoon to discuss the plans.
A 2019 Tasmanian AFL taskforce report outlined the state's need for a new inner-city stadium if it were to be granted an AFL licence, and suggested Macquarie Point as an ideal location, mirroring similar builds in Adelaide and Perth.
In 2016, the state government approved a master plan for the Macquarie Point site which did not include a new stadium.
The Macquarie Point website's FAQ section states that "a sports stadium does not fit within the master plan, or original intent of the Mona vision which the Tasmanian parliament adopted and City of Hobart and wider community supported".
But the preferred site for a stadium sits next to Macquarie Point on the edge of the River Derwent and encompass the current regatta grandstand and foreshore area.
It would be connected to the Hobart domain by the $11 million Bridge of Remembrance.
Regatta association supports government's vision
Royal Hobart Regatta Association president David Skeggs said his organisation would be willing to work with the government to see the vision realised.
"I think that can happen. But let's wait until we get down to the detail and the discussions," he said.
"One of the things we need to think about is the longevity of the regatta.
Last week, four-time Hawthorn premiership coach Alastair Clarkson suggested a new Hobart stadium would be a prerequisite to the state receiving an AFL licence.
Mr Clarkson is working as a consultant for the Tasmanian AFL taskforce.
At a press conference on Monday, Mr Gutwein was coy about his expected stadium announcement.
Plans could also include a new high-performance centre for a Tasmanian team, possibly at nearby Queens Domain.
Later this year, the Stadiums Tasmania Bill, which passed the House of Assembly last year, will be tabled in the Legislative Council.
It will allow the Tasmanian government to assume responsibility for the state's major stadia, including a potential new build in Hobart.
