RSL says it has been 'deceived and misled' about Macquarie Point stadium proposal by Tasmanian government (2024)

RSL Tasmania is stepping up its fight against the proposed location of the planned Macquarie Point Stadium, with its chief executive officer saying the organisation has been "disrespected and misled at every turn" over the arena's eventual size and impact on sight lines from the Hobart cenotaph.

In a letter to Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff, John Hardy wrote to "remind you of the historic, cultural and spiritual significance of the Hobart cenotaph to the Tasmanian community, especially to returned and current service personnel and their families".

"Premier Sir, the very essence of the cenotaph is its sight lines, to destroy these sight lines is to desecrate, humiliate and play little more than lip service to our sacred place.

According to the new proposal by Cox Architecture, the tallest point of the stadium's domed roof will be 54 metres high — nearly as tall as the 60 metre high Tasman Bridge.

Mr Hardy wrote the "cenotaph is a sacred place. RSL Tasmania cannot and will not stand by and do nothing".

"No development should be permitted that obscures the Cenotaph from these sight lines. Sight lines which have been rightly protected by the Sullivans Cove planning scheme for decades."

"This is where we gather for Anzac Day. This is where we gather from Remembrance Day. This is where we gather to remember those that gave the ultimate sacrifice. That's why it's sacred," he said.

Mr Hardy goes on to say RSL Tasmania has been "disrespected and misled at every turn, be that by [Department of] State Growth, MPDC [Macquarie Point Development Corporation] or Cox Architecture, with the former telling us it would be no more than 40 metres high at our congress in 2023 and the latter stating only six weeks ago in a meeting with us that it would be six stories".

A potential hurdle for the stadium?

Minister for Sport and Events Nic Street said he "understands" the RSL's concerns, and would continue to work with them.

"The stadium has been carefully positioned on the site to sit between the existing sight lines to ensures the views up and down the Derwent River, to sunrise and sunset, and across to the Eastern shore are not impacted," Mr Street said.

He said two of the five sight lines listed in the Sullivan's Cove Scheme Planning were "partially impacted", but "run along the edges of the stadium and early roof area, and purposefully avoid the middle of the transparent domed roof".

Mr Hardy's rejected suggestions the design is sympathetic to the area, saying the cenotaph will be "completely dominated by an object that is 54 metres high, 96 metres away from it".

He reiterated the organisation does support the 'Mac Point 2.0 proposal', an alternative plan which would position a stadium slightly to the north Regatta Point.

"We're not saying no stadium, there are alternatives.

"Move the stadium 400 metres, and everybody's happy, it's a win win".

MPDC CEO Anne Beach said the RSL was briefed on 4 July about the updated design and site, which was "carefully selected so the sight lines run on each side of the structure, rather than through the middle of the stadium".

"The Macquarie Point Stadium site will never impact views from the cenotaph to the setting or rising sun, views up and down the Derwent River or across to the eastern shore," she said.

Why are the sight lines so important?

The Sullivan's Cove planning scheme protects a number of sight lines and important views around Hobart's waterfront — stating developments must not "unreasonably impact" them.

From the cenotaph, that includes to and from the Parliament House forecourt, St George's Church in Battery Point, and the mouth of the Derwent River — with the last two 'partially impacted' by this project.

The Project of State Significance planning pathway, which has been applied to the stadium, effectively overrules the Sullivan's Cove scheme — meaning it can be approved, even if it does block those sight lines.

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Neither the government or MPDC have released official visualisations showing how the planned stadium would appear from the cenotaph or how it would impact the sight lines.

In his letter, Mr John Hardy wrote "as Tasmanians were loading the troop ships in the harbour over to my left, the last thing they would see, or first and last thing they would see of their beautiful island state before they went off to war, and may not return would be this high ground here," he says.

The Tasmanian Greens are planning to introduce a cenotaph protection act at the request of RSL Tasmania.

"Government shouldn't ride roughshod over protected heritage values that are so critically important to the community," Greens Veterans Affairs spokesperson Vica Bayley said on Friday.

Are all veterans against the stadium?

Speaking on ABC Radio Hobart, Mr Hardy said the RSL had been the target of aggression and abuse from pro-stadium campaigners.

"We were attacked as an organisation, mentioning words like 'just go back to running your pokies' … RSL Tasmania doesn't have any pokies, we got rid of them," he said.

"I've been attacked. I've been quoted as not even being a veteran, I am. And I find that quite insulting."

Mr Hardy conceded it was impossible every ex-serviceman or woman would agree with the organisation's stance, saying it was up to sub-branches to consult with their members before they voted at the state congress.

"We will not have not, and never have said that we represent every return servicemen in Tasmania, that is an impossibility. No one in the community represents everybody in the community," he said.

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