Revealed: Australia Institute poll on Tasmania Devils AFL team deal
Tasmanians overwhelmingly want the state government to renegotiate its deal with the AFL to build a stadium at Macquarie Point, according to new public opinion polling conducted by the Australia Institute.
The survey comes as the government backflipped on its boycott of the Tasmanian Planning Commission hearings on the project, which begin on Wednesday.
The Institute commissioned polling by YouGov, which surveyed 842 voters on the topic between June 12 and 16.
Constructing a roofed stadium at Macquarie Point is one of the conditions of the deal to add Tasmanian teams to the AFL and AFLW competitions.
More than two-thirds of those surveyed (69 per cent) either agreed or strongly agreed with the proposition that 'the AFL is treating Tasmania unfairly in its requirements for granting Tasmania a license to join the national competition'. Just 21 per cent disagreed.
Voters were also asked whether 'the Tasmanian Parliament should renegotiate with the AFL to avoid building a new stadium'.
Again 69 per cent agreed — and 21 per cent disagreed.
Those intending to vote for independent candidates were most in favour of renegotiation (81 per cent), followed by intending Greens voters (78 per cent), Labor voters (71 per cent) and Liberal voters were the least supportive (56 per cent).
Opposition to the deal was strongest among those aged 35 to 47, where 75 per cent were in favour of a rethink.
Australia Institute Tasmania director Eloise Carr said it was clear voters thought the stadium deal was a dud.
'Tasmanians are rightly appalled at the way they've been treated by the AFL,' she said.
'Whoever wins the state election on July 19 must stand up to the AFL and stand up for Tasmanians.
'This state deserves to have a team in the AFL, but Tassie taxpayers don't want to be on the hook for a billion-dollar indoor stadium they don't want.
'The AFL has put a gun to the head of Tasmanians and now it's sitting back, refusing to negotiate on the most terrible, one-sided deal in Australian sport.
'When you consider everything that Tasmania has done for footy for more than a century, this is shameful treatment by the AFL, which claims to support grassroots football.'
Tasmanian Planning Commission hearings on the stadium under the Project of State Significance assessment process are scheduled to begin in Hobart on Wednesday.
The government in May told the commission that 'the Crown will not actively engage with the integrated assessment processes' because it was planning to pass legislation to build the stadium instead.
It seems to have since changed tack.
In its latest communication with the Commission dated last Tuesday, it says its lawyers will 'modify its participation' to make a four to six-hour opening address, written and oral submissions and present its substantial case at the end of the hearing during a day of closing submissions.
david.killick@news.com.au
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