Cricket and the AFL, the two major tenants of the upcoming stadium at Macquarie Point in Hobart, are at odds over a key design element adding to the concerns over the build.
The ABC reported on Wednesday Cricket Tasmania and Cricket Australia had raised “significant concerns” over the planned roof, and whether it would cast shadows over the centre wicket.
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“We are of the view the current roof design will mean the stadium is unlikely to be conducive to hosting test matches and could also be challenged in hosting One Day (50 over) and T20 (20 over) fixtures,” a letter from the two bodies to the Tasmanian government read.
“This is not an outcome that either CA (Cricket Australia) or CT (Cricket Tasmania) wants, and CT will be strongly challenged by its members to advocate for an alternate solution.
“For this reason, we would like to discuss with you what opportunity there is to consider a stadium design option that does not have a roof, or that has an operable roof.”
However the roof is a non-negotiable for the AFL, who have maintained that the license for a 19th club based in Tasmania has been awarded on the basis of a 23,000-seat roofed stadium at Macquarie Point being constructed.
Footy and cricket are set to be the two most common events at the stadium. Planning documents have optimistically claimed the venue would hold 51 events per season, including seven AFL games (due to a Launceston-Hobart split for the Devils) along with other sports.
The stadium would struggle to be economically viable if cricket does not become a major tenant.
But CA and CT are concerned about what they’ve seen from the design team in terms of reducing the impact of shadows, in what could become the first indoor venue to host a Test match.
“This includes the impact of the shadows cast from the roof structure on the field of play, particularly on the cricket pitch block throughout the day, and ultimately the implications for what forms of cricket the stadium could and could not support,” the letter from CA and CT read.
“While we appreciate the recent efforts of the project team to explore mitigation options for shadows, we are of the view that they are either unworkable, in that they do not eliminate the shadows or they are temporary in nature, introducing significant potential problems relating to playing conditions, venue operations and broadcast quality.”
The cost of the stadium is already a critical issue, with current estimates at $775 million along with $171 million in upkeep over 30 years (including $62 million for the roof).
A roof that can move would help negate the issues cited by cricket, but would add enormously to the venue’s cost.
The Tasmanian AFL team is set to debut in 2028 with home games at Hobart’s Bellerive Oval and Launceston’s UTAS Stadium, before opening the Macquarie Point stadium in 2029.
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