Jeremy Rockliff strikes deal with cricket authorities for Hobart AFL stadium roof solution

A new agreement struck between Cricket Australia, Cricket Tasmania and Premier Jeremy Rockliff aims to ensure all forms of cricket will be able to be played at the Macquarie Point stadium, should the proposed arena earn planning approval and eventually be built.

The 'heads of agreement' signed by the three stakeholders earlier this month, before the state election was called, lists 16 key principles agreed upon by the three parties, borne out of concern from cricket over the current design of the stadium's proposed roof, and fears cricket will not be able to be played underneath it.

Graphic of the "key design features" of the proposed Macquarie Point stadium, taken from Enabling Legislation Report Consultation Draft, Hobart, May 2025. (Tasmanian government)

The agreement, co-signed by Cricket Tasmania's Dominic Baker, Cricket Australia's Todd Greenberg and Premier Rockliff, has been lodged in the Tasmanian Planning Commission (TPC) as part of Cricket Tasmania's submission to the planning authority ahead of Project of State Significance (POSS) hearings.

It includes agreements the three parties "work together to resolve to the satisfaction of all relevant parties the final specifications for the stadium roof" and that discussions for the "resolution and optimisation of the roof design will involve senior representatives from both Cricket Australia and Cricket Tasmania, with support from a highly experienced expert in stadia design, operation and management".

Cricket to have say in design

Cricket's primary concern has been about the impact of shadows moving across the field of play, in particular the cricket pitch block, cast by the stadium roof's supporting structure.

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All parties have agreed to work together to finalise a design that supports "a safe and acceptable playing, operational, including spectator viewing and broadcast environment".

The heads of agreement marks a formalisation of discussions between cricket and the government, which agrees cricket is an essential stakeholder in the stadium

It has been designed to mitigate fears the stadium could proceed without first being cleared by Cricket Australia and the International Cricket Council, leaving the stadium without content crucial to its business case and leaving Tasmanian cricket fixtures without a long-term home.

The stadium project has divided opinion in Tasmania. (Supplied: Macquarie Point Development Coorporation)

In a supporting letter, Mr Baker told TPC chair John Ramsey the heads of agreement "acknowledges that a suitable multipurpose all-weather roofed stadium presents a world-leading opportunity to play the highest levels of cricket across all formats of the game uninterrupted".

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He said the heads of agreement "reinforces the parties' combined commitment to identifying a stadium design that aligns with and delivers on playing, operational and broadcast requirements" and that "provides a pathway for resolution of issues with the proposed roof design that have been identified as challenging for cricket"

The three parties also agreed to work together to develop a business case for cricket's planned new high-performance centre, and a new Australian turf management centre of excellence, which would be presented to the federal government.

There's also a commitment to develop a transition plan which would see cricket move out of Bellerive Oval, and into a new high-performance centre at Seven Mile Beach, with major fixtures relocated from Bellerive to the new stadium.

Jeremy Rockliff co-signed the agreement with Cricket Tasmania and Cricket Australia. (ABC News)

However, there remains no commitment from either Cricket Australia or Cricket Tasmania to contribute to the cost of the build, despite a range of pricey provisions being made for the sport.

Cricket believes its ability to bring top-level international content into the new stadium should be considered as its contribution, in lieu of any direct funding.

Officials look to overseas for roof solution

Cricket has long been supportive of a roofed stadium at Macquarie Point, but its enthusiasm was dampened earlier this year when shadow modelling revealed that the proposed roof's supporting structure would cast moving shadows across the centre wicket block.

Cricket casts doubt over Macquarie Point stadium roof Photo shows Concept art showing interior of sports stadium with cricket match underway. Cricket authorities have penned a bombshell letter to the Tasmanian government expressing reservations about the stadium's roof in its current design, saying the "stadium is unlikely to be conducive to hosting test matches" while requesting a return to the drawing board.

It prompted cricket authorities to co-sign a letter to the Tasmanian government declaring the stadium would be "unlikely to be conducive to hosting test matches and could be challenged in hosting One Day and T20" fixtures.

It also called for a rethink of the fixed roof element of the stadium, and a "discussion around what opportunity there is to consider a stadium design option that does not have a roof or that has an operable roof".

Government delegates and cricket officials recently travelled to Dunedin in New Zealand to analyse the effect of shadows cast by the roof of the Forsyth Barr stadium onto the playing surface.

In May, Macquarie Point Development Corporation (MPDC) chief executive Anne Beach said the design team had looked at other venues and "found that the dispersed nature of the shadow is quite minor when you experience it on the field".

Enabling legislation for the proposed stadium has been delayed by the snap election. (Supplied: MPDC)

The MPDC was also looking into developing a "test rig" to help formulate a solution, but it is unclear how far that has progressed.

There are no known plans to pivot away from a fixed roof toward a retractable or roofless solution.

The MPDC was contacted for comment.

Stadium planning process continues

Cricket Tasmania is one of a number of stakeholders that will front a TPC hearing today, as part of the POSS planning process under which the stadium is still being assessed.

The hearings will take two weeks and feature submissions from the stadium's proponents, Tasmania Football Club, Stadiums Tasmania, as well as community groups Our Place, the Glebe Residents Association, Tasmanian Conservation Trust, and the Hobart City Council.

The POSS process is continuing, despite pre-election plans by the government to abandon it in favour of attempting to progress special stadium legislation through both houses of parliament.

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