Hobart stadium price under pressure as preferred builder named
The $1.13 billion price tag on Hobart's new AFL stadium might not hold.
Macquarie Point Development Corporation chief executive Anne Beach has acknowledged that cost pressures could push the final figure higher. That $1.13 billion estimate was already more than a year old as of October 2026, according to ABC News.
The plan is for a 23,000-seat stadium with a roof at Macquarie Point in Hobart. Construction is a condition of the Tasmania Devils entering the AFL and AFLW competitions in 2028. The AFL is the national men's competition. The AFLW is the national women's competition.
BESIX Watpac has been named as the preferred builder for the project. That term means the company is first in line to negotiate the final construction deal. No contract has been signed yet.
The corporation wants to lock in the construction price before it signs that contract by the end of 2026. Stage two of the costing process runs to around mid-November 2026. After that, the corporation will discuss the cost with government.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff said the final cost will be made public shortly before the construction contract is signed. The update on the Watpac selection was listed on the Tasmanian Premier's website on 15 October 2026 under the title 'Watpac to enter next stage for Macquarie Point Stadium'.
Money is the sharp part. Tasmania's contribution was previously flagged as capped at $875 million. That cap was part of an agreement with independent upper house member Bec Thomas, whose vote supported the stadium development.
The maths behind that cap was simple. The $1.13 billion total minus $240 million from the federal government and $15 million from the AFL left $875 million for the state.
Rockliff has repeatedly declined to promise the state will stay within that $875 million limit. Asked directly, he would not give that guarantee.
For fans, this means two clocks are ticking. One is financial, with a final number due before the end of the year. The other is football, with the Devils due to enter the men's and women's leagues in 2028 and needing a home ground to do it.
