Preparatory earthworks for Hobart's $1.13 billion Macquarie Point AFL stadium have begun, marking the first physical step toward a venue that will eventually serve as the home ground for the Tasmania Devils — the AFL's 19th club, set to enter the competition in 2028.

Contractor Hazell Bros is handling the early groundworks, with managing director Geoffrey Hazell confirming that trucks will leave the Macquarie Point site every eight minutes, carting away roughly 100,000 cubic metres of soil. The site preparation works are expected to run through until mid-2027, according to the Tasmanian Government's official announcement on 27 July 2026.

Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff described the earthworks commencement as "a new era of economic opportunity for Tasmania," while Treasurer Eric Abetz attended the on-site event to mark the milestone.

The Tasmanian parliament approved the stadium project in December 2025, clearing the legislative path for construction. In May 2026, the government announced that expenditure on the project would be capped, and that on-site excavation would begin in July — a timeline the earthworks now confirm.

Two construction firms are bidding to build the stadium itself: Besix Watpac and Constructure Joint Venture, a collaboration between Italian firm Webuild and China Construction Oceania. Both are expected to submit formal bids to the Macquarie Point Development Corporation (MPDC) in August 2026. A preferred contractor is likely to be chosen in October, with a final contract signed by the end of the year.

MPDC chief executive Anne Beach outlined a two-stage assessment process, where stage two involves locking down the price and cementing local engagement.

The bid process has not been without controversy. Webuild is facing criminal proceedings from SafeWork NSW for alleged workplace safety breaches and has pleaded not guilty. In mid-July, Tasmanian Greens leader Dr Rosalie Woodruff called for Webuild to be removed from the tender process entirely, accusing the MPDC of failing to disclose the company's criminal charges during the earlier Expressions of Interest phase. The Greens labelled the failure "catastrophic" in a statement reported by The Mercury on 18 July 2026.

The stadium, designed by Cox Architecture, is not expected to be completed until late 2030. That timeline creates a two-year gap: the Devils enter the AFL in 2028, but the Macquarie Point venue will not be ready. The club will play its Hobart-based home games at Bellerive Oval in the interim.

Supporting infrastructure is also moving. The Macquarie Point Northern Access Road — a separate project to connect the stadium precinct to Hobart's road network — is currently in the concept design phase, with public consultation on the design held in February 2026. Construction of the access road is expected to start in late 2026.

For Tasmanian footy fans, the sight of trucks rolling out of Macquarie Point is the first tangible evidence of a stadium that has been debated, costed, and legislated for years. The Devils are now less than two seasons away. The roof they will one day play under is still a hole in the ground.