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Premier shares "lowest moment" of Devils stadium battle
SEN • December 5th, 2025 12:08 pm
Tasmania Premier Jeremy Rockliff says one of the lowest moments of his political career came during his relentless pursuit of the $1.13bn Hobart stadium plan.
The 23,000-seat venue, set to be built at Macquarie Point, officially received the green light this week after securing majority support to pass the Legislative Council and commence construction ahead of 2028.
The bid has been a point of contention in Tasmania politics for years with three no confidence votes and multiple elections along the way.
Construction of the stadium is a condition of entry for the Devils’ AFL license to enter the competition in 2028.
Rockliff joined SEN Tassie on Friday morning and shared a heart-breaking story to illustrate the toll the stadium journey has taken on him and his family.
“It has been a challenge,” he said. “There’s been three no confidence motions. Every bump along the road has made me more resilient.
“The most challenging time was when we went into minority for the first time because at the time, I lost a couple of team members, but we stuck with the project.
“I came home, went out for a lunch and my daughter went by a group of people that had seen me. They were highly critical of me and the stadium and she heard it, she was in tears.
“That moment for me, was the first time in my two decades of politics, I saw the impact on my family. That brought it home for me and I still get emotional when I think about it.”
Listen to the full interview below.
