UTAS Stadium Upgrade

[acm21]

Launceston Council has revealed plans to upgrade UTAS Stadium (with an additional 7500 seats) and the building of a indoor sports centre\arena of 5000 that would be able to host multiple sports including basketball.

Major upgrade proposed for UTAS Stadium

A major upgrade has been proposed for Launceston’s UTAS Stadium, including upgrading the existing venue and construction of a new adjoining indoor arena.

www.austadiums.com

If there is a related thread that this would be more appropriate for feel free to merge/move

 

[Roogal]

Launceston Council has revealed plans to upgrade UTAS Stadium (with an additional 7500 seats) and the building of a indoor sports centre\arena of 5000 that would be able to host multiple sports including basketball.

Major upgrade proposed for UTAS Stadium

A major upgrade has been proposed for Launceston’s UTAS Stadium, including upgrading the existing venue and construction of a new adjoining indoor arena.

www.austadiums.com

If there is a related thread that this would be more appropriate for feel free to merge/move

It's good news if they get it right. I am guessing that they are making UTAS an all-seater, as the venue officially currently has several thousand (of it's 20,000) standing capacity? Not sure if a 27,000 capacity venue for a city of 90,000 would work as the existing stadium rarely gets filled to capacity.


Source: AFL Crowd Tables.

It would have to be supported by an exclusive Tasmanian based team and not sure if the AFL has the appetite to support that despite the constant carpings of Caro Wilson and her possie that North Melbourne have absolutely no place in Victoria.

Yes the old Silverdome has seen better days and a more modern venue will lend itself to securing concerts and many other major indoor events.

 

[Kwality]

Few more stats on crowds not just AFL footy:

UTAS Stadium Crowds (York Park / University of Tasmania Stadium) | Austadiums

View a list of recent crowds and highest attendances for sports events at UTAS Stadium.

www.austadiums.com

Has the Tas Govt stumped up dollars?
On hold along with renewal of the AFL sponsorships?

 

[acm21]

Few more stats on crowds not just AFL footy:

UTAS Stadium Crowds (York Park / University of Tasmania Stadium) | Austadiums

View a list of recent crowds and highest attendances for sports events at UTAS Stadium.

www.austadiums.com

Has the Tas Govt stumped up dollars?
On hold along with renewal of the AFL sponsorships?

Only draft plans, so waiting for state, federal and league based funding/commitments.

 

[Roogal]

Few more stats on crowds not just AFL footy:

UTAS Stadium Crowds (York Park / University of Tasmania Stadium) | Austadiums

View a list of recent crowds and highest attendances for sports events at UTAS Stadium.

www.austadiums.com

Has the Tas Govt stumped up dollars?
On hold along with renewal of the AFL sponsorships?

The Tas government have proposed it according to the original article, but on the subject of sponsorship renewals, North Melbourne is due this year to renew with Tourism Tasmania, as for Hawthorn not sure when their existing contract is up for renewal. North would be the wrong fit for Launceston as North's crowd numbers for Hobart are on average a couple of thousand less per-game in a city that's twice the size of Launceston.

 

[acm21]

The Tas government have proposed it according to the original article, but on the subject of sponsorship renewals, North Melbourne is due this year to renew with Tourism Tasmania, as for Hawthorn not sure when their existing contract is up for renewal. North would be the wrong fit for Launceston as North's crowd numbers for Hobart are on average a couple of thousand less per-game in a city that's twice the size of Launceston.

I believe both deals are up for renewal, and I'm pretty sure Collingwood Netball and Western United are both interested in having a footprint, along with the nbl team. I heard that the tassie government had put discussions on hold due to the government wanting commitment of an afl license.

 

[Roogal]

I believe both deals are up for renewal, and I'm pretty sure Collingwood Netball and Western United are both interested in having a footprint, along with the nbl team. I heard that the tassie government had put discussions on hold due to the government wanting commitment of an afl license.

I can't see why the two AFL Clubs (NMFC and HFC) would want to not extend their tenure in consideration that they both lost revenue last year, particularly Hawthorn which derives tens of millions of its revenue from gaming. I think that the deal with TT has been lucrative for both Clubs, particularly in terms of the enduring relationship between Hawthorn and Launceston since 1999. Tassie has been beneficial to North Melbourne by a net gain of several thousand members, and I imagine that Hawthorn probably has picked up at least 10,000 from Tassie as well.

The UTAS Stadium could probably do with a refresh in some spots in consideration that large parts are still essentially roofed over scaffold stands and if a few thousand of those seats were to be removed and replaced by a permanent stand with permanent support amenities, then that's beneficial to the quality of the game day experience for sports supporters attending the football, cricket or other events.

 

[acm21]

I can't see why the two AFL Clubs (NMFC and HFC) would want to not extend their tenure in consideration that they both lost revenue last year, particularly Hawthorn which derives tens of millions of its revenue from gaming. I think that the deal with TT has been lucrative for both Clubs, particularly in terms of the enduring relationship between Hawthorn and Launceston since 1999. Tassie has been beneficial to North Melbourne by a net gain of several thousand members, and I imagine that Hawthorn probably has picked up at least 10,000 from Tassie as well.

The UTAS Stadium could probably do with a refresh in some spots in consideration that large parts are still essentially roofed over scaffold stands and if a few thousand of those seats were to be removed and replaced by a permanent stand with permanent support amenities, then that's beneficial to the quality of the game day experience for sports supporters attending the football, cricket or other events.

Im led to belive its tourism tassie who have put the conversations on hold, not the afl or respective football clubs. It would be good to see the venue get upgrades, which as you have suggested are in need of it.

 

[Kwality]

Im led to belive its tourism tassie who have put the conversations on hold, not the afl or respective football clubs. It would be good to see the venue get upgrades, which as you have suggested are in need of it.

The AFL deals are on hold at Premier level.
The Melbourne clubs want Tassie money, because they cant get it elsewhere.

 

[GreyBudgie]

Im led to belive its tourism tassie who have put the conversations on hold, not the afl or respective football clubs. It would be good to see the venue get upgrades, which as you have suggested are in need of it.

Tasmania Premier Peter Gutwein is demanding the AFL give an indication of when Tasmania is likely to be granted a licence for a team, until then deals with Hawthorn and North Melbourne to extend the deals would not be concluded until the AFL gave Tasmania a timeline for a team of its own. Both the Hawthorn and North Melbourne deal end this year.

Tasmania Taxpayers contribute about $8 million per year for the Tasmania government's Hawthorn and North Melbourne deals, which see the Hawks play games at the University of Tasmania Stadium in Launceston and the Kangaroos play at Blundstone Arena at Bellerive.

The AFL taskforce report released in February 2020 pointed out

• Tasmanian support for AFL clubs Hawthorn and North Melbourne was declining.
• After 20 years of "enjoying the highest per capita rate of participation in Australian Rules across the country", the code was now fading on the island
• A Tasmanian AFL and AFLW team, the Devils, would not only thrive and prosper, but "must be strongly considered to revive and sustain the sport in Tasmania

So, to develop the ground when there is no guaranteed future forward post 2021 now seems to be a no brainer. I believe Tasmania will never have its own Team and as a result the game will continue to die at a grass roots level.

 

[Roogal]

The AFL deals are on hold at Premier level.
The Melbourne clubs want Tassie money, because they cant get it elsewhere.

Absolutely. The Tas Premier may have to tread carefully and temper his demands. They could lose AFL games altogether and that would be disasterous. If we consider some other contenders who are quietly sitting in the wings. Queensland could just as easily lure North or Hawthorn away and back to Cairns or Townsville, and of course both Bendigo and Albury are potential bidders. Albury has made no secret of its desire to lure a couple of AFL games per season to its recently $22 mil redeveloped Lavington Oval, which its Mayor recently boldly declared is better than Mars Stadium. The appeal of the Bendigo or Albury option being that the sold games would be played within 2-3 hours drive from Melbourne. I do know that North supporters view the Bendigo option as a natural extension of the northern boundary of Melbourne similarly as the Western Bulldogs view Ballarat as a natural extension of its Western corridor.

The Western Bulldogs already enjoy a lucrative Victorian based deal with Ballarat which I imagine would be envied by other clubs that currently play their sold games interstate and occasionally overseas.

 

[GreyBudgie]

Absolutely. The Tas Premier may have to tread carefully and temper his demands. They could lose AFL games altogether and that would be disasterous. If we consider some other contenders who are quietly sitting in the wings. Queensland could just as easily lure North or Hawthon away and back to Cairns or Townsville, and of course both Bendigo and Albury are potential bidders. Albury has made no secret of its desire to lure a couple of AFL games per season to its recently $22 mil redeveloped Lavington Oval, which its Mayor recently boldly declared is better than Mars Stadium. The appeal of the Bendigo or Albury option being that the sold games would be played within 2-3 hours drive from Melbourne. I do know that North supporters view the Bendigo option as a natural extension of the northern boundary of Melbourne similarly as the Western Bulldogs view Ballarat as a natural Western growth zone.

The Western Bulldogs already enjoy a lucrative Victorian based deal with Ballarat which I imagine would be envied by other clubs that currently play their sold games interstate and occasionally overseas.

I for one would be happy for no AFL games to played in Tasmania, as the report stated Tasmanian support for AFL clubs Hawthorn and North Melbourne was declining.

The AFL has dangled “you well eventually get your own team” for years in the meantime prop up these less attractive profitable, Melbourne clubs’ games. Twenty plus years later the penny has dropped. All the best to other regional centres around Australia if you want them, just remember what North Melbourne, St Kilda have done around Australia and New Zealand, Loyalty comes at a cost more and more $$$$

Having said that I won’t be surprised if push comes to shove Peter Gutwein will do a 360 turn after all it is the seat of Bass, and it was Pork Barrell stadium development in the first place due to John Howard in the 1990’s.

 

[Roogal]

I for one would be happy for no AFL games to played in Tasmania, as the report stated Tasmanian support for AFL clubs Hawthorn and North Melbourne was declining.

The AFL has dangled “you well eventually get your own team” for years in the meantime prop up these less attractive profitable, Melbourne clubs’ games. Twenty plus years later the penny has dropped. All the best to other regional centres around Australia if you want them, just remember what North Melbourne, St Kilda have done around Australia and New Zealand, Loyalty comes at a cost more and more $$$$

Having said that I won’t be surprised if push comes to shove Peter Gutwein will do a 360 turn after all it is the seat of Bass, and it was Pork Barrell stadium development in the first place due to John Howard in the 1990’s.

I really wouldn't discard the Queensland prospects, their government is intensely aggressive at bidding for and luring away stuff from other states. Also the idea of having an AFL team based in Queensland's three biggest cities (Brisbane, Gold Coast and Townsville) would be enticing to the AFL.

You're right about North and Saint Kilda. North were serial offenders at flirting momentarily in cities (Sydney, Canberra and the Gold Coast ... to name a but a few) only to move on throughout the eighties into the naughties, and they have paid a hefty price in being the least supported club in Melbourne today much less the rest of the country (Membership 40,000 and an estimated 275,000 supporters nationally). This was acknowledged by the club in 2008 when it began its rebulid and Box-on campaign. You're also correct on the subject of declining attendances in Tassie. There has been a steady but not severe drop in attendances at both Launceston and Hobart. That may be in some part due to the declined on-field performance of North Melbourne since 2016 and the rollercoaster of success that Hawthorn have gone through since 1999.

Yes, as an AFL team you can't just lob into a city and demand the love and loyalty of its citizens. That culture is built over time which is something that I have reiterated repeatedly to WBFC supporters about Ballarat who bemoan that Ballarat citizens haven't fully embraced their club. That said, the WBFC are doing a much better job with winning hearts and minds in Ballarat (particularly with the kids) than what North Melbourne ever did in any of its other locations before Hobart.

The AFL has never favoured a permanent Tasmanian franchise, that's just the ramblings of Melbourne's less credible journalists with an unmasked hatred of North Melbourne (Carolyn Wilson and Craig Hutchison come to mind). I can only see a Tasmanian team getting the AFL's blessing if a new super-stadium (Think Metricon) is built or developed with a $200+ mil price tag, and some serious corporate and government subsidising of the proposed franchise. Then of course, can the AFL seriously sustain a 19 team competition or ultimately permanently relocate a team? That's never popular and would see the Melbourne based support of said team collapse.

A 19 team competition would be a joke with the current 18 team arrangement struggling to maintain legitimacy with some teams playing each other twice and others only once during a 22 round season and the competition carefully arranged around gifting the big clubs exclusive major event days.

 

[acm21]

I really wouldn't discard the Queensland prospects, their government is intensely aggressive at bidding for and luring away stuff from other states. Also the idea of having an AFL team based in Queensland's three biggest cities (Brisbane, Gold Coast and Townsville) would be enticing to the AFL.

You're right about North and Saint Kilda. North were serial offenders at flirting momentarily in cities (Sydney, Canberra and the Gold Coast ... to name a but a few) only to move on throughout the eighties into the naughties, and they have paid a hefty price in being the least supported club in Melbourne today much less the rest of the country (Membership 40,000 and an estimated 275,000 supporters nationally). This was acknowledged by the club in 2008 when it began its rebulid and Box-on campaign. You're also correct on the subject of declining attendances in Tassie. There has been a steady but not severe drop in attendances at both Launceston and Hobart. That may be in some part due to the declined on-field performance of North Melbourne since 2016 and the rollercoaster of success that Hawthorn have gone through since 1999.

Yes, as an AFL team you can't just lob into a city and demand the love and loyalty of its citizens. That culture is built over time which is something that I have reiterated repeatedly to WBFC supporters about Ballarat who bemoan that Ballarat citizens haven't fully embraced their club. That said, the WBFC are doing a much better job with winning hearts and minds in Ballarat (particularly with the kids) than what North Melbourne ever did in any of its other locations before Hobart.

The AFL has never favoured a permanent Tasmanian franchise, that's just the ramblings of Melbourne's less credible journalists with an unmasked hatred of North Melbourne (Carolyn Wilson and Craig Hutchison come to mind). I can only see a Tasmanian team getting the AFL's blessing if a new super-stadium (Think Metricon) is built or developed with a $200+ mil price tag, and some serious corporate and government subsidising of the proposed franchise. Then of course, can the AFL seriously sustain a 19 team competition or ultimately permanently relocate a team? That's never popular and would see the Melbourne based support of said team collapse.

A 19 team competition would be a joke with the current 18 team arrangement struggling to maintain legitimacy with some teams playing each other twice and others only once during a 22 round season and the competition carefully arranged around gifting the big clubs exclusive major event days.

Im not sure if anymore then 18 teams would work unless they convince the teams to play atleast 30 games. A Northern Queensland side would likely include the nt as well, but would also need to expand stadiums in both North Queensland and the nt. Would be interesting how it works out, likley to have an extension to atleast one side, or a more even split between Vic home games and tassie games.

 

[madmug]

Absolutely. The Tas Premier may have to tread carefully and temper his demands. They could lose AFL games altogether and that would be disasterous. If we consider some other contenders who are quietly sitting in the wings. Queensland could just as easily lure North or Hawthorn away and back to Cairns or Townsville, and of course both Bendigo and Albury are potential bidders. Albury has made no secret of its desire to lure a couple of AFL games per season to its recently $22 mil redeveloped Lavington Oval, which its Mayor recently boldly declared is better than Mars Stadium. The appeal of the Bendigo or Albury option being that the sold games would be played within 2-3 hours drive from Melbourne. I do know that North supporters view the Bendigo option as a natural extension of the northern boundary of Melbourne similarly as the Western Bulldogs view Ballarat as a natural extension of its Western corridor.

The Western Bulldogs already enjoy a lucrative Victorian based deal with Ballarat which I imagine would be envied by other clubs that currently play their sold games interstate and occasionally overseas.

Why would it be disasterous do you think?

The Premier is from Launceston, don't you think he's got an eye on the politics of it?

I think North are definitely gone from Tassie. Hobart is politically exependable. Hawks may get a reprieve but Gutwein won't bow to the AFL without some substantive changes to the current one way street.

The Premier is a pretty tough cookie. He knows Covid is still a way from stopping, so its no real loss for 2021. Melbourne is in lockdown again. So nothing is certain.

It'll need Gil to stop sniffing & actually talk about the issue.

 

[Roogal]

Why would it be disasterous do you think?

The Premier is from Launceston, don't you think he's got an eye on the politics of it?

I think North are definitely gone from Tassie. Hobart is politically exependable. Hawks may get a reprieve but Gutwein won't bow to the AFL without some substantive changes to the current one way street.

The Premier is a pretty tough cookie. He knows Covid is still a way from stopping, so its no real loss for 2021. Melbourne is in lockdown again. So nothing is certain.

It'll need Gil to stop sniffing & actually talk about the issue.

Because nobody wants to see AFL lost to Tasmania altogether, and a 19th AFL franchise is definitely not a likely option. Is there an election due in Tasmania? Is an "AFL Tasmanian team" an elusive Taswegian pipe-dream like the "Melbourne to Brisbane High-Speed Rail" announcement that always heralds the commencement of the ten-week campaign of a Federal election? Alas I reckon that the fabled high-speed rail will have a better chance of being built long before Tassie is granted an AFL franchise.

 

[Roogal]

Im not sure if anymore then 18 teams would work unless they convince the teams to play atleast 30 games. A Northern Queensland side would likely include the nt as well, but would also need to expand stadiums in both North Queensland and the nt. Would be interesting how it works out, likley to have an extension to atleast one side, or a more even split between Vic home games and tassie games.

You're right, 30 games per season would never happen. There are other options such as splitting the competition into two divisions or playing shorter games to reduce injuries that would otherwise eminate from playing a longer season. The coaches already believe that the season at 22-23 rounds (plus the JLT series) is too long now.

 

[madmug]

Because nobody wants to see AFL lost to Tasmania altogether, and a 19th AFL franchise is definitely not a likely option. Is there an election due in Tasmania? Is an "AFL Tasmanian team" like the "Melbourne to Brisbane High Speed Rail" announcement that always heralds the ten week campaign of a Federal election? Alas I reckon that the fabled high speed rail will have a better chance of being built long before Tassie is granted an AFL franchise.

Nothing is forever. One day the AFL might have some footy people running it.

 

[Roogal]

Nothing is forever. One day the AFL might have some footy people running it.

Refer to my previous post

 

[acm21]

Kennet is doing his favourite thing. He is making news saying he would consider moving the hawks down south.

 

[GreyBudgie]

Kennet is doing his favourite thing. He is making news saying he would consider moving the hawks down south.

Peter Gutwein reply today on the above and the future of AFL in Tasmania “What Jeff says in this debate, people should take with a pinch of salt.”

 

[acm21]

Peter Gutwein reply today on the above and the future of AFL in Tasmania “What Jeff says in this debate, people should take with a pinch of salt.”

Yeah imagine the outrage the afl and club hierarchy saying we are going to move the club to Tasmania. They are also spending heaps building a new facility.

 

[Roogal]

Yeah imagine the outrage the afl and club hierarchy saying we are going to move the club to Tasmania. They are also spending heaps building a new facility.

Hawthorn are already trying to build a new facility the size of a small suburb in the SE of Melbourne, yeah "A pinch of salt" probably sums that one up

That said, we need to take the Tasmanian Premier's musings with some of 'said salt' as it was only six months ago that he was talking up the prospect of a new 27,000 capacity stadium in Hobart and subsequently being lambasted by Tasmania's media, the Hobart community and Cricket Tasmania for the extravagance in consideration that the ciy already had a 19,000 capacity venue which was never filled.

 

[its been done]

Reports coming out of Tassie that $65 Million will be spent on a permanent Eastern Stand at UTAS to be finished by 2025

 

[The Victorian]

New $65m stand for footy fans, but no money to complete project

Tassie footy fans in the north will soon have a shiny new $65 million stand — but as for the money to finish the rest of the project, that ball is firmly in the hands of the federal government.

www.abc.net.au