This episode is brought to you by Progressive. Most of you aren't just listening right now, you're driving, cleaning, and even exercising. But what if you could be saving money by switching to Progressive? Drivers who save by switching save nearly $750 on average, and auto customers qualify for an average of 7 discounts. Multitask right now. Quote today at Progressive.com. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. National average 12-month savings of $744 by a new customer surveyed who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary, discounts are not available in all states and situations. Right across Tasmania on SCM Tassie. This is the Devil's Advocate with Brent Castella. Follow us online at SCM Tassie and text anytime. 0 4 3 7, double 5 2 5 3 5. As we start the show today, I want you to close your eyes and let your mind wander to the year 2029. Following an extremely busy week at work, you've just clocked off at your office, and you're about to take a 10-minute walk from the CBD to Tasmania's hottest new bar. After meeting up with friends for a few drinks, as a group, you travel 50 metres away to one of Australia's best restaurants, headlined by a world-famous chef, with views as far as the eye can see. It was a difficult choice to make because it's one of many new establishments in the area. As you're at your meal, thousands of footy fans are streaming past because tonight, Tasmania's AFL Club welcomes Collingwood to town for the first time. When you're done, you become part of the 23,000 strong crowd. As you make your way inside one of the world's most innovative stadiums, you notice small pieces of confetti still lingering from cold-place concert a week earlier. With food and beverage outlets available almost every 30 metres, there's no queues inside. You grab yourselves a drink and head to your seats. For this game, you're sitting in the top tier, but let's be honest, there's no bad view in the state-of-the-art venue. After watching the devils win a nail-biter, some of you crew up to go home. The rest head back outside and enter the city's newest nightclub. After tearing up the dance floor until the early hours of the morning, you call it a night. The next day, even though there's no event on, hundreds of people are visiting the area for a variety of reasons. From having brunch with friends, letting the kids play in the new parklands, or simply just taking a walk through the surrounds to appreciate what it's become, it's a thriving metropolis. As you slowly open your eyes, it might still feel like a long time away, but this is no dream. In a few short years, this will be a reality. That reality took another giant step forward yesterday, when renders of what Macquarie Point will look like in five years' time were released to the public. That will be our focus today on our latest edition of the Devil's Advocate. Yesterday, we finally received some clarity on exactly what Mac 1.0 will look like. Some of the words I've heard people use to describe it are "inoffensive, clean, natural, and even earthy." I'd agree, in my opinion, it's not going to be the eyesore many against the proposal thought it might be. The State Government says it's work to design something welcoming, functional, and uniquely Tasmanian for the space. Here's Mac Point Development Corporation, CEO, and beach with us on SCN Tassie Breakfast this morning. It's really exciting to finally get this out there. We've been working on this for a little while, and to start sharing our work is super exciting. It has been a really positive response. We have worked really hard to get something that felt like it landed. It lives in this space, and that's been a lot of the response that we've had. Some of the feedbacks been not only does it work in this space, but it almost looks like you could pick it up and put it anywhere in Tasmania, and I think that was the moment we were like, "Yeah, we've got this." As I mentioned earlier, the study and design will dominate today's edition of the Devil's Advocate. Soon, my special guest will be the man that's brought all this together from Cox architecture, Alistair Richardson. Later this hour, Sports Minister Nick Street will join me to give the state government's perspective on what's happened over the last 24 hours, but will also steer away from Mac Point Talk towards the end of the show. When, as always, we'll work around the country to see how our Tasmanian players fared in their respective competitions over the weekend, thanks to our friends at Battery World. That's all the head for you within the next 60 minutes here on the Devil's Advocate. Right across Tasmania on SCM Tassie, this is the Devil's Advocate. With Brent Castella, follow us online at SCM Tassie and text anytime. 0437, 555-235. My first guest today is a man that seriously knows his stuff. He's the principal director of Cox architecture, the team behind the design of Macquarie Point Stadium. Hello, Alistair Richardson, and welcome to the Devil's Advocate. Hi, Brent. Thanks very much. Lovely to see you. I caught up with you yesterday. Our onsite down there at Macquarie Point is that the renders were unveiled. These are concept designs, obviously, but how accurate do you think they'll be to the final product when it's unveiled? Oh, very accurate. They are certainly photorealism, which is great. And so what you're seeing is what you're going to get. How big a job has it been for you the last couple of months since you announced as the architect for this, you must have been putting in a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to this project. Oh, it has, and the team has as well, both of our engineers, Acom and Schleig Bergman, who are the engineers behind the roof. It's been a fantastic effort. We've had a strong team down in Tasmania, working busily. I've done it at Macquarie Point over 20 people, so it's been intense, but really, really good. And we're really excited by the project that's sort of evolved and how the designs evolve. It's been a site that's been so controversial for so many years, and what do we do with it, etc. How much pressure do you feel to get this right? Incredibly amount of pressure. Such a fantastic site, and it has such an opportunity to be transformational for Hobart. We think it's almost as transformational for Adelaide as the Adelaide Oval, whilst in fact, we're certain it will be. So in that notion of how to energise a CBD, how to really create a vibrant place seven days a week, the stadium's all going to help that, and that's certainly a key of what we've been trying to look at when looking at the design of the stadium and how it interacts with Macquarie Point. Yeah, we haven't really spoken about that side of it, I guess, the site and making it user-friendly seven days a week. What plans are in place outside of sport, I guess, and around the precinct? Well, the Master Plan's identified as a series of development opportunities, which as the Minister said yesterday, are being discussed with other parties. That's all a part of the Master Plan work we're doing. We've also done things like relocated to the good shed, such that the good shed can actually become an extension both of the stadium, but then equally used on non-event days for smaller events, gatherings, markets, those sorts of components. We've designed the stadium to be flexible, so we can actually have exhibitions and conferences within it, as well as music events, and we've designed it to allow for bars and restaurants to be developed, essentially with a street frontage underneath the stadium, and both have been straight and also around the east. There's lots of opportunity to really engage with the precinct and really create a destination, which has been one of the things we've been really passionate to do. It's almost like an expansion, really, of Salamanca Cove and another great tourist destination, but also a destination for barbarians and, of course, people from the broader Tasmania regions. Some people might look at these beautiful renders and be sceptical of how it won't go over budget. I watched you yesterday and you had a bit of a grin on your face when budgets are mentioned. Is that because you're so confident that it won't go over budget? Yeah, we've done an enormous amount of work to date on it, so right from the outset, the government was very, very clear on what the objectives of the budget were and what we had to achieve. Obviously, the key thing there was making sure that it was roofed, because it's the point of complete uniqueness for the venue. We were very, very much on the front foot, working closely with the cost planners right from the beginning, so yes, we're very confident. With the breakdown of the stadium, what does the roof cost on its own? Is it quite cheap when it comes to roof stadiums, I suppose, the way you designed it? It's incredibly efficient. Early on the stadium debate, there was lots of just talk about a retractable roof, but the work that we've been involved in the last 20 years clearly shows that retractable roofs are significantly more expensive. The technology is now done such that we can actually create a cupboard stadium and grow the grass underneath to suitable standards, which is why we put the proposition on the table, which has been endorsed both by the government, but also for the design team as well. So, the roof represents probably about a quarter of the construction budget, so that's a very, very efficient roof in terms of what we've managed to achieve. It's pretty special when you look at it, and it's probably going to be the talk of the sporting world when people do see it, and it's built. I love how you said it's self-cleaning, etc. A lot of people said to me, "What about birds though?" And their droppings potentially on there, do they self-clean off as well, Alissa? They do. I mean, the way to look at this is, you know, your nonstick frying pan. It's pretty much like that. The material does not allow things to bind to it. So, yes, when we get the seagulls, do their proverbial on it, then next time it rains, it will wash itself off. Yeah, and as I mentioned to you, yes, there are a lot of people talking about the temperature inside as well under a roof like that, I suppose, but you're confident the way you've set it up and designed it, that there won't be an issue in winter or summer? Absolutely not. You know, the evidence that we've got from Dunedin, the foresight bar stadium, is actually, it's a very positive element. It allows for grass to grow longer. It creates an environment inside that actually allows things to be outdoors more and under shelter more. It's a great place in winter to sit because it's warm, which is fantastic. And in summer, the roof is vented to make sure that on those hot days and how far that any heat is actually vented out of the stadium as well. So, it's being fully considered. A lot of what's called computer fluid dynamics and modelling being done to actually assess what the temperatures are like and how the temperatures work within it, but we're very confident it'll be a fantastic cupboard outdoor environment that fans will absolutely revel in and enjoy. How do you appease the people that have some issues with the stadium, the RSL being wine and that the Cenotaph, of course, which has been a hot topic? Are you certain it won't impede on the Cenotaph and do you think that you'll get the RSL on side eventually? Oh, look, we fully respect the views of the RSL and its concerns and we've tried to deliver a design response that has an evenable impact on the Cenotaph and will also respect it. We think it's actually obviously a fantastic opportunity to know himself, you know, memorise the memory of people who have served and how the stadium could potentially be used even on an exact day. So, we're very acutely aware of the sensitivities. We're very acutely aware that, you know, some people will never agree with the stadium when we understand that. But we've been commissioned to do the best job we possibly can by the government to deliver an outcome and the design has tried to respond to those issues as best it can given, you know, that it is a 23,000 seat stadium, keeping the edge low, doing the dome roof, making the roof as transparent as possible, creating active edges, being respectful of the good shed, all these things have been done to really try and make sure that it addresses the valid concerns being put forward but still delivering on the outcomes for which the government has moved forward with. What about transport? That's another interesting one, obviously 2.0. We're spruking a car park as part of their design. Mach 1 doesn't have a car park, but that means you're encouraging people to get on public transport instead. There's very much an integrated transport solution that has been developed and will continue to be developed. It does include elements of bus service. So, there's an event bus depot or station basically on the north side of the stadium, which is designed to ferry people out towards remote car parkings as well as bus routes. But then we're also making use of the CBD. The fact is, we're only half a kilometre walk away from a vast amount of car parking within the CBD and typically event days in terms of gains don't necessarily clash with the activity of the CBD. That notion of drawing people into the CBD and then becoming the part of the scene, know the restaurants, the bars, has been one of the great successes of stadiums like Adelaide, where there's hardly any car parking associated with the stadium. Really, the car parking is only for corporate guests and operational parking. So, we've adopted a similar strategy here and, again, confidence that within the overall CBD area, the ability to cater for people who want to drive in, the ability to cater for public transport has all been built into the scheme. We spoke about the shadows, too, that the roof might create yesterday. You said it shouldn't be an issue. I noticed on some of the renders is a few shadows, but that's not going to be an issue moving forward with that beautiful roof that there is. No, we don't believe so. Again, we're using presidents here as an example. So, back in 2007, it was said that rugby tests could never be played under an ETFP roof because of similar concerns. Well, it is played, and it's not been a concern at all to the broadcasters or to the play. So, we're confident that actually those things will be done. We've learnt a lot since the four-side bar stadium in Dunedin. We've got a thinner roof structure, a more efficient roof structure. We've got new developments in the material that is given its transparency, TFE, that allows the diffused light around the structural menders, and the height of it allows further diffusion of the light with no major trusses interfering. So, we're very confident that it will actually be a great playing environment. We are doing dynamic modeling, augmented reality at the moment, which we'll be sharing with the sports. But again, they are very confident as well that this will create a really, truly unique environment and something that they're very happy about. Alistair Richardson from Cox Architecture is my very special guest on the Devil's Advocate today talking all things Macquarie Point Stadium. What about the lighting inside? I had a bit of a giga when I look at some of the social media comments, Alistair and people saying, oh, I'm only going to play day games. There's no light towers. But just like up the stadium in Perth, the lights are on the inside of the venue, aren't they? And work really well. They are. And it's really interesting. The lighting engineers and the broadcasters are really excited because one of the common problems of the same light model is the glare issue because the lights are quite light. Because of the dome, we can actually bring the lights up the surface of the dome. So the lighting qualities for night games is probably going to be amongst the best in the country. And with no light towers, creating that terrible light pollution for residents that, you know, sometimes causes all sorts of concerns. So we think the lighting solution is truly unique and giving fantastic opportunities, which is, again, certainly the feedback that we've had from the sport lighting engineers and the teams. Where did the lights leave Red Bull cricket? Do they need to be on during the day, the lights, or is there going to be enough light coming from outside, if you like, into the stadium? So that's one of the issues that we're working through with TAS cricket at the moment. The idea is that the sufficient natural light for the Red Bull game to be done through there. But TAS cricket will have to go through its own testing regime. It is notorious, essentially, that the umpires make the final decision. But we're confident that we'll be working through with the ICC on these issues to show how it can involve whether it's a slight adjustment, it becomes a pink ball test, rather than a Red Bull test, time will tell. But we're looking forward to working with cricket. I know exactly those issues. But are the lights on even during a footy game? Does it need that little extra boost, typically, on any given day? It's more than likely they will be. They don't need to be, because obviously the difference between the sun and whatever you can do from sports lights is never quite the same, but it will certainly help and to reduce some of the cross shadowing caused by the roof members. But again, it will actually quite possibly not require them at all, but that'll be an operations decision at the end of the day. We also spoke about expansion yesterday, and we had Ann Beech on SCN Tassie breakfast this morning. She said it could go up to 30,000 if required down the track. Is that an easy thing to do? It would be difficult to just run us through the expansion side of things if needed. Yeah, so we've designed the ball to actually have currently cut out, which will be infilled later, so that we don't have to extend the perimeter of the building or take the roof off. We've also designed the gap between the underside of the roof and the seating ball from day one to have expansion within it, so another six, seven rows of seats. Ann is quite right. We've been built as a part of the brief, the ability to expand to roughly 30,000 as a part of the core objectives of the stadium. Bearing the mind up, of course, that we also have a budget to design to. What about the roof? I'm sort of jumping around all over the place here, because things bob into my mind. Sorry for jumping around a little bit, but the height of the roof was sort of designed for cricket in a way, too, to get to make sure when a ball is hit, it doesn't hit the roof like we have seen at Marvel Stadium. So just run us through that and how it works on the sides and then the apex in the middle, I suppose. Yeah, it's been a fascinating journey, actually. We've actually found some university research on the trajectory of cricket balls. We've also been using Hawkeye, the technology that the TV company used to track where a six goes, for example, and we've plotted that actually inside the stadium to actually make sure and understand what the roof options are. We did lift the roof up, both from an efficiency point of view, because the greater the amplitude of the dome, the more efficient it is, the smaller the members and the cheaper it is. But the extra height actually turned cricket from being rather wary when we were talking about it being roughly the same size as Marvel to be the strong supporter, because they certainly realised with 50 metres that they were clear of any risk of someone hitting the roof. If someone did do a missed ball and hit, there'd be a heck of a hit. You probably would deserve to be out. I like that, I like that. Just with the roof structure as well, with the timber that will be used, a lot of people wondering how that works and how well it lasts, I suppose. Is it something that needs to be replaced? Just talk to us about that as well. So I've seen some of those comments going around and some of the concerns, of course, timber in the right environment when kept dry is incredibly resilient. There's timber buildings that are hundreds and hundreds of years old in Europe. And equally through Australia, glue lamb and timber has been used for over 100 years in terms of it. So because the timber is indoor and not exposed to the weather, it absolutely will land. We are looking at the timber being glue lamb elements, because they're 20 metres long, so they're pretty big. But we're looking at how Tasmanian timbers can be the source to do it. Now, the normal element of blue lamb beams is certainly pine. So like tell us elements like radiative pine, but we're actually working currently with these sorts to investigate different nuclear species, particularly reef forested regions, so not native forestry, to create these blue lamb beams and we'll continue on that research. But the aim is that we will be using Tassie timber, source on Tassie built, and then in Tassie as well, because we see it as a real plus value of the timber industry that's so important to Tassie. A couple more before I let you go. The ground itself, I know a lot of testing's been done over there. We saw the digger there yesterday and a lot of landfill already being dug up. But you're confident. You're absolutely confident. There's no issue in building a stadium on Macquarie Point, which is what some of the rumours have been over the journey as well. Oh, absolutely not. We've got so much geotechnical information done on the site already. We know exactly what the ground conditions are. We've met a point of remediated the site from, obviously, its old industrial past already. That's what the paths of dirt that you see. So it's been a very thorough process and we're absolutely confident that the playing surface will be fantastic. We're certainly looking at the playing surface being certainly equal to the MCG, if not better. And last one, we're to now, for you, obviously there's still some further renders that will be released and then the project of site significance begins. How much work is to do from here? Well, we're still sprinting, still have a lot of work to do. As you've quite mentioned, Riley mentioned, the project significance planning process starts at the end of this month as the minister indicated. We then have 12 months of the planning process to go through. But during that time, because to make sure that documents are ready for tender will be carrying on working and to make sure that hopefully with the outcome of the planning process, we're ready to carry on, get construction underway, and get the stadium up for the Tazi Devil's first game, which is meant to be round one, 20, 20, no one. It'll be done by then, Alistair. No issues? No, everything indicates that it's all okay at the moment. All of our project managers who've been looking at the program and are input into the program have all been gearing towards that date. Well done on a great job so far. The renders look amazing. I think everyone was excited to see them yesterday and you've put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into it. So well done to you and thanks so much for joining us here on The Devil's Advocate today to explain to our listeners exactly what's going on. Thanks very much and look forward to the continued journey with your listeners as well as they see all these things coming to fruition. Alistair Richardson joining me on The Devil's Advocate here, of course, is the principal director of Cox Architecture, the team behind the design of Macquarie Point Stadium. The Macquarie Point Stadium chat will continue next when sports and events minister Nick Streit joins me here on the show. Thanks for joining me. Right across Tasmania on SCM Tassie. This is The Devil's Advocate with Brent Castella. Follow us online at SCM Tassie and text anytime. 0437, 5552535. Great to have principal director of Cox Architecture, Alistair Richardson on the show. Another man that's played a key role in everything happening at Macquarie Point is sport and events minister Nick Streit, I caught up with him post press conference yesterday and started by asking him how excited he was for these renders to be released. Yeah, look really excited at the release of these renders. I think they're a terrific example of what's going to be built here at Mac Point sympathetic to the surroundings but also something that uniquely Tasmanian as well and something that, as I said, will not only activate Mac Point but activate Hobart and be something that Tasmania can be proud of. We've heard a lot about 2.0, which you think this puts that to bed today. I look like we've been clear that we're only concentrating on the development at this site, not a development around the corner at the regatta grounds. My understanding from the media across the weekend is that they've submitted something to the Department of State growth. That's done at arms length from us for good reason I haven't seen it and won't see it until the advice comes back. How much pressure do you feel in your role to get this right? It's such a big moment for Tasmania. Do you feel that? Look, I feel I feel pressured to get it right because I know how important it is for the future of Tasmania and we made the point as well. There's exciting as this is for AFL and AFLW teams. It's about so much more than that. It's about the convention centre that opens up the business market. It's about the stage that's been built into the northern end as well for concerts, it's about what it can do for the arts community in Tasmania as well. So many different elements of the Tasmanian community can benefit from this if we get it right. So there is a pressure to get it right but there's also an excitement that we're getting on with the job as well. What does that look like outside the stadium we've heard a lot about? Is it restaurants? Is it bars? Is it bowling alleys? I mean the Tasmanian football museum would be a great fit I think too. Do you know what it looks like yet? Look, if you have a look at the renders that are available, there's four different areas to the west of the stadium renders that will be open for private investment but we want to build something here that engages with the whole of the city and activates the city. So yes there might be more restaurants on side but we want the restaurants in the Hobart CBD right now to benefit from the stadium as well. So it's about making sure that we build something here that connects to Constitution Dock, that connects to Salamanca, that activates the entire waterfront and benefits the entire city of Hobart but it importantly benefits the entirety of Tasmania as well. The ability to be able to bring events to Hobart because we've got the stadium, hopefully we'll have flow on effects for what we're doing in terms of the development at York Park in Launceston as well that we'll be able to host more events as well wouldn't it be great if the fact that we've got this stadium in Hobart attracts an event to Hobart but they also go to Launceston as well in the future because of it. We're standing here on the site now and I look over and I say the good shed there. What's your plan for the good shed? So look the good shed is going to be moved or relocated from its present site to the north of the stadium. You'll be able to see that on the renders as well but much like the design of the stadium itself it's been done in a really sympathetic manner and as the architects pointed out there were a number of these good sheds on the site when it was at full capacity as well and so the architects have been very careful in terms of their placement of the good shed to the north that it's in a place where there would have been a good shed in the past as well so acknowledges the history of the site but will also be an important part of activating this shed in terms of the stadium design as well. And we look up on the hill and we see the senator how do you avoid interfering with the senator which is such an important place here in Tasmania. It's an incredibly important place for all Tasmanians. I know that Macquarie Point Development Corporation and the architects have worked closely with the RSL they've met with them in the last couple of days as well. They've asked for a little bit more information that Macquarie Point Development Corporation just made clear as well that they are continuing to work with the RSL. I think we've come up with a design that's sympathetic to the senator and to be clear the Tasmanian government wouldn't be interested in building something that wasn't sympathetic to the senator as well knowing how important it is to all Tasmanians. There's a concept designs that have been released but are they accurate and will look like that on day one of the stadium opening do you think? Yeah look I think the architects and Macquarie Point Development Corporation are pretty clear that whilst they are rained is that they're a pretty accurate depiction of what's going to be built on the side as well so people can start to get a feel for what's actually going to be built here and not just some sort of nebulous potential design. As you said in your press conference it's not just the people that will come to this stadium it'll be on the world stage on televisions right around the globe I guess it's such an important thing isn't it for Tasmania to for the world to see as well. It is and it's why the roof design is so important as well I made the point in the press conference that if you're sitting in marble stadium you could effectively be sitting anywhere in any city in the world. When you sit in this stadium with that roof design with a view to the mountain with a view to the senator if you'll know where you are sitting and people when they're watching it on television will know that they're watching something that's being held in and uniquely Tasmanian stadium as well. Minister Nick Streatz my guest on the devil's advocate today minister tell us about the importance of using Tasmanian materials when it comes to wood and all the things that will be used to build the stadium. Look the economic activity from this design is one of the things that we've been trying to push from the start and as I said in the press conference before as well it's why Labor changed their position after the election on the stadium because they recognise the importance of the jobs the economic activity and that will be generated from this site so using Tasmanian labor as much as possible using Tasmanian products is going to be really important. Supposingly it was something that Alistair from Cox Architects make clear as well that they've been engaging with local firms already to make sure that we're using as much local products possible. What about transport? One thing 2.0 was sprucing was a car park that doesn't include a car park for Mach 1. How do you see all that working? Is it simply all about public transport? Yeah look we're going to have to improve the public transport in Hobart to make access to this stadium easy and efficient so the people want to come here but anybody who's been to the MCG in Melbourne will know that most people don't park at the MCG they use public transport to get there but importantly as well what we want is for people to leave this stadium and actually go back into the Hobart's CBG and engage with those businesses as well like I said so it's important that we don't actually have too much. We don't want too many people coming to the stadium and parking and getting in their car and leaving. One of the problems with Blunston or Rainer is that it's such a driving drive-out arena that really none of the surrounding businesses get any benefit from the events that are held there. That's not what we want for this we want this stadium to engage with the CBG so importantly we want people to go back into the city after these events that means that we need to get public transport right to bring them to the city so that they can make a short walk to the stadium for events as well. Round 1 2020 9 it's a short time frame I suppose to build a a giant stadium but are you confident it will get done in that time frame? Look I'm not a builder but the people who are experts in this are confident in the timelines really looking forward to round 1 in 2029 but even more than that looking forward to round 1 in 2028 when the devils come into the competition into the AFL competition and hopefully the AFLW team will already be up and running by then. Did you ever consider as a government to bring the team in later to you know start in the new stadium and not play out of Blunston or Rainer? Look I'm not to be perfectly honest I'm not sure whether that conversation was held at the AFL or not but you would know in terms of it's so much more to it than just the round 1 start date the list build that has to go on means that we need to you need to work back from round 1 of the first game in terms of the list build the other clubs in the competition want certainty around whatever concessions are going to be provided to the Tasmanian team to list build as well and so once round 1 of 2028 was locked in for the start date I don't think we would move from that just in order to make sure that both the AFL and other participants have got some certainty as well. I think the other thing people are skeptical on is the budget how do you get this done inside $715 million? Look again the people are experts in this area are confident that they can get it done in the projected budget what's important from the state government point of view is that we've committed that $375 million is the cap in terms of the state government contribution we know that to activate the entire Mac Point Precinct we're going to need private investment we'll now work through a process in terms of attracting that but pleasingly we've already been approached by private consortiums that are really really interested in what sort of involvement they can have not just in the precinct but in Hobart as well. Yeah that was my next question about private investment it's going to be so important isn't it? It is but when you see renders and designs like that they're so exciting you can understand why we've already had private consortiums on the phone and wanting to meet with us to discuss their involvement in investing in the precinct. And for our listeners that don't know how it works can you explain as much as you know about the project of state significance and then how it operates from here. Look the Macquarie Point Development Corporation are leading the project to state significance they're the best ones to talk to about that but they're very confident that they'll have a package together to submit for assessment under the project to state significance timeline within a month or so I believe we'll allow that process to go forward and then we'll deal with the outcome. We're about the high performance center it's such a crucial moment in that as well with King Bristol in the mix it's fair to say the preference for the footy club's still Rosney Parklands what's your opinion on at this stage? Yeah look we announced the Rosney size the preferred site late last year and that hasn't changed but we made clear when we made that announcement that we continued to do the due diligence at both sites because there was more work to do and we wanted to have a second option if we needed it but at this stage nothing's changed Rosney still the preferred site. There is work going on down at Kingston if we need it to need it to occur but we will keep working through that process with both Clarence Council and with the football club we know how important the high performance facility is not just in attracting players from interstate but retaining them as well players expect the world's best facilities to train and prepare in now that's exactly what we planned to build at either site. How important is it to have somewhere like Kingborough ready to push go on if you need it though it's a handy backup isn't it? Oh look it's imperative that we have a backup because the timelines are as tight on the high performance center as they are on the stadium you know we want to we're going to be starting to build this list in the very near future when you're talking to potential players that we want to bring here for around my 20/20/2028 they're going to want to know exactly what they're going to be training in and preparing themselves in. A couple more before I let you go how real does this feel now to you like the stadium renders are out the footy club is doing a great job and CEOs have pointed paths doing multiple things in her role you must be excited. Look I've got to be honest it's felt real for a while it's felt real since May last year when Gil made the announcement up at North Hobart but it felt even more real with the release of the first membership package 192,000 people just reaffirmed the opinion of all of us who've supported Tasmania to continue the competition for so long build it and they will come and the support for the team has been exactly what we imagine it would be so yeah it is real Tasmania are going to be in the AFL and the AFL-WAs they should be as they should have been for the last 25 years and it's something that Tasmania should be incredibly excited about and something that obviously is ministers for sport I'm incredibly excited about. Last one might be the most important you're a Brisbane line supporter where your allegiances lie around 1/20/29. Look in round 1/20/28 when we actually come into the competition sorry I've gone on a year late look old be a Tasmanian member the Brisbane lines have given me so much joy well I've got to be honest as a kid they gave me so much heartache but as a young adult they gave me so much joy that I think it's going to be hard to give up some form of membership for the Brisbane lines as well but old be a Tasmanian supporter from round 1/20/28. Thanks very much for your time minister Nick Straight. No nice note. Sport and events minister Nick Straight joining me on the show plenty happening of course at Macquarie Point will be right across any developments as they happen here on the devil's advocate. We're off to our final break now coming back to whip around the country to see how our Tassie players fared over the weekend thanks to Battery World here on the devil's advocate. Now it's time for a Tassie footy update on the devil's advocate. It is indeed where we look at how some of our Tasmanian players went across the country this week. Thanks to Battery World book a free battery check at Battery World Hobart in the AFL Bernies Brody my check will unfortunately miss the rest of the home and away season after rupturing his tendon the pies leading goalkeeper for the last five years will have surgery in the coming days and is a chance to return. If the reigning premiers make the finals my check had six disposal's two marks three score involvements and kicked a goal during his time on the ground. Dodger's ferry and Hobart's Jeremy Howe played permanently as a forward in the pies lost to the bombers. The high fly looked at home and attacked with 11 disposal six marks four inside fifties and two goals. North Foneys Riley Sanders was solid in the Bulldogs heavy defeat against the power. Last year's six overall pick had 22 disposals two tackles two clearances and four score involvements. Launceston's Colby McCurcher played the best game of his young career in North Melbourne's Nilebiting win I should say over Gold Coast and his first game back in the seniors since he suffered bone stress in his foot half back finished with a game high 37 disposal six marks 666 meters gained five score involvements and a memorable run down the wing where he took four bounces before setting up Nick Larky. It was also the first victory McCurcher's experience at AFL level. North Onceston's Toby Nankervis was arguably Richmond's best in its big loss to Fremantle. The Tigers skipper put on a clinic in the rack finishing with an equal high team at high 26 disposals a game high 11 clearances 36 hit out seven tackles and six score involvements. fellow North Onceston product Ryan Mansill played his role up forward with 11 disposals five tackles five score involvements and a goal. Lonnie Zari Shoemaker got to experience his first win in the AFL as the Saints knocked off the latter leading swans. The first year defender had 13 disposals five marks and two inside fifties. Klunakis Jimmy Webster was also important down back for the sanders with 15 disposals four marks four tackles and six intercept possessions. Bernie's Robbie Fox played his first senior game since round 11 after recovering from an AC joint injury. The utility was solid on return with 13 disposals four intercept possessions and a goal to VFL and VFLW. Launceston's James Leak had another impressive game as he continues to work his way back from his early injury setbacks. The first round pick finished with 24 disposal six marks eight tackles four clearances four inside fifties and six intercept possessions. North Hobart's Jay Menzie responded after being dropped from Essen and senior side. He had eight disposals three tackles and kicked two goals in the bombers win over Port Melbourne. Klunakis Sarah Skinner's VFL season is still alive after the Bulldogs took Port Melbourne in Saturday's semi-final. The former Sydney Swan had 15 disposals and nine tackles and a clearance. The dogs will now face Williams Town in this week's pre-limb final. North Melbourne and a couple of our Tasmanian kangaroos are through to the VFLW grand final. Old Scottish Georgia Nichols was named one of the side's best with 10 disposals four inside fifties four score involvements and a goal. Old Launcestonians product Jennifer Guy also had 10 disposals four tackles, three intercept possessions and a goal. We go to the Sanful and Sanful W now and Oliveson's Candace Bellwin unfortunately can't call herself a Sanful W premiership player but gave her all in Nord's five-point grand final loss to South Adelaide. She had a team high 19 disposals, nine tackles and six clearances. Her strong performance led to her finishing third in the votes for the best on ground metal. Well done to you Candace. So plenty happening for our Tasmanian players right around the country. That brings us to the end of a huge addition of the devil's advocate. Great to have Alistair Richardson and also Nick Street as my special guests. We'll do it all again next Monday until then have a great week whatever you're up to and we'll see you next time.
