Australia news live: Hobart stadium plan passes first parliamentary vote; $37m boost for childcare checks | Australia news
Tasmania’s stadium plan passes first parliamentary hurdle
Tasmania’s contentious seaside stadium and accompanying AFL dream passed its first parliamentary hurdle last night but a do-or-die debate still awaits, Australia’s Associated Press reports.
The construction of a roofed stadium at Macquarie Point in Hobart is a condition of the Tasmanian Devils entering the AFL and AFLW in 2028.
The $1.13 billion project requires approval from both houses of the state parliament to move forward.
The stadium building order passed the lower house last night by 25 votes to nine, as expected, with the support of the ruling Liberals and the Labor opposition.
But he faces a tougher transition in the upper house, where a handful of independent MPs will decide his fate early next month.
Jeremy RockliffThe state premier, who signed the agreement with the AFL, said the stadium represented an opportunity Tasmania could not afford to lose.
“[The team] it was a project that many Tasmanians have long dreamed of,” he told parliament.
“People will be horrified if we say no to what we have been fighting for for decades.”
labor leader, Josh WillieHe said his party would vote for the stadium despite the Liberals’ management of the project being “terrible” and the journey being unnecessarily divisive.
“We don’t trust the government to deliver, but that doesn’t mean Tasmania should miss out on opportunities,” said Willie.
Willie, who said his party would try to renegotiate the stadium deal if elected at some point, said the AFL commission was ready to put pressure on the Devils if the stadium was not built.
The stadium has divided society and drawn political battle lines amid criticism that budget debt will double to $10 billion in 2028/29 and that the stadium is not the right priority.
important events
Study finds beach safety terms can be difficult to understand for overseas visitors
Australia’s beaches continue to pose fatal risks for people born abroad, Australian Associated Press reports; A study reveals that many people have difficulty understanding the warnings presented on signs.
A Monash University study has found that beach-related terminology and even the color of warning signs are often misinterpreted by international visitors.
Nearly a third of the 357 people who drowned in Australia in 2024/25 were people born overseas.
Monash University drowning prevention researcher Masaki Shibatawho is also a surf lifesaver, said instructions such as “swim between the flags” were open to misinterpretation.
Other terms like “coastal litter,” “rip current,” and “submerged object” don’t always translate well either.
“We need to review the English language first to make the terms more universal… shore is the location, evacuation is the action and a lot of people don’t know what leaves you or what has been abandoned,” he told AAP.
“For example, can we simply say ‘crushing waves’ instead, and instead of ‘swim between the flags’ can we say ‘stay between the flags’?”
Dr Shibata’s previous work found that ‘swimming between the flags’ could be misunderstood as an area for swimmers, encouraging some people to swim outdoors.
Good morning, happy Friday. Nick Visser I’m here to get things moving. Let’s dive in.
Federal government commits $37 million to strengthen criminal history tracking in early childhood and care
Caitlin Cassidy
The federal government will spend $37 million over five years to improve work with early childhood and child-in-care checks (WWWC), including tracking changes in criminal history.
Chief Public Prosecutor, Michelle Rowlandsaid the funding increase will go towards establishing the national continuous control capability (NCCC), which was first announced earlier this year; This capability “significantly strengthens protections for children and young people by providing continuous, near real-time monitoring of changes in criminal history information for WWCC holders.”
Rowland said the NCCC pilot program would be ready from the end of 2025, with work continuing to close a “loophole” that allows potential child abusers to operate in different regions.
So far, five jurisdictions have adopted interstate adverse rulings; This means that a person rejected for WWCC in one jurisdiction will also be rejected in others, as the reforms were passed in August; the remaining three are on track to enact legislation this year.
Rowland said child safety was the “number one priority” for the Labor government.
That is why we are developing a coordinated and ambitious reform agenda to achieve meaningful consistency across jurisdictions about when a person is eligible to participate in the WWCC and when they should be excluded. This will address existing gaps and inconsistencies and improve the protection of children and young people.
Read more on the subject here:
Tasmanian Greens say government is bowing to AFL
Tasmanian Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff, whose party voted against the stadium, said the government was bowing to the AFL for a shiny, flashy project.
“We have already more than earned the right to join the league without the conditions of a $1 billion stadium,” he said.
Anti-stadium independent Kristie Johnston said many Tasmanians could not afford basic needs and so did the state budget.
“When you’re making purchases on a credit card… you shouldn’t be buying a boat,” he said.
Macquarie Point urban regeneration minister Eric Abetz said the doors would be slammed on eager youngsters if the stadium was not built.
“Trust will be shattered and our self-esteem as a state will be destroyed,” he said.
“The message will be: don’t try to do business in Tasmania.”
Tasmania’s stadium plan passes first parliamentary hurdle
Tasmania’s contentious seaside stadium and accompanying AFL dream passed its first parliamentary hurdle last night but a do-or-die debate still awaits, Australia’s Associated Press reports.
The construction of a roofed stadium at Macquarie Point in Hobart is a condition of the Tasmanian Devils entering the AFL and AFLW in 2028.
The $1.13 billion project requires approval from both houses of the state parliament to move forward.
The stadium building order passed the lower house last night by 25 votes to nine, as expected, with the support of the ruling Liberals and the Labor opposition.
But he faces a tougher transition in the upper house, where a handful of independent MPs will decide his fate early next month.
Jeremy RockliffThe state premier, who signed the agreement with the AFL, said the stadium represented an opportunity Tasmania could not afford to lose.
“[The team] it was a project that many Tasmanians have long dreamed of,” he told parliament.
“People will be horrified if we say no to what we’ve been fighting for for decades.”
labor leader, Josh WillieHe said his party would vote for the stadium despite the Liberals’ management of the project being “terrible” and the journey being unnecessarily divisive.
“We don’t trust the government to deliver, but that doesn’t mean Tasmania should miss out on opportunities,” said Willie.
Willie, who said his party would try to renegotiate the stadium deal if elected at some point, said the AFL commission was ready to put pressure on the Devils if the stadium was not built.
The stadium has divided society and drawn political battle lines amid criticism that budget debt will double to $10 billion in 2028/29 and that the stadium is not the right priority.
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I Martin Farrer With the best of last night’s stories Nick Visser It gets you even further towards the end of the work week.
A contentious plan to build a new stadium at Macquarie Point in Hobart passed its first hurdle in the Tasmanian parliament last night when ruling Liberal MPs joined Labor members to approve the $1.3 billion project by 25 votes to nine. A tougher test is expected in the upper house next month. More is coming.
Chief Public Prosecutor, Michelle Rowlandannounced $37 million in federal funding over the next five years to improve the system of work and care checks with children in early childhood after the recent child care scandals. More details are on the way.
