When the announcement was made on 21 December 2023 that Rosny's Parklands will home the AFL High Performance Centre, for many, it was the first time they heard about the development. 
The community rallied quickly due to the inappropriate location and the lack of consultation for such a significant project. The community passed 6 motions at a public meeting and some councillors have since attempted to propose more appropriate sites such as Blundstone Arena (likely to be vacant soon). However, 7 councillors continue to hold the majority vote and are not swayed by community concerns. Follow the timeline of how we got here.

The 15 May Public Meeting attracted over 400 people with an overwhelming majority against the use of Rosny's Parks. Residents passed six motions, including one for council to rescind its in principle support to build a High Performance Centre (HPC) in Clarence's central parks. Council noted all motions at their next meeting but did not alter course.
The only course of action now open to the community is to press for an elector poll. An elector poll allows all residents of Clarence to have a say in whether they agree with using its parklands to home an elite training and administration centre and two ovals or whether they say no, these parklands should remain public land. 

Correct! Andrew Hawkey, Electoral Commissioner:
"I am satisfied an elector who does not wish for the HPC to be built on either site can simply respond “No” to both questions."

A HPC is a training and administration facility for the Tasmanian AFL/AFLW teams. It will house up to 150 staff members and the team players.
A HPC will include: • a building area of approximately 9000m2 , including football and administrative staff office facilities • a full size MCG dimension oval • a secondary oval, of lesser size • an indoor training area • medical facilities • car parking for 150 spaces
Community access to the main facility, if similar to the mainland, is likely to be very limited. 

There are 3 options because the hilly park will be difficult to build in. It will require a large cut and fill with retaining walls and embankments to achieve two level fields. It is not yet known how it can fit in such a difficult site. On 14 June 2024 Grant O'Brien, Tasmanian AFL Team Chair said: "The Club's preferred location is the one where the entire Training and Administration Facility would be housed on the site of the former Rosny Golf Club." He noted that it was still not understood what the risks and challenges were, and investigations continued. "It's also important to note that the Kingborough Twin Ovals option remains under consideration whilst we are completing our investigative work."

There are three options that are being considered - see Maps for more information.
1. Entirely within the Rosny Parklands (using 2/3 of the Parkland)
2. Across both Rosny Parklands and Charles Hand Park, with the primary site located in Rosny Parklands (using most of Charles Hand and 1/3 of Rosny Parklands).
3. Across both Rosny Parklands and Charles Hand Park, with the primary site located in Charles Hand Park (using all of Charles Hand with the likelihood of having to relocate the skatepark).

The HPC would cause major excavation on a large part of the park - much larger than the footprint of the facilities, parking lots and ovals. It will include barrier walls above and below, and fences all around.

Putting the facilities near the middle of a park is like putting a full-sized boxing ring in your lounge room and telling you that you still have the rest of your lounge room to use. The issue is whether the lounge is still usable.

Each Sunday at 2pm, friends of Save Rosny's Parks meet at the carpark outside Rosny Barn to have a walk and talk through the Park. It's a beautiful space so come and join in. 

Councillors have suggested using Rosny Parkland (a former golf course) for a HPC will be a continuation of the “sporting” use of the land. But what type of golf course was it? A public parkland golf course. They’re called parkland courses because they look and feel like you are playing golf in a park. And as a public golf course, one of the few in Hobart, it was open to everyone. By contrast, an AFL HPC won't look or feel like parkland, and won’t be open to everyone.

Council state Rosny’s parks were the only land which met the AFL’s criteria. This is not correct. Other sites matched the criteria. However, of some five options considered, only Rosny, is owned and managed by council and could be offered to the AFL.
Rosny in fact fails on two criteria: 12 - Potential to grow and 13 – Ability to locate all facilities at one site. The AFL and State Growth also advised council that the parks were seen as "sites with a high degree of suitability". 
Suggestions to council were disregarded, such as this submission for an AFL Football Village

In the 15 May 2024 Public Meeting, council agreed that the consultation was rushed because of time constraints put in place by the AFL and the Department of State Growth, and could have done better.

Retirement villages near services are much needed in an aging population, and the facility left a significant portion of Rosny Parkland available for public use. By contrast, the AFL HPC is a commercial elite sporting facility that will take the best of the remaining parkland for the benefit of a few.

The council feasibility report shared in the council meeting 9 October 2023 agenda:

"Elite sports use is a significant departure from what has been previously shared and developed with the community."

"Such a project would struggle to achieve Outcome 2: A resilient and sustainable City Heart where we value and connect with our natural environment."

"Prior to the High Performance Centre being a consideration, Rosny Parklands was recognised in the draft City Heart Plan as a unique opportunity to retain a substantial green public open space within the heart of a growing city while activating the area to ensure greater levels of community use, enjoyment, and benefit.
The community has consistently told us that retaining and enhancing the green spaces in the City Heart for everyone to enjoy, for the long term, is a high priority."
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Over 200 mature trees are at risk of being removed in this wildlife corridor! They are home to birds and native animals and include many Blue Gums, whose flowers are essential food for the endangered Swift Parrot.

The fact is that most opponents of the proposal didn't know each other before the HPC announcement was made. The group is growing rapidly as residents become aware of what is about to be lost.” This is a group of like-minded community members united on one front: to save Rosny's parks.

State Growth, acting on behalf of the AFL and the Tasmanian AFL Club, advised in August 2023 "Rosny Parklands was considered a potential site with a high degree of suitability due to its size and location." Other sites within Clarence had been considered but not favoured. Council, ran a brief community consultation and then offered Rosny Parklands or a combination of Rosny Parklands with Charles Hand Park to secure the HPC for Clarence. 

Council representatives were unable to confirm at the 15 May public meeting whether the Skatepark in Charles Hand Park will be safe from demolition. Concept maps previously shared by council, showed 3 design options being considered. The design with the main administration and training centre sited in Charles Hand Park, no longer showed the skatepark.

Whilst the AFL are calling for the HPC to be on the Rosny Parkland side, council has already discovered that there are significant challenges in using the hilly parklands. Investigations completed in May and June, however reports have not been made publicly available.

Some councillors have said Rosny Parklands was selected for the HPC due to its alleged lack of use. However, recent activities and planned events tell a different story. In May and June alone, Rosny Parklands held five events - cross country, cyclocross, and athletics with hundreds attending each. On a daily basis, runners and walkers enjoy the Parklands

The community has already co-designed this space to create a green city heart, living cultural landscape, safe/walkable space, playful and healthy landscape, and an arts and culture Centre - City Heart Draft Plan. In the meantime, our community clubs and schools can keep using the parks for cross country athletics, orienteering, cycling, skateboarding, dog exercise, college outdoor activities and public recreation.

No. The outcome of this elector poll is not binding on council. However, councillors are representatives of the community. If a significant number of the community have concerns with where the High Performance is proposed to be built, we would hope that, if not council, the AFL reconsiders taking the community's public green spaces away from them. 

On 14 June 2024 Grant O'Brien, Tasmanian AFL Team Chairman indicated that if the Rosny site proves too difficult, "the Kingborough Twin Ovals option remains under consideration". 
Please read the AFL High Performance Centre Site Selection Criteria Comparison to understand why the Twin Ovals site, an actual sporting precinct, is the sensible choice when it comes to cost, ability to meet timeframe, ability to expand, level of support, rezoning requirements, moving of existing services and easements, tree removal and other environment impacts, impact on existing community plans. 

There are no detailed plans to show how two football ovals, a 9000sqm administration building, car parking for 150 vehicles and an indoor training facility will physically and visually impact on the area.

There are no costings. It is estimated to cost $70 million to build — $60m from the state government and $10m from the AFL. It is not clear how much additional is needed for the earthworks, the road adjustments, and the cut and fill on this hilly land. It is likely to cost Tasmanian taxpayers millions of dollars just to flatten the land and remove the park’s trees.