Proposed Hobart stadium couldn't host Test, ODI cricket

A proposed roofed stadium in Hobart that is seemingly the final sticking point in Tasmania's push for an AFL team wouldn't be able to host Test and one-day international cricket.

A state parliamentary inquiry is examining the planning underpinning the contentious $715 million project.

The AFL says the stadium, which is contingent on the federal government chipping in $240 million, is a prerequisite for Tasmania being granted the league's 19th licence.

According to state government plans, there will be a fixed roof, part solid and part transparent, over the entire stadium.

Cricket Tasmania chief executive officer Dominic Baker said Test cricket and one-day international cricket was not allowed to be played under a fixed roof.

"The current (International Cricket Council) conditions are that you can't play Test cricket under a fixed roof. That's the current conditions, it's pretty clearly outlined," he told the inquiry on Friday.

The state government's strategic business case for the stadium includes international cricket among the events that could be hosted at the ground.

Mr Baker also told the inquiry it was not feasible to increase the capacity of Hobart's Blundstone Arena because it would impinge on nearby houses.

Blundstone Arena is the primary venue in Tasmania for Sheffield Shield, Big Bash League and top-level women's cricket fixtures.

Mr Baker said a new, larger stadium would increase the likelihood of Tasmania hosting more international cricket.

The state Liberal government has pledged $375 million towards the Macquarie Point stadium, while the federal Labor government is assessing whether to contribute ahead of its May budget.

The state Labor opposition is against the plan, while a group of Tasmanian federal MPs, including Liberal members, have also voiced opposition.

RSL Tasmania went public earlier this month in opposition to the location, saying it will significantly impact a nearby cenotaph.

Chief executive officer John Hardy said information about the height and size of the stadium had been quite limited.

He said the RSL found out about the proposed stadium location when it hit the news.

"When our forefathers built (the cenotaph) there ... it wasn't just thrown there, it was carefully selected," Mr Hardy told the inquiry.

"We're going to build this new shiny stadium next to it, is that what we want? It will dominate the surroundings and it will dominate the cenotaph."

Economic analyst Graeme Wells said a September 2022 PricewaterhouseCoopers report into a Hobart stadium, before the Macquarie Point location was finalised, was deficient.

He noted the report included assumptions the stadium would attract rugby league.

"That's a rather odd list of annual events," he said.