Tasmania’s parliament gave the green light to a $1.13 billion AFL stadium at Macquarie Point late Thursday. The 23,000-seat stadium with a roof will allow the Tasmanian Devils to enter the AFL and AFLW leagues by 2028. The vote in the upper house was 9-5 after two days of debate. Four independents, three Liberals, and two Labor MPs supported the project. Key independent MPs, including Bec Thomas and Dean Harriss, agreed after negotiations. Thomas said, "I am genuinely sorry to those who desperately did not want me to support this," but hoped people would understand her decision. The government capped its spending at $875 million with the AFL adding $15 million and the federal government pitching in $240 million. Premier Jeremy Rockliff called the stadium a "once-in-a-generation project" to boost the economy. Critics worry about the state's rising debt and the project’s cost-benefit balance. Greens MP Cassy O’Connor said, "Australia’s smallest and poorest state had been shafted by the AFL." Despite protests, including one by senator Jacqui Lambie, a large pro-stadium rally saw 15,000 supporters. The stadium’s cost rose from $715 million to $1.13 billion, but Rockliff said design changes could keep it within budget. Further state funds need parliamentary approval. Anti-stadium group Our Place - Hobart threatens more protests, but legal challenges seem unlikely.