Watpac Construction has been selected as preferred tenderer for Hobart’s Macquarie Point stadium, taking the proposed A$1.13 billion waterfront project into final delivery and price negotiations ahead of a targeted contract award by the end of 2026.
The Tasmanian Government said the appointment followed a two-stage procurement process that initially shortlisted BESIX Watpac and the Constructure joint venture led by Webuild, with China Construction Oceania and McConnell Dowell.
Watpac will now work with the Macquarie Point Development Corporation to refine project delivery, commercial terms and engagement with local industry. The government stressed that the preferred-tenderer decision is not the final construction award.
Final price remains under negotiation
The stadium’s current public cost estimate is A$1.13 billion, but the government did not release a revised price with the preferred-tenderer announcement. The next stage is intended to refine the target construction price into a contract position, with a final award targeted for the end of the year.
That distinction matters for contractors, taxpayers and the state’s infrastructure pipeline. The selection gives Watpac preferred access to the final negotiation phase, but scope, price and risk allocation remain live until the parties execute a construction agreement.
Preparatory work is already under way at Macquarie Point. Earlier contracts covered dismantling and storage of the Goods Shed and bulk earthworks, while the broader precinct program includes civil, utility and public-realm packages.
Local supply-chain opportunities move closer
The government has previously briefed Tasmanian businesses across construction, engineering, architecture, plumbing, electrical services and related trades on the work packages expected to flow from the project.
For local subcontractors, the preferred-tenderer stage gives the supply chain a clearer principal-contractor channel through which packaging, procurement and workforce plans can be developed. Early engagement will be important because the scale of the project will compete for labour, materials and specialist capacity with other major developments around Australia.
BESIX Watpac brings stadium experience that includes Queensland Country Bank Stadium in Townsville and Christchurch’s roofed One New Zealand Stadium. The group is also part of the preferred consortium for Brisbane’s Victoria Park Olympic stadium, putting delivery capacity and resourcing across concurrent projects under close scrutiny.
Year-end award is the next test
The commercial focus now shifts to whether the parties can agree a fixed scope, construction price and timetable within the current program. The Macquarie Point Development Corporation will also continue engagement with local industry before any final award.
Until that contract is signed, the development remains at preferred-tenderer stage. The year-end decision will determine the main construction pathway and provide the first firmer view of how the headline budget translates into an executable build.
Source notes: Tasmanian Government, 15 October 2026; Tasmanian Government tender shortlist, 19 April 2026; Tasmanian Government local-industry briefing, 25 February 2026.
Featured image: illustrative stadium architecture; photo by Harrison Reilly via Unsplash. It does not depict the proposed Macquarie Point stadium.
