Media Release: Is TMAG Paying the Price for the Stadium? 25 Sept 2026 

Reports that Mac Point stadium costs have blown out by more than a quarter of a billion dollars raise the question: where’s the money coming from?

That leads to the genuine question of whether TMAG has become a victim of government cuts to help pay for the Mac Point stadium.

Government’s cuts hollowing out Tasmania’s institutions that protect the state’s cultural and natural heritage are clearly becoming part of a desperate scrabble to fill up the piggy bank as the stadium costs soar.

Evidence of the government’s intention for swinging cuts to the budget for Tasmania’s cultural and scientific heritage become more evident day by day.

It’s time for the government to explain itself.

The sacking of the Premier's STEM Researcher of the Year 2025, Dr Gintaras Kantvilas, from the Tasmanian Herbarium is clearly only the tip of the iceberg of sackings to come.

Dr Kantvillas is world-renowned and is – literally – irreplaceable for the depth of his knowledge.

It’s clear the government is desperate to fulfill its fantasy of a footy stadium at the cost of Tasmania’s scientific and cultural community.