Protecting Tasmania's orchestra

Federation Concert Hall is not just a live music venue, it’s an international digital recording facility.

We’re Australia’s most broadcast, streamed and recorded orchestra, reaching millions of people each year – in Tasmania and across the globe.

The planned stadium on Hobart’s waterfront is 170m from the TSO’s highly sensitive recording, livestream and broadcast facilities including Federation Concert Hall.

The Macquarie Point stadium would have a direct impact on the TSO’s operations and revenue, both during the stadium’s construction and operation.

The TSO is a strong supporter of the Tasmania Devils and we understand our AFL club’s need for fit-for-purpose facilities. We know how much we rely on our own high-performance centre.

We’re Tasmania’s number one cultural export through our livestreams, broadcasts, video on demand and studio album recordings. This role relies upon the highly sensitive acoustics of our concert and recording spaces.

Mitigation measures

The TSO has engaged acoustic, legal and financial consultants to assess and quantify the potential impact of the stadium build and operation on the orchestra and to identify mitigations.

A range of engineering, legislative and management controls are outlined in the TSO’s latest submission the Tasmanian Planning Commission, which can be found here.

Measures include additional soundproofing of the TSO’s facilities; legislative protections relating to stadium construction noise and vibration; and financial compensation for disruptions to TSO recordings and concerts.

Adopted together, these controls will help to protect Tasmania’s concert hall, recording facilities and operations.

Read TSO's Submission

The Macquarie Point Multipurpose Stadium Project of State Significance Draft Integrated Assessment Report (draft IAR) notes that the operation of the stadium may affect the Federation Concert Hall and operation of the TSO’s varied activities.

It also notes that construction noise is ‘likely to be incompatible with the activities occurring at the Federation Concert Hall’. It further states that noise mitigation approaches outlined by the stadium proponent ‘may not be sufficient to mitigate the effect construction stage noise has on the current operation at the Concert Hall’.

You can read the full Draft IAR here.

Close up map of the proposed stadium location and impacts on TSO.

Close up of the adapted Precinct Plan mockup to represent the 170m distance from the stadium wall to TSO and Federation Concert Hall.

Map of the proposed Macquarie Point stadium precinct and how it impacts TSO.

Adapted Mac Point Precinct Plan mockup to represent the close proximity of the proposed stadium location to cultural landmarks.

Have your say on the proposed stadium.

The Macquarie Point Multipurpose Stadium Project of State Significance Draft Integrated Assessment Report (draft IAR) is open for public comment until 8 May 2025.

You can read the full Draft IAR here.

In the draft Impact Assessment report, the Panel finds the operation of the stadium may affect the Federation Concert Hall and operation of the TSO’s varied activities. It also finds that construction noise is ‘likely to be incompatible with the activities occurring at the Federation Concert Hall’. It further notes that noise mitigation approaches outlined by the stadium proponent ‘may not be sufficient to mitigate the effect construction stage noise has on the current operation at the Concert Hall’.

Our sincere hope is that the Panel’s final report includes a strong recommendation that: the TSO, its concert hall, recording studio and cultural export hub activities, are protected during and after the construction of a stadium.

Everyone can make a representation to the Commission until midnight on 8 May 2025 via the online representation form on the Commission website.

Representations may also be submitted by post to Tasmanian Planning Commission, GPO Box 1691, HOBART TAS 7001.

How can you get involved?

1 – Learn more

Come behind the scenes at the TSO.

Our Federation Concert Hall is not just a live music venue, it’s an international digital recording facility.

We’re Australia’s most broadcast, streamed and recorded orchestra, reaching millions of people each year, both here and internationally. Discover how it all works, right here in Hobart.

Watch Video

2 – Get in touch

Send us a short email of support to community@tso.com.au so we can show our elected members that the community’s behind us as we call for protection of the TSO as Tasmania’s most important cultural export hub, a role that relies upon the highly sensitive acoustics of our concert and recording spaces.

Email us

3 – Support your orchestra

The best way to show your support is to come along to a TSO concert, to experience one of the world’s best orchestras for yourself!

See upcoming events

Is the TSO against an AFL stadium in Hobart?

Not at all.
TSO musicians, staff, and board are united in our support of a high-performance stadium in Hobart.
While we strongly support Tasmania’s AFL and AFLW teams and want the Devils to have a fit-for-purpose stadium, we are committed to safeguarding our own high-performance arena.

Does the TSO support a local AFL and AFLW team?

Absolutely!
The TSO is highly supportive of the Tasmania Devils AFL and AFLW teams. The Devils, like the TSO, will be a source of immense pride for Tasmanians.

How will the planned stadium on Hobart’s waterfront impact on the TSO?

- The TSO’s home at Federation Concert Hall in Hobart is much more than just a live-performance venue. It is also one of Australia’s most important cultural exports.
- This role relies upon the international standard acoustics of our concert and recording spaces, which are highly sensitive to noise and vibration.
- As outlined in the Macquarie Point Multipurpose Stadium Project of State Significance Draft Integrated Assessment Report (draft IAR), the noise during construction of the stadium is ‘likely to be incompatible with the activities occurring at the Federation Concert Hall’. It further notes that noise mitigation approaches outlined by the stadium proponent ‘may not be sufficient to mitigate the effect construction stage noise has on the current operation at the Concert Hall’.
- The draft IAR also finds the operation of the stadium may affect the Federation Concert Hall and operation of the TSO’s varied activities. Modelling by our acoustic consultants shows that rock concerts, AFL sirens and mid-match entertainment will be heard within our concert hall.

What is the Federation Concert Hall’s role as an international standard digital recording facility?

- - Every TSO concert in the hall reaches an audience far greater than those who attend in person. Our live stream capability allow us to reach: audiences around Tasmania in residential care, community members joining us via live screenings at the UTAS campus in Burnie, screenings in community halls around Tasmania, from Bruny Island to Flinders Island, and viewers around Australia and overseas who tune in from home.
  - Our Federation Concert Hall performances are available to watch on demand via our own streaming platform, TSO On Demand, and ABC iView.
  - The concerts are broadcast nationally via ABC Classic and globally via Symphony.live, where the TSO is the only orchestra representing Australia on this eminent streaming platform.
  - In the week before each concert, the ABC’s sound team spends hours configuring the 32 microphones positioned around the orchestra and adjust the absorbative acoustic material in the walls of the concert hall. This is honed during rehearsal to create the perfect soundscape for broadcast and streaming via ABC Classic.
  - For our audiovisual streaming, we have eight cameras positioned for each concert, giving our online viewers more than 300 viewpoints of the orchestra, conductor and soloists. Each shot is expertly choreographed by our specialist Stream Team, which consists of a musician, a producer, a vision switcher and subtitler

From our home on Hobart’s waterfront in Federation Concert Hall, the TSO performs hundreds of concerts and events across Tasmania and reaches millions of listeners annually via radio, recordings and streaming.