Debate is set to begin on an order to green light a contentious stadium attached to Tasmania’s AFL dream.

Construction of the a roofed stadium at Macquarie Point in Hobart is a condition of the Tasmania Devils entering the AFL and AFLW in 2028.

But the proposal has split the Tasmanian community, and drawn political battlelines amid rising budget debt and criticism the $1.13 billion venue is not the right priority.

It is required to pass both houses of parliament, with debate on an order for approval to begin in the lower house on Thursday.

It has the numbers to pass the lower house, despite crossbench opposition, because of support from Tasmania’s governing minority Liberals and Labor opposition.

It faces a far trickier path in the upper house in December. A handful of undecided independent MPs will decide whether it gets the tick.

Premier Jeremy Rockliff, who signed the licence contract with the AFL, said the stadium would be huge for Tasmania and MPs should be responsible with their vote.

“By all means scrutinise, but make sure that we do not lose this opportunity. This is an opportunity we cannot afford to lose,” he told parliament on Wednesday.

The state’s planning commission recently recommended the project be cancelled because costs outweighed its benefits and it was not the right fit for the waterfront heritage area.

The Rockliff government has championed the stadium as an economic driver and believes some of its social benefits can’t be quantified.

The AFL has maintained a “no stadium, no team” mantra and has said the deal can’t be negotiated.

On Tuesday, upper house independents Dean Harriss and Bec Thomas, whose votes appear crucial in determining whether the stadium passes.

Despite the political turmoil, the Devils have pushed on with building a club and have started training for entry in the second-tier VFL in 2026.

The state government faces financial penalties if the stadium is not ready by the club’s second season in 2029.

Anti-stadium and pro-stadium rallies have been planned in the weeks before the upper house vote.

-AAP