Tasmania's treasurer is frustrated the federal government hasn't provided clarity on whether a contentious waterfront stadium project will be exempt from GST calculations.
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Securing funding for the 23,000-seat roofed stadium at Hobart's Macquarie Point was a condition of the AFL granting Tasmania a licence for a team in May.
The state government is contributing $375 million towards the stadium, slated to cost $715 million.
The federal government has pledged $240 million towards the work which includes broader urban development at Macquarie Point.
Tasmanian Treasurer Michael Ferguson has previously requested the federal funds be exempt from the state's GST calculation.
"We should have it already by now and we haven't," he told a parliamentary committee examining stadium planning on Friday.
"It's a frustrating scenario that the Australian government has taken a very long time to get around to saying yes."
Mr Ferguson conceded a possible exemption wouldn't be in place for several years, when the federal funding starts to flow.
However, he said there was nothing preventing the federal government from giving a guarantee beforehand.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in October said the Commonwealth was awaiting advice from Treasury.
"I'm not quite sure why it's such an issue, compared with every single infrastructure project that receives funding (and) is subject to the GST unless Treasury decide otherwise," he told ABC radio.
In 2017, $730 million of federal funding for the Mersey Community Hospital in Tasmania's northwest was exempt from GST calculations.
The stadium project has attracted some community and political opposition, with arguments the money could be better spent on essential services.
The state Liberal government was plunged into minority in May when two MPs quit the party over concerns about the stadium and AFL deals.
The stadium will be assessed by the state's planning commission and must be voted through both houses of parliament to be given the green light.
The AFL has said 2028 is a likely start date for a Tasmanian side.
The federal government has been contacted for comment.
Australian Associated Press
