A State of Origin crowd at ANZ Stadium / Picture: Adam Taylor
SYDNEY’S Olympic arena ANZ Stadium will lose out under a confidential plan to spend up to $1.3 billion building new state-of-the-art sports stadiums at Moore Park and Parramatta.
With Sydney’s biggest stadium set to miss new funding, high-level negotiations are being finalised for ANZ’s operators to be paid $135 million over the next 15 years to hand over control to a new government-appointed super stadium trust.
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Sport Minister Stuart Ayres is expected to receive a report this month recommending a new 65,000-seat venue be built near Moore Park’s outdated Allianz Stadium on land presently controlled by the Centennial Park and Moore Park Trust. It will also recommend the construction of a new 35,000- seat Parramatta Stadium, home to rugby league’s Parramatta Eels and soccer’s Western Sydney Wanderers.
The controversial plan will require Premier Mike Baird’s support to double the $600 million stadium fund he promoted at the March election.
Highly placed sources told The Daily Telegraph Mr Ayres believes the government will need to allocate about $800 million to build the new Moore Park stadium and $400 million for Parramatta Stadium.
Former Liberal leader John Brogden, who is writing the report for Mr Ayres, has also revealed to the Centennial Park and Moore Park Trust that a smaller multi-sports venue — believed to be worth about $100 million — would be built when Allianz is demolished in about five years.
Mr Ayres has told sports bosses, including NRL chief Dave Smith, he is determined to win the Premier’s backing to “future-proof” Sydney’s stadiums rather than adopt a smaller, piecemeal approach.
“It’s a once in a 50-year chance to get it right,’’ he has said. But the plan will create doubt about the long-term future of ANZ, with its bid for $350 million to move seats closer to the sports action being rejected.
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ANZ Stadium has played host to many classic sports encounters / Picture: Brett Costello
Sources close to Mr Baird say the Premier will consider whatever plan is presented but they stress that “$600 million is what’s been allocated”.
The centrepiece of the plan is a hi-tech, 65,000-seat stadium to be built on the upper and lower Kippax playing fields at Moore Park East between Anzac Parade and Driver Avenue. Construction could begin in 2017 with the new venue expected to be hosting matches by 2020.
Mr Brogden has said in private meetings the development would include an underground carpark and training facilities. It would be serviced by the new light-rail service running from the CBD to Randwick.
But Centennial Park Trust chairman Tony Ryan has told Mr Brogden the trust has “significant concerns” over traffic management and land under its control being used for the stadium.
ANZ’s private-sector operator, Stadium Australia Group, is said to be in favour of a “management partnership” under which a new “super trust”, involving the Sydney Cricket and Sports Ground Trust, would take over the running of Allianz, the SCG, Parramatta Stadium and ANZ.
Stadium Australia Group would be paid annual annuities worth $135 million — a figure based on its projected earnings over the rest of its lease, due to expire in 2031.
It would also agree to waive its contractual rights which would limit the new Moore Park venue to 48,000 seats and Parramatta Stadium to 35,000 and prevent them from having roofs.
Replies
good stuff if it happens! no-way this would of occured without WSW.
It is great news. Don't underestimate the contribution of lobbying from the Steve Sharp board to achieve this. From what I heard they were going in hard.
And here's a pic of what Pirtek Stadium's new configuration would most likely look like.
Hopefully all our "home games" will then be at Parra and they'll stop having us play at the soulless ANZ stadium where you may as well stay at home to watch the game - at least you can see the action from your couch.
Am making a rare trip home to Sydney in July, and was so keen to see Parra vs Tigers at Parra. Then they changed the venue to ANZ and I'm having second thoughts about even bothering to drag the family along and go and try and enjoy the game there.
Agree Scuba, I don't go to ANZ. I wish for all games to be at home. Indeed I have been calling for a Pirtek Stadium only membership.
So the new Moore Park stadium would then make it near impossible to park for any events there and unless they are moving the train line then it's has always been a hassle to get from Central to SCG/SFS. They need a direct link, maybe light rail?
It would be serviced by the new light-rail service running from the CBD to Randwick.
Thanks miatch, see it now, was just remembering back in the 90's going to finals games or ODI's at Moore Park and the dramas it was ethier parking or getting to and from the station.
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