RedKat
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Had a link now lost it. The astronomically ridiculous waste of money to be confirmed tomorrow. Allianz to be knocked down and rebuilt at 45k (the same capacity) and ANZ to be rebuilt as a 75k stadium. $2 billion cost. Ridiculous stuff.
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Gruen
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What????? Why?
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RBBAnonymous
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Political suicide The previous Baird government had a sound plan. It appears as if the NSW state government is run by the SCG Trust board.
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asanchez
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aussie scott21
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related article/ Nigel Gladstone, Inner West Courier Inner City A coalition of state MPs, and the Sydney Lord Mayor have called for an urgent meeting with the premier to discuss growing community alarm about plans for Moore Park. Today’s bulletin, shared with the Inner West Courier, follows an open letter sent yesterday by Saving Moore Park Inc president Michael Waterhouse on behalf of the group who represent about 3000 people. Mr Waterhouse’s letter raised several concerns about plans for Moore Park and asked why the NSW government is reported to be rebuilding Allianz Stadium at a cost of about $700 million. Today’s missive expressed “growing community alarm about the lack of public information and consultation for proposals regarding Allianz Stadium, Alexandria to Moore Park road widening, the former Showground Entertainment Quarter, Hordern Pavilion and Royal Hall of Industries, Driver Avenue and traffic and car parking”. The letter was signed by mayor Clover Moore, Sydney state MP Alex Greenwich, Heffron state MP Ron Hoenig and Newtown state MP Jenny Leong. “We are concerned that the NSW Government is holding private discussions with vested interests on a series of proposals that would further reduce and commercialise this precious public land, without consulting local communities,” the memo read. Newtown state Greens MP Jenny Leong joined three other state MPs who represent electorates that surround Moore Park to call for an urgent meeting about plans for the precinct.“In the 200 years since Governor Lachlan Macquarie dedicated it as open space, Centennial Park and Moore Park have been reduced to a third of the original 450 hectares.” NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said there are no plans to take any additional land away from Moore Park. “When considering our policy on stadiums we will ensure that there is no encroachment on Centennial Park and Moore Park Trust land,” Ms Berejiklian said. Clover Moore and Sydney state independent MP Alex Greenwich. Heffron State Labor MP Ron Hoenig is concerned about plans for Moore Park.Areas of concern raised in the letter include: Allianz Stadium Reports that cabinet will consider a proposal to demolish and rebuild Allianz Stadium at a cost of about $700 million. “No business case exists to demolish and rebuild Allianz Stadium,” the letter said. “The stadium is rarely full and only averages 40 per cent capacity across the NRL, Super Rugby and A-league. “Sydney Swans oppose rebuilding it and refurbishment to improve safety would be more responsible. Alexandria to Moore Park Road Widening Anzac Pde, Alison Rd and Dacey Ave intersection upgrade plansRoads and Maritime Services’ (RMS) ‘preliminary concept design’ for the Alexandria to Moore Park Connectivity Upgrade is likely to include compulsory property acquisitions and the loss of more than 100 trees, the letter said. “At the eastern end, on the corner of Anzac Pde and Dacey Ave, RMS plans the largest non-motorway intersection in NSW, estimated to cost $500 million,” the letter said. Former Showground Entertainment Quarter On the former Showground site next to the stadiums, a 30-year lease on the Entertainment Quarter has been bought for $80 million by Carsingha Investments. The Moore Park master plan proposes commercial elite sporting facilities, a night-time precinct, new access to the stadiums, short-term accommodation and expanded car parking. Carsingha Investments is planning redevelopment, without any public consultation or disclosure. Instead, revitalisation should focus on accessible community sport and recreation, with possible secondary cultural and creative uses. Hordern Pavilion and Royal Hall of Industries The Big Air Wave dog jumping competition at the Sydney Dog Lovers Show at the Royal Hall of Industries and the Hordern Pavilion, Sydney. Picture: Craig Wilson.The Government is seeking tenders for the new lease of the Hordern Pavilion and Royal Hall of Industries. There is concern the tender could be awarded to an elite sporting code as a ‘centre of excellence’, primarily offices. This is not the best use of a large hall on public land. It also continues the sporting stadia’s infiltration into Moore Park, at the expense of community uses. More appropriate uses include existing live performance uses and community indoor recreation. Driver Avenue The Sydney Cricket & Sports Ground Trust have commissioned a report about safety and security risks at their venues and are lobbying the Government to close Driver Ave. The closure may have significant and ongoing impacts. Given the lack of public information, there is also concern the security proposal is not the right solution and is an attempt to implement by stealth the privatisation of Driver Ave for a commercial ‘fan zone’ and expansion of the Brewongle Stand into parkland. Traffic and Car Parking Essential traffic, transport and car parking modelling has not been undertaken and no information has been provided on how cars can be accommodated without impacts on the parkland, or how to avoid newly expanded car parks becoming commuter car parks, thereby increasing congestion.
Plans for Moore Park, Allianz stadium, Entertainment Quarter, Driver Ave | News Local
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Burztur
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As suggested in the article, if they were to do anything to Moore Park now it would be to improve transport links and the surrounding area. Such a waste of money to upgrade a relatively decent stadium.
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sydneyfc1987
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+xAs suggested in the article, if they were to do anything to Moore Park now it would be to improve transport links and the surrounding area. Such a waste of money to upgrade a relatively decent stadium. Well they are doing that with the SE Light Rail. But, demolishing the stadium is an awful waste of money when there are so many many pressing needs for infrastructure spending throughout Sydney. When you step back from looking at it from a football perspective its actually pretty disgusting.
(VAR) IS NAVY BLUE
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bohemia
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+x+xAs suggested in the article, if they were to do anything to Moore Park now it would be to improve transport links and the surrounding area. Such a waste of money to upgrade a relatively decent stadium. Well they are doing that with the SE Light Rail. But, demolishing the stadium is an awful waste of money when there are so many many pressing needs for infrastructure spending throughout Sydney. When you step back from looking at it from a football perspective its actually pretty disgusting. Sydney has appalling transport infrastructure which is the result of decades of kicking the can down the road. It really hits home not only when you go to Sydney and get stuck somewhere/everywhere, but also when you live in Europe where a subway/metro is like a basic human right. People are amazed when I show them how big Australian cities are. Then they are shocked when I tell them Sydney with 5 million people doesn't have a subway. Prague with the same population as Adelaide has one and is currently looking to expand it. And the city of Brno with 400,000 people is investigating building one as well. Kiev has a 3 line metro with half 2/3 the population of Sydney and Melbourne despite being flat broke and a war zone. And smug aussies call these former communist countries "second" world! I'll take 5 minute commutes in the second world over hours in cars in the first world any day.
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bluebird
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+x
Allianz Stadium Reports that cabinet will consider a proposal to demolish and rebuild Allianz Stadium at a cost of about $700 million. “No business case exists to demolish and rebuild Allianz Stadium,” the letter said. “The stadium is rarely full and only averages 40 per cent capacity across the NRL, Super Rugby and A-league. “Sydney Swans oppose rebuilding it and refurbishment to improve safety would be more responsible. Am I missing something here or does Allianz Stadium have fuck all to do with the Sydney Swans Good to see the AFL having an opinion on what can and cant be built for other sports, considering the upgrade of the GWS stadium which needs free tickets to reach 40% capacity
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aussie scott21
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+xHad a link now lost it. The astronomically ridiculous waste of money to be confirmed tomorrow. Allianz to be knocked down and rebuilt at 45k (the same capacity) and ANZ to be rebuilt as a 75k stadium. $2 billion cost. Ridiculous stuff. If this happens Melbourne needs to step up. I can see AFL "selling out" / filling Etihad for AFLX as part of a diabolical scheme to be able to say to the Vic gov "we need money, we want to sell Etihad and build Eddie's Victoria Stadium but you have to pay for most of it. because we need a world class rectangle field for AFLX." It forces MV to Aami park, AFLX can go head to head with them on the same day next door (& MC) and they can charge the FFA to use the stadium.
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Carlito
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+x+xHad a link now lost it. The astronomically ridiculous waste of money to be confirmed tomorrow. Allianz to be knocked down and rebuilt at 45k (the same capacity) and ANZ to be rebuilt as a 75k stadium. $2 billion cost. Ridiculous stuff. If this happens Melbourne needs to step up. I can see AFL "selling out" / filling Etihad for AFLX as part of a diabolical scheme to be able to say to the Vic gov "we need money, we want to sell Etihad and build Eddie's Victoria Stadium but you have to pay for most of it. because we need a world class rectangle field for AFLX." It forces MV to Aami park, AFLX can go head to head with them on the same day next door (& MC) and they can charge the FFA to use the stadium. Won't happen. Itll be political suicide on dan Andrews part and most people in melbourne including the media hate the idea and the afl own etihad stadium so they won't ever think of knocking down a stadium that's only 20 somethinget years old
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aussie scott21
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+x+x+xHad a link now lost it. The astronomically ridiculous waste of money to be confirmed tomorrow. Allianz to be knocked down and rebuilt at 45k (the same capacity) and ANZ to be rebuilt as a 75k stadium. $2 billion cost. Ridiculous stuff. If this happens Melbourne needs to step up. I can see AFL "selling out" / filling Etihad for AFLX as part of a diabolical scheme to be able to say to the Vic gov "we need money, we want to sell Etihad and build Eddie's Victoria Stadium but you have to pay for most of it. because we need a world class rectangle field for AFLX." It forces MV to Aami park, AFLX can go head to head with them on the same day next door (& MC) and they can charge the FFA to use the stadium. Won't happen. Itll be political suicide on dan Andrews part and most people in melbourne including the media hate the idea and the afl own etihad stadium so they won't ever think of knocking down a stadium that's only 20 somethinget years old I think its more about the value of the land than how old the stadium is. AFL seem to be the masters of getting money. This was from today/- http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-11-22/woohoo-lions-one-step-closer-to-springfield
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RedKat
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Id love to know the logic in rebuilding Allianz at the same capacity. Its get filled maybe once a year when theres a derby. Every other tenant gets nowhere near close. Yet theyve been spinning all this crap about needed world class stadiums etc. If theyre going to knock down and rebuild at least make a 30k stadium that caters to the demands of the tenants far more. That would be too logical and not cater to the nonsensical dogma
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aussie scott21
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+xId love to know the logic in rebuilding Allianz at the same capacity. Its get filled maybe once a year when theres a derby. Every other tenant gets nowhere near close. Yet theyve been spinning all this crap about needed world class stadiums etc. If theyre going to knock down and rebuild at least make a 30k stadium that caters to the demands of the tenants far more. That would be too logical and not cater to the nonsensical dogma theyre saying its a deathtrap. The capcity isnt the issue. You may die if you go to a match there.
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melbourne_terrace
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+xId love to know the logic in rebuilding Allianz at the same capacity. Its get filled maybe once a year when theres a derby. Every other tenant gets nowhere near close. Yet theyve been spinning all this crap about needed world class stadiums etc. If theyre going to knock down and rebuild at least make a 30k stadium that caters to the demands of the tenants far more. That would be too logical and not cater to the nonsensical dogma It's so the ARU can keep their major events east, away from the unwashed working class that they hate and the SCG Trust benefit from being able to still host these events without losing any of their pricey stadium membership seats.
Viennese Vuck
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Timmo
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+xId love to know the logic in rebuilding Allianz at the same capacity. Its get filled maybe once a year when theres a derby. Every other tenant gets nowhere near close. Yet theyve been spinning all this crap about needed world class stadiums etc. If theyre going to knock down and rebuild at least make a 30k stadium that caters to the demands of the tenants far more. That would be too logical and not cater to the nonsensical dogma Agreed Allianz should downsize to 30k and have ANZ as your showpiece venue for the big blockbuster matches of either both rugby codes and football.
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aussie scott21
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aussie scott21
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45 000 Fiorentinas new one is 40k
  Not sure what you can get in Australia for the money promised. Also need room for the rugby in goal areas.
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Funarch
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While a record number of Australians are homeless and landless. No I cannot support that. Football is great, but the basics for the people in this country come first.
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Muz
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+xWhile a record number of Australians are homeless and landless. No I cannot support that. Football is great, but the basics for the people in this country come first. It's a farce but the NSW government is awash with money at the moment following a massive boom in stamp duty and the sell-off of the poles and wires. And there's an election in the offing. Just this week they splurged $100 million on refunded regos for toll users in Sydney.
Member since 2008.
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Footballer
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+x+xWhile a record number of Australians are homeless and landless. No I cannot support that. Football is great, but the basics for the people in this country come first. It's a farce but the NSW government is awash with money at the moment following a massive boom in stamp duty and the sell-off of the poles and wires. And there's an election in the offing. Just this week they splurged $100 million on refunded regos for toll users in Sydney. its actually unbelievable. i can't remember a bigger waste of money by a government - ever. there should be riots over this.
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mattwinter
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+xWhile a record number of Australians are homeless and landless. No I cannot support that. Football is great, but the basics for the people in this country come first. I mostly agree here, but spending $2 Billion on Stadiums shouldn't just be thought of as money down the drain. The $2 Billion is jobs, both temporary in the construction and ongoing in the operation. Infrastructure is meant to be a long term investment that ends up paying for itself. Probably less so in this case, because they're replacing existing stadiums. People complained in SA about Adelaide Oval and the money spent on it, but a few years later Adelaide Oval has brought so much money into the SA economy that few would argue it wasn't a good investment. I like most of the plan for new Sydney stadiums, but Allianz should be rebuilt at 30k like a few have said. Much more responsible and better for the A-league. Not interested in the complaints of the locals who are worried about the 100 trees or the Sydney Swans who really just want more money going toward AFL.
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bohemia
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It's the Olympic legacy felt by all the hosts of the last generation. Sydney got it worse than most though. Not only did they build things that were only needed for a few weeks of their EUL...... they incurred the additional expense of remodeling them several times to make them useful.... then failed at that.... and now it's the wrecking ball.
Barcelona and Atlanta had a similar glut. Greece just let it all rot. And London practically gave the Olympic Stadium to West Ham with the aid of the tax payer.
These events look great but they don't pay off.
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YoShuuuu
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I wonder what 2 billion will do to housing and homelessness.
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Eldar
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Its a drop in the ocean compared to the cost of company tax cuts and the amounts that rich people and companies avoid in offshore tax havens. The biggest farce is that neither stadium was built to an adequate and lasting standard the first time and it is because in Sydney all that matters is some pre-conceived notion of budget and getting things done right is secondary. It is the same reason the Opera House needs expensive renovations and why we don't have a world class public transport infrastructure.
Beaten by Eldar
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bohemia
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+xIts a drop in the ocean compared to the cost of company tax cuts and the amounts that rich people and companies avoid in offshore tax havens. Or in negative gearing with all those "losses" they are making on property they strangely end up owning
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Muz
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+xIts a drop in the ocean compared to the cost of company tax cuts and the amounts that rich people and companies avoid in offshore tax havens. The biggest farce is that neither stadium was built to an adequate and lasting standard the first time and it is because in Sydney all that matters is some pre-conceived notion of budget and getting things done right is secondary. It is the same reason the Opera House needs expensive renovations and why we don't have a world class public transport infrastructure. Ah...the old 'look over there' defense. Fair enough.
Member since 2008.
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jas88
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Would be better off just building another 30k stadium somewhere... i love the new LA stadium. Looks like a glamour club we need more of those in the a-league.
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Timmo
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+xWould be better off just building another 30k stadium somewhere... i love the new LA stadium. Looks like a glamour club we need more of those in the a-league. Yes and the New stadium is only going to be a capacity of 22k for LAFC (smaller than Galaxies) but appropriate for the demand considering they will have to shake off the Chivas USA 2.0 tag.
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Seb 1968
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+xHad a link now lost it. The astronomically ridiculous waste of money to be confirmed tomorrow. Allianz to be knocked down and rebuilt at 45k (the same capacity) and ANZ to be rebuilt as a 75k stadium. $2 billion cost. Ridiculous stuff. What??, the Sydney Football Stadium is just under 30 years old (it opened around March 1988), and the Olympic Stadium was opened in January 1999, and the NSW Government wants to tear them down, and rebuild them? I'm from Sydney, and I have to say the NSW Government has no f_ _ _ing idea when it comes to planning/or building good infrastructure, look at Melbourne, now there's a city that gets it right when it comes to planning its stadiums and infrastructure.
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Bozza1#
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Where would they play State of origin. Whilst ANZ goes down?
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sydneyfc1987
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+xWhere would they play State of origin. Whilst ANZ goes down? SCG perhaps?
(VAR) IS NAVY BLUE
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TheSelectFew
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Money laundering in it's purest form.
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paulbagzFC
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But nobody bar concerts and Origin fills them now... -PB
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P&R will fix it 2.0
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Olympic Stadium and the Sydney Football Stadium will be demolished and rebuiltUpdated The Olympic Stadium and the Sydney Football Stadium will be demolished and rebuilt in a $2 billion overhaul signed off by New South Wales Cabinet today. Work at the Sydney Football Stadium site at Moore Park is expected to start next year, followed by the Homebush Olympic stadium in 2019 Senior government sources described this morning's Cabinet meeting as "robust" with some ministers, frustrated at the length of time it had taken to reach a decision, expressing concerns the handling of the issue had been damaging. It is understood some also raised concerns about the $2.3 billion price tag, up from former premier Mike Baird's original estimate of $1.6 billion. The package also includes the cost of rebuilding Parramatta Stadium. The rebuilt Sydney Football Stadium's capacity is expected to be 45,000 people while the Olympic stadium will hold between 75,000 and 80,000 people. The decision is expected to be announced tomorrow and brings to an end a saga that dragged out for more than 18 months since Mr Baird first detailed his proposal. That plan would have seen the Olympic Stadium reconfigured to a rectangular venue at a cost of $700 million ahead of a refurbishment of the Sydney Football Stadium. While the proposal received strong support from the NRL, there has since been furious lobbying by the Sydney Cricket Ground Trust, who control the Sydney Football Stadium, as well as the Australian Rugby Union and Sydney FC to rebuild the Moore Park venue first. Sports Minister Stuart Ayres backed that option and has spent almost two years tying himself into knots advocating various positions that would get it over the line. But there has been fierce opposition from some members of Mr Ayres' own cabinet, with some scratching their heads as to why a stadium that was built as a state of the art venue for the Sydney Olympics less than 20 years ago should need to such a complete overhaul so quickly.
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YoShuuuu
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Rumour is that the new stadium for Allianz will have a 30k mode and a 45k mode.
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Footballer
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+xRumour is that the new stadium for Allianz will have a 30k mode and a 45k mode. Thats good. Less visually embarrassing for SFC.
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RBBAnonymous
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+x+xRumour is that the new stadium for Allianz will have a 30k mode and a 45k mode. Thats good. Less visually embarrassing for SFC. Now watch these two stadiums turned into ovals.
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Paul01
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Absolutely pathetic that the Sydney Football Stadium (aka Allianz) should start before Stadium Australia (aka ANZ).
The stadium in the middle of Sydney should go first.
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aussie scott21
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+xAbsolutely pathetic that the Sydney Football Stadium (aka Allianz) should start before Stadium Australia (aka ANZ). The stadium in the middle of Sydney should go first. Someone has pulled a shifty. Smart on their behalf I guess. When the SFS rebuild has a blowout on budget it will already be built or almost complete. Then if any cost cutting occurs it will be aimed at ANZ.
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bigpoppa
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+x+xAbsolutely pathetic that the Sydney Football Stadium (aka Allianz) should start before Stadium Australia (aka ANZ). The stadium in the middle of Sydney should go first. Someone has pulled a shifty. Smart on their behalf I guess. When the SFS rebuild has a blowout on budget it will already be built or almost complete. Then if any cost cutting occurs it will be aimed at ANZ. This is the worry.
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Kamaryn
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+x+x+xAbsolutely pathetic that the Sydney Football Stadium (aka Allianz) should start before Stadium Australia (aka ANZ). The stadium in the middle of Sydney should go first. Someone has pulled a shifty. Smart on their behalf I guess. When the SFS rebuild has a blowout on budget it will already be built or almost complete. Then if any cost cutting occurs it will be aimed at ANZ. This is the worry.
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StiflersMom
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I don't even live there but I can see how stupid this is, it's baseless, some developer must be backhanding someone.
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Lastbroadcast
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Now watch as the Allianz stadium rebuild suffers from cost blowouts, gobbles up the whole $2 billion and the Olympic Park rebuild gets canned.
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hames_jetfield
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More corporate welfare and a glorified government jobs program. Make whatever arsehole tenant who winds up benefitting from the stadium reconstruction pay for it, not more cronyism.
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imonfourfourtwo
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I get the need for a refurb, but I'd be trying to put at least half of that money into increasing the number of football pitches around suburbia.
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Burztur
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Yup - SFS will no doubt soak up the budget and that's the play. NRL really need to lobby hard for Homebush first. They are the biggest player in all of this at the end of the day and can influence the outcome.
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melbourne_terrace
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Its gobsmacking that Sydney is about to completely blow it's chance to have the best football stadium in Asia. I can't think of any other stadium in the confederation that ticks all the boxes of retractable roof, rectangular pitch, moveable goal ends, steep gradient and high capacity. I have zero faith in the NSW Libs ensuring that the SFS project doesn't compromise the full plans for the homebush rebuild.
Viennese Vuck
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aussie scott21
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Berejiklian stares down $2.3bn stadiums revolt NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian. Picture: Nathan EdwardsNSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has stared down a cabinet revolt on stadiums policy, with seven ministers speaking out yesterday against a decision to spend $2.3 billion on revamping two of Sydney’s biggest sporting venues. Ms Berejiklian opened cabinet yesterday by strongly supporting a proposal from Sport Minister Stuart Ayres to knock down and rebuild Allianz Stadium in Moore Park, in Sydney’s east, from next year to 2019 and ANZ Stadium at Sydney Olympic Park, in the west, from 2019 to 2021. Ms Berejiklian’s support was despite the cabinet minute pointing out that the benefit-cost ratio for the projects was well under 1, meaning they would not generate more money than their cost to the state’s economy. Treasurer Dominic Perrottet is understood to have said words to the effect of: “I can’t believe we’re doing this but I have to reluctantly agree to it.” Many ministers argued that the government should rebuild Allianz Stadium only, as it was 35 years old and in serious need of an upgrade, but they were told the NRL was threatening to take the grand final out of Sydney if work did not occur on the 17-year-old ANZ Stadium. One minister labelled it a “vanity project”, The Australian has been told. Finance Minister Victor Dominello is said to have said: “Four hundred and fifty-eight days before the election, this is not something we should be doing.” Attorney-General Mark Speakman told cabinet: “It does not cut the mustard economically or socially.” Those who spoke out against the projects — or expressed serious concerns about the political effects of spending so much money on stadiums — were Mr Perrottet, Health Minister Brad Hazzard, Education Minister Rob Stokes, Mr Dominello, Mr Speakman, Tourism Minister Adam Marshall and Racing Minister Paul Toole. Ms Berejiklian is expected to announce this morning that work on Allianz Stadium will begin next year and be completed at the end of 2019. After the 2019 NRL grand final, work would then commence on ANZ Stadium with hopes the stadium could be knocked down and rebuilt by 2021. An “indicative cost” was given to cabinet of up to $1.7bn for ANZ Stadium. Another $600 million is set to be spent on Allianz Stadium. Part of the cost involves ANZ Stadium having a retractable roof. The new spending comes on top of more than $300m the government has outlaid on Parramatta Stadium and $200m the government spent buying back ANZ from its private operator. The funds will come from the $2.6bn sale of the Land and Property Information service. It is understood that, as part of the Sydney Olympic Park proposal, an Olympic museum will be built as a tribute to the Sydney Games. The replacement for Allianz Stadium will have a capacity of 45,000. The new stadium at Olympic Park will seat 75,000. Although the MCG in Melbourne has a larger capacity, it is not an oval so it does not have the same appeal in terms of viewing soccer, rugby league and rugby union. Those who voiced support for the proposal in cabinet were Ms Berejiklian, Mr Ayres and Deputy Premier John Barilaro. Mr Ayres said that if NSW were to pitch for the women’s World Cup soccer, ANZ Stadium needed to be upgraded sooner rather than later. Opposition Leader Luke Foley said yesterday: “I can’t and won’t support spending $2.5bn on sporting stadiums. Labor will put schools and hospitals before stadiums. The members of the SCG Trust must exercise more power than the members of Gladys Berejiklian’s cabinet.”
Berejiklian stares down $2.3bn stadiums revolt
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Burztur
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The real headline for me is even the governments cost benefit analysis is against the proposal.
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walnuts
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+xThe real headline for me is even the governments cost benefit analysis is against the proposal. And the fact that there are literally only 3 members of the Cabinet in favour of it - surely simple democracy dictates it shouldn't go ahead? I hope that Berejiklian is turfed by her own party or by the voters - whichever comes first. Followed closely by Stuart Ayres.
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Derider
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I don't understand why they want to further reduce the capacity of ANZ. Why 75,000? That sounds a bit too small for a showpiece stadium in a huge city. What's wrong with the current 82,000? Why can Melbourne have the humongous MCG, yet Sydney can't even have an 80,000 capacicity stadium?
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bohemia
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+xI don't understand why they want to further reduce the capacity of ANZ. Why 75,000? That sounds a bit too small for a showpiece stadium in a huge city. What's wrong with the current 82,000? Why can Melbourne have the humongous MCG, yet Sydney can't even have an 80,000 capacicity stadium? The plans involve retention of the existing roof and exterior. The newly constructed stands will be built with a steeper rake and closer to the pitch around the ground. Removing the oval shape means less circumfrence to work with, so fewer seats can fit in. They don't have the option of building the new stands higher because they need to fit under the existing roof line.
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aussie scott21
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+x+xI don't understand why they want to further reduce the capacity of ANZ. Why 75,000? That sounds a bit too small for a showpiece stadium in a huge city. What's wrong with the current 82,000? Why can Melbourne have the humongous MCG, yet Sydney can't even have an 80,000 capacicity stadium? The plans involve retention of the existing roof and exterior. The newly constructed stands will be built with a steeper rake and closer to the pitch around the ground. Removing the oval shape means less circumfrence to work with, so fewer seats can fit in. They don't have the option of building the new stands higher because they need to fit under the existing roof line. When would Sydney get 80 000 for the soccer? Poor old Arsenal and Liverpool cant sell more seats. 75k is plenty enough for Socceroos, some would say too much for Sydney.
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aussie scott21
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This is how power works in NSWThis is how power is exercised in NSW. After sustained pressure from the powerful SCG Trust, including a campaign of strategic media leaks, NSW cabinet has backflipped on yet another Baird decision, signing a cheque to rebuild Allianz Stadium in Sydney's east. Yet serious questions remain. You can start with the simple ones, like why didn't the Sports Minister release a business case or consult with the public before seeking cabinet approval to rebuild Allianz? Does he really think the mooted $800 million rebuild is value for money? Stadium bill to soar above $2bTwo of Sydney's major sports stadiums will be demolished and rebuilt at a cost of $2 billion. The government says our parks must pay their own way – but 20 million people visit the Moore and Centennial parklands every year, while Allianz is a sea of empty seats on game days, averaging just 40 per cent capacity across the NRL, Super Rugby and A-League. Many of the clubs oppose the rebuild, and safety upgrades to the stadium designed by eminent Australian architect Philip Cox would cost far less at about $150 million. Spending on this work to improve safety would be far more responsible, with the rest of the funds used instead to support much needed grass-roots sports clubs and upgrading facilities in Western Sydney. This latest decision is just one of many favouring the SCG Trust's interests. There was Premier Barry O'Farrell's $38 million Tibby Cotter "bridge to nowhere" at the stadium – O'Farrell is now on the SCG Trust. The planned Alexandria to Moore Park highway that will dump thousands of cars from WestConnex into the largest non-motorway intersection in NSW, conveniently on the stadium's doorstep – former WestConnex chief Tony Shepherd is now chair of the SCG Trust. Former News Corp CEO John Hartigan and 2GB's Alan Jones are on the trust, too. The SCG Trust is pushing to permanently shut Driver Avenue on the pretext of security threats, without any public impact assessment, to create a "fanzone" with more fast food and merchandise stalls – even though Driver Avenue is already closed during events. Permanently closing Driver Avenue will force trucks that access Fox Studios to use quiet residential back streets day and night. In the 200 years since Governor Lachlan Macquarie dedicated it as public open space, Centennial Park and Moore Park have been reduced to a third of the original 250 hectares. What remains is a vital green lung and indispensable recreation space for Australia's highest-density neighbourhoods. Literally their backyard. Allianz Stadium is to get a rebuild but public consultation on the plan has been lacking. Photo: Peter RaeInstead of improving and expanding public open space, the NSW government is holding private discussions on proposals that further endanger public land. Any of these plans would be unthinkable for New York's Central Park or London's Hyde Park. The public interest is being steamrolled by an all-powerful SCG Trust and an ambitious sports minister who wants to play with the big boys – and a premier who's lost control. The Albert "Tibby" Cotter Walkway at Moore Park. Photo: Wolter PeetersThis is not the first time Moore Park has been under threat. Just 18 months ago, the community thought it had beaten Stuart Ayres and the SCG Trust's bid to build a new stadium on beautiful Kippax Lake. Premier Mike Baird had officially announced the idea was off with funds to be prioritised in the west. Now I fear this zombie proposal will rise again. It's time for city communities to mobilise and fight. Clover Moore is lord mayor of Sydney. The community fought a plan to build a new stadium on top of Kippax Lake, show here in an artist's impression. Photo: Supplied
This is how power works in NSW
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walnuts
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+xThis is how power works in NSWThis is how power is exercised in NSW. After sustained pressure from the powerful SCG Trust, including a campaign of strategic media leaks, NSW cabinet has backflipped on yet another Baird decision, signing a cheque to rebuild Allianz Stadium in Sydney's east. Yet serious questions remain. You can start with the simple ones, like why didn't the Sports Minister release a business case or consult with the public before seeking cabinet approval to rebuild Allianz? Does he really think the mooted $800 million rebuild is value for money? Stadium bill to soar above $2bTwo of Sydney's major sports stadiums will be demolished and rebuilt at a cost of $2 billion. The government says our parks must pay their own way – but 20 million people visit the Moore and Centennial parklands every year, while Allianz is a sea of empty seats on game days, averaging just 40 per cent capacity across the NRL, Super Rugby and A-League. Many of the clubs oppose the rebuild, and safety upgrades to the stadium designed by eminent Australian architect Philip Cox would cost far less at about $150 million. Spending on this work to improve safety would be far more responsible, with the rest of the funds used instead to support much needed grass-roots sports clubs and upgrading facilities in Western Sydney. This latest decision is just one of many favouring the SCG Trust's interests. There was Premier Barry O'Farrell's $38 million Tibby Cotter "bridge to nowhere" at the stadium – O'Farrell is now on the SCG Trust. The planned Alexandria to Moore Park highway that will dump thousands of cars from WestConnex into the largest non-motorway intersection in NSW, conveniently on the stadium's doorstep – former WestConnex chief Tony Shepherd is now chair of the SCG Trust. Former News Corp CEO John Hartigan and 2GB's Alan Jones are on the trust, too. The SCG Trust is pushing to permanently shut Driver Avenue on the pretext of security threats, without any public impact assessment, to create a "fanzone" with more fast food and merchandise stalls – even though Driver Avenue is already closed during events. Permanently closing Driver Avenue will force trucks that access Fox Studios to use quiet residential back streets day and night. In the 200 years since Governor Lachlan Macquarie dedicated it as public open space, Centennial Park and Moore Park have been reduced to a third of the original 250 hectares. What remains is a vital green lung and indispensable recreation space for Australia's highest-density neighbourhoods. Literally their backyard. Allianz Stadium is to get a rebuild but public consultation on the plan has been lacking. Photo: Peter RaeInstead of improving and expanding public open space, the NSW government is holding private discussions on proposals that further endanger public land. Any of these plans would be unthinkable for New York's Central Park or London's Hyde Park. The public interest is being steamrolled by an all-powerful SCG Trust and an ambitious sports minister who wants to play with the big boys – and a premier who's lost control. The Albert "Tibby" Cotter Walkway at Moore Park. Photo: Wolter PeetersThis is not the first time Moore Park has been under threat. Just 18 months ago, the community thought it had beaten Stuart Ayres and the SCG Trust's bid to build a new stadium on beautiful Kippax Lake. Premier Mike Baird had officially announced the idea was off with funds to be prioritised in the west. Now I fear this zombie proposal will rise again. It's time for city communities to mobilise and fight. Clover Moore is lord mayor of Sydney. The community fought a plan to build a new stadium on top of Kippax Lake, show here in an artist's impression. Photo: Supplied
This is how power works in NSW Good - the more this shitfight hits the media, the better.
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sydneyfc1987
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+x+xThis is how power works in NSWThis is how power is exercised in NSW. After sustained pressure from the powerful SCG Trust, including a campaign of strategic media leaks, NSW cabinet has backflipped on yet another Baird decision, signing a cheque to rebuild Allianz Stadium in Sydney's east. Yet serious questions remain. You can start with the simple ones, like why didn't the Sports Minister release a business case or consult with the public before seeking cabinet approval to rebuild Allianz? Does he really think the mooted $800 million rebuild is value for money? Stadium bill to soar above $2bTwo of Sydney's major sports stadiums will be demolished and rebuilt at a cost of $2 billion. The government says our parks must pay their own way – but 20 million people visit the Moore and Centennial parklands every year, while Allianz is a sea of empty seats on game days, averaging just 40 per cent capacity across the NRL, Super Rugby and A-League. Many of the clubs oppose the rebuild, and safety upgrades to the stadium designed by eminent Australian architect Philip Cox would cost far less at about $150 million. Spending on this work to improve safety would be far more responsible, with the rest of the funds used instead to support much needed grass-roots sports clubs and upgrading facilities in Western Sydney. This latest decision is just one of many favouring the SCG Trust's interests. There was Premier Barry O'Farrell's $38 million Tibby Cotter "bridge to nowhere" at the stadium – O'Farrell is now on the SCG Trust. The planned Alexandria to Moore Park highway that will dump thousands of cars from WestConnex into the largest non-motorway intersection in NSW, conveniently on the stadium's doorstep – former WestConnex chief Tony Shepherd is now chair of the SCG Trust. Former News Corp CEO John Hartigan and 2GB's Alan Jones are on the trust, too. The SCG Trust is pushing to permanently shut Driver Avenue on the pretext of security threats, without any public impact assessment, to create a "fanzone" with more fast food and merchandise stalls – even though Driver Avenue is already closed during events. Permanently closing Driver Avenue will force trucks that access Fox Studios to use quiet residential back streets day and night. In the 200 years since Governor Lachlan Macquarie dedicated it as public open space, Centennial Park and Moore Park have been reduced to a third of the original 250 hectares. What remains is a vital green lung and indispensable recreation space for Australia's highest-density neighbourhoods. Literally their backyard. Allianz Stadium is to get a rebuild but public consultation on the plan has been lacking. Photo: Peter RaeInstead of improving and expanding public open space, the NSW government is holding private discussions on proposals that further endanger public land. Any of these plans would be unthinkable for New York's Central Park or London's Hyde Park. The public interest is being steamrolled by an all-powerful SCG Trust and an ambitious sports minister who wants to play with the big boys – and a premier who's lost control. The Albert "Tibby" Cotter Walkway at Moore Park. Photo: Wolter PeetersThis is not the first time Moore Park has been under threat. Just 18 months ago, the community thought it had beaten Stuart Ayres and the SCG Trust's bid to build a new stadium on beautiful Kippax Lake. Premier Mike Baird had officially announced the idea was off with funds to be prioritised in the west. Now I fear this zombie proposal will rise again. It's time for city communities to mobilise and fight. Clover Moore is lord mayor of Sydney. The community fought a plan to build a new stadium on top of Kippax Lake, show here in an artist's impression. Photo: Supplied
This is how power works in NSW Good - the more this shitfight hits the media, the better. I think the government have severely underestimated how much this could backfire.
(VAR) IS NAVY BLUE
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Muz
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+x+x+xThis is how power works in NSWThis is how power is exercised in NSW. After sustained pressure from the powerful SCG Trust, including a campaign of strategic media leaks, NSW cabinet has backflipped on yet another Baird decision, signing a cheque to rebuild Allianz Stadium in Sydney's east. Yet serious questions remain. You can start with the simple ones, like why didn't the Sports Minister release a business case or consult with the public before seeking cabinet approval to rebuild Allianz? Does he really think the mooted $800 million rebuild is value for money? Stadium bill to soar above $2bTwo of Sydney's major sports stadiums will be demolished and rebuilt at a cost of $2 billion. The government says our parks must pay their own way – but 20 million people visit the Moore and Centennial parklands every year, while Allianz is a sea of empty seats on game days, averaging just 40 per cent capacity across the NRL, Super Rugby and A-League. Many of the clubs oppose the rebuild, and safety upgrades to the stadium designed by eminent Australian architect Philip Cox would cost far less at about $150 million. Spending on this work to improve safety would be far more responsible, with the rest of the funds used instead to support much needed grass-roots sports clubs and upgrading facilities in Western Sydney. This latest decision is just one of many favouring the SCG Trust's interests. There was Premier Barry O'Farrell's $38 million Tibby Cotter "bridge to nowhere" at the stadium – O'Farrell is now on the SCG Trust. The planned Alexandria to Moore Park highway that will dump thousands of cars from WestConnex into the largest non-motorway intersection in NSW, conveniently on the stadium's doorstep – former WestConnex chief Tony Shepherd is now chair of the SCG Trust. Former News Corp CEO John Hartigan and 2GB's Alan Jones are on the trust, too. The SCG Trust is pushing to permanently shut Driver Avenue on the pretext of security threats, without any public impact assessment, to create a "fanzone" with more fast food and merchandise stalls – even though Driver Avenue is already closed during events. Permanently closing Driver Avenue will force trucks that access Fox Studios to use quiet residential back streets day and night. In the 200 years since Governor Lachlan Macquarie dedicated it as public open space, Centennial Park and Moore Park have been reduced to a third of the original 250 hectares. What remains is a vital green lung and indispensable recreation space for Australia's highest-density neighbourhoods. Literally their backyard. Allianz Stadium is to get a rebuild but public consultation on the plan has been lacking. Photo: Peter RaeInstead of improving and expanding public open space, the NSW government is holding private discussions on proposals that further endanger public land. Any of these plans would be unthinkable for New York's Central Park or London's Hyde Park. The public interest is being steamrolled by an all-powerful SCG Trust and an ambitious sports minister who wants to play with the big boys – and a premier who's lost control. The Albert "Tibby" Cotter Walkway at Moore Park. Photo: Wolter PeetersThis is not the first time Moore Park has been under threat. Just 18 months ago, the community thought it had beaten Stuart Ayres and the SCG Trust's bid to build a new stadium on beautiful Kippax Lake. Premier Mike Baird had officially announced the idea was off with funds to be prioritised in the west. Now I fear this zombie proposal will rise again. It's time for city communities to mobilise and fight. Clover Moore is lord mayor of Sydney. The community fought a plan to build a new stadium on top of Kippax Lake, show here in an artist's impression. Photo: Supplied
This is how power works in NSW Good - the more this shitfight hits the media, the better. I think the government have severely underestimated how much this could backfire. I agree. Will be interesting to see what position the Daily Telegraph takes as the NRL is a beneficiary. (Can tell, even without looking, that the SMH will be against it.)
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Eldar
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Meh, fucking great news for Sydney FC and Sydney FC fans. Hopefully instead of listening to the whingers they just build it well and to last and provide a genuinely good and productive asset.
Beaten by Eldar
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sydneyfc1987
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+xMeh, fucking great news for Sydney FC and Sydney FC fans. Hopefully instead of listening to the whingers they just build it well and to last and provide a genuinely good and productive asset. TBH even the Sydney fan in me is 'meh' about this. A 45k seat rebuild is completely and utterly pointless. This "club mode" is basically code for shutting the top tiers by the looks of things. Big whoop, they're still large empty stands. Meanwhile Sydney is growing at an unprecedented rate and there are no concrete plans for rail infrastructure beyond stage two of the Sydney metro RTS. This city could come to a standstill within 10 years. I'm usually not the biggest Clover Moore fan but she is 100% on the money in this opinion piece.
(VAR) IS NAVY BLUE
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Eldar
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+x+xMeh, fucking great news for Sydney FC and Sydney FC fans. Hopefully instead of listening to the whingers they just build it well and to last and provide a genuinely good and productive asset. TBH even the Sydney fan in me is 'meh' about this. A 45k seat rebuild is completely and utterly pointless. This "club mode" is basically code for shutting the top tiers by the looks of things. Big whoop, they're still large empty stands. Meanwhile Sydney is growing at an unprecedented rate and there are no concrete plans for rail infrastructure beyond stage two of the Sydney metro RTS. This city could come to a standstill within 10 years. I'm usually not the biggest Clover Moore fan but she is 100% on the money in this opinion piece. If the Government wants to seriously do something for the people and the homeless and the sick in Sydney then they should start by addressing the cost of living, particularly home and rental prices. When I have friends in Japan paying a month what I do a week, I question the logic of working long hours in a shit job just to survive. I honestly cant see myself staying around in these conditions anyway but Sydney will always be my team and no matter where I am, if they have a home to be proud of and that helps them grow then I am happy. I honestly hope they do it right so that it becomes and asset to the public and eventually pays off. If they just build another nothing stadium that lasts 20 years then I will be sad.
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mattwinter
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Here's the two modes. 45,000 and then 30,000 capacity. That part is definitely a good idea and using the "revolutionary LED signage" should work well. I still think just building it at 30k would make more sense, but at least if Sydney FC happens to grow into a much bigger club they will have a future-proof venue. Also will be a postiive thing if we ever bid for the world cup again. Still not good enough reasons IMO, but some positives. There's also a Q&A here - they reckon they'll pay back the investment in 1 year. I reckon they're dreaming, but it's true that these sort of things do tend to pay for themselves after a while. https://www.sydneyfc.com/sites/syd/files/2017-11/Key%20partner%20stadium%20Q%26A%20.pdf?_ga=2.126552329.508187762.1511484459-1081634973.1507881993 Overall... bit of a joke. Bit of a crazy spend of money. But Allianz does need an upgrade, and you would never be able to really make it into a top class stadium without a total rebuild. And turning ANZ stadium into a rectangle will be great for football too. Sydney will have 3 top class rectangular stadiums. Probably means less money for any AFL stadiums in Sydney for a while, which is a good thing...
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bigpoppa
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In regards to 'club mode' at the stadium I hope Sydney FC cap memberships to suit club mode. Build a demand for memberships and tickets.
At the end of the day it doesnt matter what they do with SFS as long as it doesn't affect the Homebush rebuild.
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Kamaryn
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+xAt the end of the day it doesnt matter what they do with SFS as long as it doesn't affect the Homebush rebuild. 100%
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aussie scott21
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+xIn regards to 'club mode' at the stadium I hope Sydney FC cap memberships to suit club mode. Build a demand for memberships and tickets. At the end of the day it doesnt matter what they do with SFS as long as it doesn't affect the Homebush rebuild. I think it is good that both stadiums will be built and good for the A-League. I just want ANZ first as it is the Socceroos stadium. The SFC guy though pffft “We live in one of the greatest cities in the world and it is vital we have the sporting infrastructure to match. “As reigning A-League Champions our players and members deserve world class facilities and this announcement will deliver on that. “I am happy that this decision will benefit our club and football in this country in the long term and I look forward to great times ahead in our new home.” Sydney FC welcome Allianz Stadium redevelopment | Hyundai A-League
Those reasons dont stack up for me.
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Paul01
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Sydney Football Stadium should be the last stadium in Sydney to be upgraded after Stadium Australia Penrith Campbelltown
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aussie scott21
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Sydney FC want safe standing at new Moore Park stadiumA new rectangular stadium at Moore Park could be designed specifically to cater for active football supporters, with the venue's major tenants pushing for "safe standing" in the north end of the new arena. Sydney FC chief executive Danny Townsend says the club will have a major say on the design of the new 45,000-capacity stadium to be built on the existing site of Allianz Stadium and will put forward their active supporter group's request for modern terrace-style seats in the Paddington end of the ground. The Cove. Photo: AAPThe firm that designed the new White Hart Lane and the Emirates stadiums in London is understood to be behind the new stadium in Moore Park and will begin consultation with the Sky Blues about their requirements for a new home. Alongside corporate facilities, steep rake seating and permanent football-specific change rooms reserved for Sydney FC, the club wants the wishes of their members to be factored in to any design for a new home ground. That will begin with safe standing seating that allows spectators room to stand at games, with the option of seats being easily readjusted for other sports. Artist's impression of a new Sydney Football Stadium looking out into Moore Park. Photo: NSW Government"The first group we will engage with is The Cove. We want to design a purpose-built area for The Cove and we're definitely pushing for safe-standing," Townsend said. "We want the best hospitality so our corporate clients are looked after, our fan experience is second to none. Every tenant should have their own dressing room so Sydney FC have their own permanent dressing room with all the creature comforts for football." With Allianz Stadium set to be demolished at the end of next year, the Sky Blues will be forced into a temporary relocation for probably the next three seasons. Sydney FC are set to meet with the Inner West Council next week to begin discussions about moving to Leichhardt Oval while their new home in Moore Park is being rebuilt. As revealed by Fairfax Media last month, the Sky Blues will be looking to relocate to suburban grounds with Leichhardt the preferred option, alongside Jubilee Oval in Kogarah. Townsend and Inner West mayor Darcy Byrne will begin talks to call Leichhardt home but it's understood the club has not ruled out other grounds as part of a push to reconnect with the community. The club will almost certainly play a significant number of games at Leichhardt with the Inner West one of its core membership bases. With their other main region of supporters being the southern suburbs, Jubilee Oval and Endeavour Field in Woolooware are also options to host games while North Sydney Oval and Brookvale Oval may also be considered. Sydney FC want safe standing at new Moore Park stadium
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aussie scott21
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There is no way that tv screen is big enough. Looks smaller than now
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aussie scott21
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NSW plans for new $700m Allianz stadium to be half-empty Artist's impression of the reconstructed Allianz Stadium in "club mode" with the upper levels obscured by a large screen. SuppliedNSW is planning for the likelihood that its new $700 million Allianz Stadium will be more than half-empty most of the time by designing it with an option for a cut-down seating plan. NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian on Friday confirmed her government had torn up a plan by her predecessor Mike Baird and would knock down and rebuild Allianz Stadium at Moore Park in addition to ANZ Stadium at Sydney Olympic Park raising the total cost by $600 million to over $2 billion. "This investment means we can compete on the world stage for events such as the FIFA Women's World Cup, the Rugby World Cup, and keep Sydney as the number one sporting destination, Ms Berejiklian said. But given crowds at Allianz from club rugby union, NRL and A-League are well below capacity, NSW plans to rebuild Allianz with two seating plans: a championship mode for the full 45,000-seat capacity and a "club" mode for only 30,000 where the upper stands will be blocked by a large advertising and information screen. The decision to spend the extra $600 million knocking down and rebuilding the 29-year old stadium has been attacked by the Opposition as a waste of the one-off windfall from selling the state's electricity network. But it is a major victory for the Sydney Cricket Ground Trust ,and its well connected board including broadcaster Alan Jones, which controls the Allianz site and resented Mr Baird's decision last year to allocate only about $100 million for a cosmetic refurbishment. Businessman Tony Shepherd, the SCG Trust chairman, welcomed the decision but only named three events which would require the championship mode: a Wallabies Test match, the annual NRL's Anzac Day Cup and the A-League's Sydney Derby which occurs once or twice a year. Allianz will face stiff competition from ANZ Stadium, which is in the sporting heartland in Sydney's west and will have better facilities including a roof that will give it a "lock" on the concert market, according to one promoter. Football Federation Australia chief executive David Gallop said he considered redevelopment of ANZ Stadium to be particularly important because there were big stadiums in other Australian cities and Sydney needed a big rectangular stadium of its own. Mr Berejiklian also confirmed she would knock down the existing 45,000 seat Allianz stadium in November next year just before the 2019 election, which will prevent ALP reconsidering the government's plan if it wins the next election.
NSW plans for new $700m Allianz stadium to be half-empty | afr.com
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aussie scott21
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State of Origin poised to return to SCGAfter more than three decades, State of Origin is poised to return to the Sydney Cricket Ground. The NRL has committed to staging at least one Origin in Sydney for the next 25 years after the NSW government committed $2 billion to the knock down and rebuild of Allianz and ANZ Stadiums. Both of those venues will be out of action for at least one season, resulting in an NRL grand final returning to the SCG. There is every likelihood that an Origin will also be staged at the iconic venue for the first time since the second game of the 1987 series, which Queensland won 12-6. State of Origin poised to return to SCG
The Roosters will shift their games to the Sydney Cricket Ground following the approval of Allianz Stadium’s redevelopment.The NSW Cabinet gave the green light on Thursday in a $2.3 billion package that includes the rebuilding of ANZ Stadium. The Allianz Stadium redevelopment is expected to take three years and is set to commence at the end of the 2018 season.
Roosters shift to SCG - League - Inside Sport
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P&R will fix it 2.0
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NSW Government reveals reasoning behind knocking down of Olympic and Sydney Football stadiumsUpdated The New South Wales Government has revealed its multi-billion-dollar plan to demolish and rebuild the Olympic Stadium at Homebush and the Sydney Football Stadium at Moore Park. It claims the state's sporting infrastructure was falling behind the rest of the country and the announcement will cement Sydney as Australia's number one event destination. But some members of Cabinet, and other stakeholders, are concerned about the blueprint - particularly given the Olympic Stadium is less than two decades old. When will work start and finish?The Sydney Football Stadium will be rebuilt as a 45,000-seat venue. Work at the site will start next year with completion expected by 2021. Construction on the Olympic Stadium will begin in 2019 before the new venue is opened in 2022. The rectangular stadium, described as the "crowning jewel" of Sydney's sporting venues, will have a capacity of 75,000 people. Asked whether it would have a retractable roof, Sports Minister Stuart Ayres said the Government still needed to assess whether it would stack up financially. How much will it all cost?The Government has estimated the cost of replacing the Sydney Football Stadium at $705 million, and the Olympic Stadium at $1.25 billion, subject to a tendering process. That figure does not include about $300 million to rebuild Parramatta Stadium or the $200 million spent buying back the Olympic Stadium lease, bringing the total cost of the package to about $2.5 billion. It is significantly higher than the $1.6 billion package first unveiled by former premier Mike Baird in 2016. Why is the Olympic Stadium being knocked down?The stadium at Homebush was purpose built for the 2000 Sydney Olympics at a cost of $690 million and has since played host to some of Australia's greatest sporting moments. Originally designed for 110,000 spectators, it was later reconfigured to a reduced capacity of 83,500. Premier Gladys Berejiklian thinks it is approaching its used-by date. "By the time we start construction it would be nearly 20 years old and that was built for an Olympics, it wasn't built for modern, global events and it wasn't built for spectators," she said. That claim has drawn criticism from former Labor premier Bob Carr, who oversaw the construction of the venue. "If anyone had said when we made the commitment to Olympic facilities that in the case of the big stadium it would be there for only 17 years and a new one would have to be built, people wouldn't have believed us," he said. What about the Sydney Football Stadium (SFS)?Sport Minister Mr Ayres said the SFS had come to the end of its life and it was now only "borderline safe". He said it also lacked enough female toilets and seats for disabled fans. "I am not going to be a Sports Minister that locks out women and people with a disability from coming to experience the best sport and entertainment here in NSW," he said.
Both Opposition Leader Luke Foley and Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore have criticised the decision, arguing the Moore Park venue does not host the state's biggest games and therefore does not need an overhaul. What does it mean for the major sports?The package includes a deal to keep the NRL grand final in NSW for the next 25 years. In 2020, when both stadiums are under construction, the event will be held at the Sydney Cricket Ground instead. In 2021 and 2022 it will be played at the SFS before returning to the Olympic Stadium in 2023. NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg welcomed the announcement, saying it was a "momentous day" for players and fans. The Sydney Cricket Ground Trust, which controls the SFS, said the plan was "common sense" and without the extra investment the venue would have shut down. The plan has also been applauded by organisations including Rugby Australia, Football Federation Australia and Cricket NSW. Mr Ayres said the Government would work with the tenants of both existing venues to find alternative locations while they are under construction. What will be the political fallout?The decision-making process up until this point has been messy and the Premier will be hoping the new announcement puts an end to it. While she insists the plan has broad Government support, it is understood several ministers expressed concerns about the cost during a recent "robust" Cabinet meeting. Mr Foley is already looking to use the issue to his political advantage, arguing that while the Olympic Stadium rebuild is needed, the work at the SFS is a waste of money. "I've always said west before east because that's where the people are," he said yesterday. He will try to make the issue a point of difference in the run up to the 2019 state election.
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bohemia
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+x
"By the time we start construction it would be nearly 20 years old and that was built for an Olympics, it wasn't built for modern, global events and it wasn't built for spectators," she said. The Olympic stadium wasn't built for global events ...
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paulbagzFC
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+x+x
"By the time we start construction it would be nearly 20 years old and that was built for an Olympics, it wasn't built for modern, global events and it wasn't built for spectators," she said. The Olympic stadium wasn't built for global events ... ............... wot -PB
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aussie scott21
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FFA welcomes NSW Government's investment in new stadiumsFootball Federation Australia (FFA) welcomes the decision by the New South Wales Government to rebuild Allianz and ANZ Stadiums. FFA Chief Executive Officer David Gallop AM said the redevelopment would give football’s huge participation base – the largest in the country – a better match day experience at Hyundai A-League, Westfield W-League, Socceroos and Matildas matches which would be played in purpose built, world class rectangular stadiums. “This is a great moment for football as we pitch for the right to host the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023,” Mr Gallop said. “The timing is perfect for that.” “Of course there will be other cities around the country that will be looking to host games if we get the tournament but this sets up Sydney to be able to be part of a world class event for football and for Australia." Mr Gallop said that FFA had considered redevelopment of ANZ Stadium to be particularly important because there were big stadiums in other Australian cities and Sydney needed a big rectangular stadium of its own. “Now that the government has found the money to be able to do both stadiums we congratulate them because of course that was always the ideal solution,” he said. “It’s a win, win, win for football, for sports fans and ultimately for the NSW economy when you look at Parramatta, Moore Park and ANZ all being totally rebuilt to be among the world’s best stadiums.”
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aussie scott21
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Oi FIFA fark off this is Straya
wait wait wait dont go...... give us da cup ya farks
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asanchez
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And yet all and sundry swore black and blue at FIFA calling them corrupt! This is the biggest rort of public money I’ve ever seen... An Olympic stadium built less than 20 years ago, needs to get knocked down and rebuilt? Really? Is there no other way that they can fix that place without a knock down? I’ve been to Allianz a few times. The place is a hole, the worst design for a football stadium that I’ve ever seen, and I’ve been to a few. Also, it’s not the easiest place to get to from within Sydney and it’s surrounding areas. Sydney FC won’t be complaining about a brand new stadium, but how about better access to the place? This whole thing just doesn’t make sense... The only part I’m happy about, is that this whole thing is a slap in the face to the AFL who wanted to keep ANZ available for their games. However, they’ve already cleaned up about $100m from this whole fiasco, so they’re doing just fine.
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aussie scott21
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ALP puts Sydney’s stadium rebuild in doubt NSW Labor leader Luke Foley has not committed to the stadiums rebuild. Picture: AAPThe $1.25 billion rebuild of ANZ Stadium in Sydney will be under threat if Labor is elected in NSW in 2019, with Opposition Leader Luke Foley withdrawing his support yesterday. Mr Foley said as far as he was concerned “everything is on the table” after the government agreed with sporting codes to start a $705 million knockdown and rebuild of Allianz Stadium at Moore Park next year ahead of the 2019 rebuild of ANZ Stadium at Olympic Park. “They are banking on me saying I’ll still build Olympic Park; I’ve got to think about that,” Mr Foley said. “The NRL said the Olympic Stadium was a priority, and I and (former premier) Mike Baird agreed with that. But if the NRL now says it’s a second-tier priority (after Allianz), all bets are off, everything’s on the table.” With the $200m the government spent on buying ANZ from a private operator and the $360m spent on the new Parramatta Stadium, the government’s stadium spending has reached $2.5 billion. The Weekend Australian understands there are plans to upgrade as many as five regional stadiums, with an announcement expected in weeks on upgrades at Wagga, Dubbo, Tamworth, Bathurst and Coffs Harbour. Sports Minister Stuart Ayres also did not rule out yesterday a new indoor sports stadium that the government had previously promised. Announcing the ANZ and Allianz rebuilds yesterday, Premier Gladys Berejiklian said: “Today is a great day for major sporting and other cultural events here in NSW. I know much has been said by the opposition about this spend — I say to them and the people of this great state, over the same period we’re spending more than $200bn on health and education.” Under the plan, the new Allianz Stadium will be rebuilt from next year to 2021, ANZ will be rebuilt from 2019 to 2022, and the NRL grand final will remain in Sydney for 25 years. The SCG will host the 2020 NRL grand final, with the game at Allianz in 2021 and 2022, and ANZ from 2023 to 2044. “I will not stand for those naysayers ... who thought it was easier not to do anything,” the Premier said. “Yes it is easier not to do anything but where does that leave your citizens, and the ability to generate the heart and soul of our state?” SCG Trust chairman Tony Shepherd said the trust had been faced with closing Allianz from 2019 because of safety concerns had the rebuild not occurred. Mr Ayres said the stadium was deficient in providing disabled facilities and had a lack of female toilets. The government has not committed to a retractable roof at the new ANZ Stadium but Mr Ayres said it would be built if the economics added up. NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg and Mr Ayres foreshadowed more rugby league matches at Allianz and fewer on suburban grounds. The stadium’s present tenants are Sydney FC, Sydney Roosters and the Waratahs. “In the period after the Sydney Olympics, NSW fell to the back of the pack. We became the last state when it came to sport and entertainment infrastructure. Every other major capital city has invested in its sporting facilities except NSW,” Mr Ayres said.
ALP puts Sydney’s stadium rebuild in doubt
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aussie scott21
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lukerobinho
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Ridiculous costs. Imagine what 1 billion directly invested into football could do
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bohemia
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Have the SCG trust retained the 100m long rugby union in goal areas to ensure nobody but the boys club would be caught dead watching their sport there?
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aussie scott21
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+xHave the SCG trust retained the 100m long rugby union in goal areas to ensure nobody but the boys club would be caught dead watching their sport there?
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aussie scott21
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There is no way around it really.
A solution can be to have the stands behind the goals raised, not like NFL, but a few metres higher than the pitch. But it isnt like that in the proposal. A raised stands also allows extra sponsor space.
I guess if the league becomes free SFC may have the chance to sell more digital advertising on the space behing the league sponsors in the future. Instead of just having green space.
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aussie scott21
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Sydney stadiums saga: City risks falling behind on sporting infrastructureThe rectangular football codes have not had a major redevelopment in Sydney since 1987, when Allianz Stadium was built. In that time, Melbourne has developed a city-centre sporting infrastructure that caters for all codes, comprising the 52,000-seat Etihad Stadium, the rectangular 30,000-seat AAMI Park and the redeveloped 100,000-seat MCG, providing facilities that are arguably the best in the world and contribute millions in revenue to the city and the state. Round stadium, Rectangular hole: Sydney needs to keep up with sporting trends, or risk missing out on international events. Sydney needs to keep up or risk losing its competitiveness with both the Victorian capital, and Perth, as a city capable of attracting international events, such as the 2023 women's soccer world cup, for which Australia is bidding, which will need large, modern stadia to host its bigger games. You only have to look to the Victorian capital to see the merit in following the lead of most Western cities in having at least one world-class rectangular stadium close to the CBD. In Sydney, that will mean a modern stadium at Moore Park that takes advantage of the existing infrastructure, and the new light rail system, to service the city's east, north, south and inner west, particularly its rugby union fraternity. But clearly that is not enough for a city of Sydney's size and there is also a desperate need for a large, revamped rectangular super-stadium in the city's west. The timetable for redevelopment, however, is cause for concern, with the NSW government deciding to send the cement mixers to Moore Park first, ahead of Homebush Bay. That could have serious downside for those living in the western suburbs, particularly rugby league lovers. Should the incumbent NSW government be replaced at the next election by Labor, league fans will need to pray Luke Foley does not panic at the inevitable calls to can the Homebush Bay redevelopment and spend the cash instead on schools and hospitals. Such a move would leave Sydney with only two modern rectangular stadiums, which would be bad news for both rugby codes as well as soccer. Under that scenario, the stadium at Parramatta, which will be ready for the 2020 rugby league season, and a new 45-000 seat stadium at Moore Park would be the only modern venues suitable for the three rectangular-field football codes. Not only would that hinder Sydney's ability to attract major international sporting events, it would also adversely affect the city's domestic competitions. Future rugby league Origin matches, and grand finals would be restricted to the inner city, being played at the SCG and the new Allianz Stadium, denying fans of the code in the west easy access to the big games. The pitch at ANZ Stadium would stay elliptical-shaped, making it suitable for AFL, thus inviting that code to advance its plans to conquer Sydney's west. The incumbent Liberal government is obviously gambling that should Labor win the next election it will not cancel the redevelopment for fear of alienating Sydney's west. However, should state Labor follow the example of federal Labor, which has become effectively a servant of the AFL, then the 18-a-side code will gain further benefits on top of a redeveloped SCG and the boutique Spotless Stadium at Homebush Bay, with its sights on the biggest prize of all, a renovated ANZ Stadium suitable for AFL.Tony Shepherd is chair of both the GWS Giants and the SCG and Football Stadium Trust. He has already won a major victory by convincing the NSW government and its politically under-siege sports minister Stuart Ayers to begin work on Allianz Stadium first. If a new Labor government did shelve the ANZ Stadium redevelopment, Shepherd would have won an even bigger second victory.
Sydney stadiums saga: City risks falling behind on sporting infrastructure
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aussie scott21
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Sydney is about to get pantsed by AFL
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robbos
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+xSydney is about to get pantsed by AFL They are about to be pantsed by money. The government is catering for it's contingencies, surprise, surprise, because for all the talk, AFL is just not that popular in Sydney.
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melbourne_terrace
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Hopefully the plans and contracts for Homebush are set in stone by the time the SFS projects blows out or Luke Foley tries to fuck with things.
Viennese Vuck
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bohemia
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+xHopefully the plans and contracts for Homebush are set in stone by the time the SFS projects blows out or Luke Foley tries to fuck with things. You're talking about the state that signed contracts to build the sydney metro, then the next government paid half a billion to the developers not to build it. These guys love stuffing money in to a howitzer.
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Angus
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I am just laughing at Roy Masters claim that the light rail will solve the traffic/access issues at Moore park.
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sydneyfc1987
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+xI am just laughing at Roy Masters claim that the light rail will solve the traffic/access issues at Moore park. It won't "solve" issues but it will make it easier to get there and will drastically improve the game day experience.
(VAR) IS NAVY BLUE
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Angus
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+x+xI am just laughing at Roy Masters claim that the light rail will solve the traffic/access issues at Moore park. It won't "solve" issues but it will make it easier to get there and will drastically improve the game day experience. Maybe a couple of trams will carry the SFC game day crowds but I'm talking about the CCM grand final turnouts!
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Derider
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This is 100% a good thing (though I'm still upset they're cutting the capacity of ANZ). $3 billion does sound a lot, but it's not like they're taking food away from the homeless to do it. It's money they would otherwise spend on an upgrade of a park in Goulburn or the beautification of the Bathurst racetrack. Instead they're spending it on sporting infrastructure that will be particularly useful for football. Plus it's a public fuck you to AFL. Why be so glum about it?
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Bibi
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Is it just be or do the designs for Allianz and ANZ look really similar.
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Derider
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+xIs it just be or do the designs for Allianz and ANZ look really similar. I have no idea. Most stadiums look pretty similar to be.
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con m
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+x+xIs it just be or do the designs for Allianz and ANZ look really similar. I have no idea. Most stadiums look pretty similar to be. This comment brought tears to my eyes :-)
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toffeeAU
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In regards to the SFS, the plans look great, I don't think anyone would argue with that. The price is too damn high, obviously.
I could swallow this a whole lot better if the Govt commits/announces to extending the (proposed) Metro West line from the CBD through the Eastern suburbs with a stop right underneath the Moore Park precinct. Even if they end the line at Moore Park. I think that would justify the 45,000 capacity and see much more of a ROI.
The transport infrastructure is slowly getting there. Light rail, though not the complete solution, will help. Westconnex will help connectivity (though could increase congestion) and a Metro heavy rail line would see it be just as well connected as any other major sporting venue. I think there's a certainty that attendances on the whole would go up markedly.
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aussie scott21
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PHIL ROTHFIELD, The Daily Telegraph NRL boss Todd Greenberg says Sydney’s new $2.3 billion stadium deal is a “great result for our clubs, for our fans and for the game”. Your columnist disagrees. The massive investment into ANZ, Allianz and Parramatta stadiums is the final death blow for Sydney’s diehard fans who prefer their traditional Sunday afternoon football at suburban venues. Brookvale, Leichhardt, Shark Park, Campbelltown and Kogarah now have no future. We’re not talking about 2018 but over the next 10 years. By 2030 they’ll be gone. Clubs will have the choice of moving to the flash new state-of-the-art stadiums or dying. Simple as that. Just like the AFL did years ago when the MCG and Etihad replaced Windy Hill, Glenferrie Oval and Princes Park. BUZZ II: Cecchin had to review ‘no try’ BUZZ III: Highlights, lowlights and talking points REBUILD: Sydney to get two new stadiums GREENBERG: New stadium to improve NRL crowds NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has pledged $705 million to rebuild Allianz Stadium. Artist impression.The only difference is the AFL has twice as many members and fans to fill the bigger stadiums plus a transport system that works. If Allianz Stadium is really the “death trap” they’ve been telling us, can you imagine the condition of our old suburban grounds in a decade’s time now that sports minister Stuart Ayres has chosen not to spend money on their archaic facilities. They will be unfit to stage NRL games. Poor old Brookvale is almost at that point now. Don’t get me wrong. The stadium funding deal was a great one for major events. And the government almost got it right. It’s just that there was no need to knock down Allianz and start again with a 45,000-seater when the venue rarely attracts crowds north of 20,000. A smaller venue, similar to the new Parramatta Stadium, which will hold 35,000, would be far more suitable for the Sydney Roosters, Sydney FC, the NSW Waratahs and NRL finals. That way they would save $300 million which could go towards saving our beautiful old suburban venues. Todd Greenberg speaks to the media about Sydney’s new stadium plan.It’s what the fans wanted and what the TV networks wanted. It’s called atmosphere. Tribalism. These big news stadiums will be wonderful venues for rugby league blockbusters, grand finals, Origin, the Socceroos, Sydney’s A-League derbies, the Bledisloe Cup and rock concerts. That’s about 20 games and a few shows every year. It’s the bread-and-butter rugby league fan who will miss out. Think about the 7.45pm kick-offs on Thursdays or 6pm on Friday in the middle of winter. Even if ANZ and Allianz can be converted to the 30,000-seat option for smaller games, there will still be thousands of empty seats and no atmosphere. Fans from the Northern Beaches or the Sutherland Shire will not travel. The same with those from growth areas Campbelltown and Penrith. They like their footy with a beer and meat pies without having to spend three hours in transit to get to the grounds. It’s an invitation to stay at home and watch Fox Sports. So instead of growing attendances like the NRL is hoping, it might bring about a decline. On a personal note, your columnist will always remain a Cronulla Sharks member and season ticket-holder while games are played at Shark Park. If we had to travel into Moore Park for home games, I’m not sure I would. Originally published as New stadiums a blow to suburban grounds
Phil Buzz Rothfield: New Sydney Stadiums at Sydney Olympic Park, Moore Park hurt NRL fans and local suburban grounds | The Courier-Mail
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aussie scott21
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melbourne_terrace
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I find the AFL utterly bland when they all play out of the same two grounds. There is no individual identity, no special home atmosphere or unique characteristics when they all play in the CBD. All that separates them now is what colour they wear and what shit barbershop quartet song they play. At least the NRL keeps things interesting with most teams still mostly playing in their home grounds.
Viennese Vuck
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walnuts
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+xI find the AFL utterly bland when they all play out of the same two grounds. There is no individual identity, no special home atmosphere or unique characteristics when they all play in the CBD. All that separates them now is what colour they wear and what shit barbershop quartet song they play. At least the NRL keeps things interesting with most teams still mostly playing in their home grounds. One of the reasons why I still enjoy going to Geelong games - Kardinia Park is the closest thing the Victorian sides have to a true home ground advantage, and it usually makes a difference to performances. I'd love to see the return of traditional home grounds for the AFL clubs - seeing the Doggies at Whitten Oval would be infinitely better than at Etihad, and more appropriately sized too I daresay.
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aussie scott21
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THE NUMBERS DON'T STACK UP: Why it's a terrible idea to spend $2.3 billion on half-full stadiums Last Friday the NSW government announced it will spend $2 billion to rebuild two football stadiums in SydneyReplacing the 18-year-old Olympic stadium is priced at $1.25 billion – just 3 years ago its operators were asking for $350 million for upgradesThe government says it’s an investment in tourism, but even Western Sydney’s councils say the money could be better spent.
The NSW government announced plans last week to demolish the 18-year-old Sydney Olympic Stadium at Homebush, and Sydney Football Stadium at Moore Park, which opened in 1988 during Australia’s bicentenary. They will be rebuilt at a cost of $2 billion. At a reduced size of 75,000 seats at Homebush, and the same size, 45,000, next to the SCG, that works out at just under $17,000 a seat. Add the new 30,000-seat Parramatta stadium for $300 million and the total cost is $2.3 billion. That figure is more than twice the amount allocated towards support for private sector social and affordable housing projects. The total cost has already blown out by $700 million in 18 months, up nearly 50% on the $1.6 billion price tag when then-premier Mike Baird first floated the idea and put $600 million aside for it. It’s also the second change of heart on the future of the SFS, also known as Allianz Stadium, after Baird shifted in April last year from a rebuild to refurbishing it. But you can bet the two things taxpayers won’t see from NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian and sports minister Stuart Ayers as a result of this announcement are the business case and cost benefit analysis. On Friday, Ayers said they haven’t even looked at the idea of a closed roof, something the Olympic stadium asked for three years ago. When Berejiklian called the new designs “Colosseum-inspired”, she undoubtedly missed the irony in her comment, but you can bet many will consider her Nero in this new Rome. The government is talking about this as an investment in tourism. I’m sure the broader tourism industry experienced similar levels of largesse. Even the people this is supposed to be for are astonished and it would seem ungrateful. The Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (WSROC) resorted to sarcasm saying it wanted to “congratulate the NSW Government on making the state so prosperous it can afford to splurge $2 billion knocking down perfectly useable stadiums”. WSROC President Cr Stephen Bali said it “makes an absolute mockery of real community needs. It implies that major events are more important to the Government than health, schools and transport.” Bali said that amid an obesity and chronic disease epidemic the focus should be on upgrading local sports grounds and improving sports participation. “Western Sydney has billions of dollars’ worth of backlogs on the social infrastructure needed to meet basic liveability aspirations,” he said. “We have severe transport infrastructure backlogs, a critical shortage of commuter car parks, and a lack of lifts at rail stations to help our most vulnerable access public transport.” And as he points out, why is a government normally so fond of public–private partnerships for infrastructure projects (eg WestConnex) so focused on going it alone for this job? Arts v sportMeanwhile, just across the grass from Parliament House is the Art Gallery of New South Wales, which released its annual audience figures showing growth of nearly 24% to just under 1.6 million visitors in 2016-17. The gallery wants to double its size in a $450 million expansion known as the Sydney Modern Project. The Berejiklian government has offered $244 million towards the idea. Of course the relocation of the Powerhouse Museum to Western Sydney is another pet government project awaiting a business case and funds. But to put those art gallery figures in perspective, last year the combined total crowd at ANZ Stadium was around 1.04 million. In July, The Daily Telegraph reported that “redevelopment of ANZ Stadium has blown out from its original price tag of $750 million to at least $1.1 billion” and could be as high as $1.7 billion. The figure quoted by the government now is $1.25 billion. So in the 18 months since Baird first proposed the ANZ Stadium rebuild, the cost has already increased by roughly the same amount as the entire Art Gallery project. Around 200,000 people pay to see the Archibald Prize-annually, so when it comes to tourism, why is the government’s priority football and not the arts? Instead the gallery is relying on private philanthropy to get the job done. The football stadiums? The government sold off the Land and Property Information service to pay for it. It’s even more remarkable because just three years ago, ANZ Stadium’s upgrade proposal was priced at comparatively reasonable $350 million. The plan for the 80,000 seat venue included a retractable roof and movable goal-end grandstands and additional seating to fill in the arc along the sidelines. The latest decision is a massive win for the all-powerful Sydney Cricket Ground Trust – think Liberal heavyweights such as Tony Shepherd, Maurice Newman, Barry O’Farrell and Alan Jones. But if they’d bothered to ask fans and members what they wanted, they’d probably prefer to pay less than $7.50 on a meat pie, $6.20 on hot chips and $5 on a bottle of water, as well as lower ticket prices since they were not invited into the corporate suites that ring the ground. Victoria’s MCG, which waited until 2005 to rebuild its 1956 Olympics stand, has pies and water at $4 each. The proposed cost is astonishing, even by Sydney property standards – and anyone who’s watched the cost of WestConnex balloon by several billion dollars from the original $10 billion estimate knows these projects will go higher too. The term most heard amongst business people in Sydney’s CBD following the announcement is “white elephant”. Just remember that a real elephant has a longer lifespan than the average Sydney building previously deemed “iconic” by the government. The shelf life of the new stadiums should also be kept in mind when factoring in the cost to taxpayers, just in case another government isn’t convinced that $2 billion taxpayers are about to spend will no longer be “world class” in 20-30 years. But the expenditure on these to sites is even harder to justify when you look at the costs compared to spectator numbers. Falling crowdsNRL and rugby union crowds are in a slump. NRL CEO Todd Greenberg may argue that this will bring back crowds, but that leaves just three venues to do a lot of the heavy lifting. The Daily Telegraph’s sports editor-at-large, Phil Rothfield, has been a loud and vocal critic of the code for what it costs to go to games. In a column earlier this year, Rothfield said the reason NRL crowds have fallen 10% in the last five years is because the league had priced people out of “a working class game”. He thinks the government’s decision spells the end for suburban footy grounds such as Manly’s Brookvale Oval which has been in urgent need of upgrades for several years. It will be interesting to see what ticket prices are in $2.3 billion worth of stadia. While there will be arguments about the oval configuration of Sydney Olympic keeping away fans, it’s clear from looking at the numbers that when the game is good enough, the crowds are are happy to be there. When the Socceroos played their do-or-die World Cup qualifier against Honduras earlier this month, 77,060 people turned up. That number was beaten by the NRL grand final with a crowd of 79,722. In August, 54,846 long-suffering Wallabies fans turned up to watch up to watch the side lose by 20 points to the All Blacks, although that was the lowest ever for a match against the Kiwis at the venue. In between, the crowds range from about 6,000 – less than 10% of the stadium’s capacity, to 21,500 – around of quarter of its capacity – for NRL games. That suggests it’s not the venue that’s the problem, but the product. Back in September, the NRL had the two lowest attendances for finals football in six years, despite the fact that they tried to lure fans with free transport, discount tickets and food offers. And while just 15,408 went to a finals game at Allianz Stadium – a third of the capacity of the $705 million new stadium – next door at the SCG, a sold-out record crowd of 46,323 watched AFL. Crowds at Allianz, home ground of the Roosters, ranged between 7,000 and 16,000 this season. The average crowd sits at just over a third of the stadium’s capacity. The slide in NRL crowds is modest compared to rugby. In just two years, the average crowd at a Waratahs games has fallen by a third. In 2015, it was 22,463 per match. This season, it plummeted to 14,500. That means it would take more than 3 games combined to fill the $750 million stadium rebuild planned. At one game at Allianz against the Jaguares, just 10,992 people turned up on a Saturday night – after 32,987 watched the Swans v Gold Coast at the SCG. The best crowd the venue had all year was 41,546 for the A-League grand final between Sydney and Melbourne Victory back in May. But this isn’t just a Sydney phenomenon. Overall, crowds numbers are down nationally. Only the A-League is defying the crowd trend for sport on rectangular fields. So just who is the government doing this for? They say fans, but in that case it would be cheaper to buy every fan a $1000 large screen TV since that’s where you’ll find most of them enjoying the sport. But the next time the Berejiklian government says it hasn’t got the money for a project, keep the stadium announcement in mind.
THE NUMBERS DON'T STACK UP: Why it's a terrible idea to spend $2.3 billion on half-full stadiums | Business Insider
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Burztur
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This is a nice quote for us: Only the A-League is defying the crowd trend for sport on rectangular fields.
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bettega
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It's saying something when even a non-descript, drab game like Swans vs Gold Coast gets many more spectators than the other codes.
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P&R will fix it 2.0
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Berejiklian's decision to rebuild Sydney stadiums for $2 billion 'political poison', MPs warnUpdated There is growing opposition to the State Government's decision to spend $2 billion knocking down and re-building both Sydney Olympic and Sydney Football stadiums, with NSW Liberal and Nationals MPs privately expressing anger and concern over the plan. A petition on Change.org calling on Premier Gladys Berejiklian to "stop wasting money", started by sports commentator and former Wallaby Peter Fitzsimmons, has gathered more than 62,000 signatures in less than 48 hours. "We are tired of taxpayer dollars being lavished on building facilities for sports big business, while community sport withers on the vine for lack of facilities and resources," Mr Fitzsimmons said. Sports Minister Stuart Ayres has been on a media blitz this morning defending the decision. He told ABC Sydney: "I think the key point for us is that over a 20-year period NSW has gone from being the best-placed state to host sport and major events in Australia, to just about the worst-placed state." Politically, it is dividing the State Government with many backbenchers seething over the plan. The ABC has spoken to dozens of Lower and Upper House MPs and all bar one raised their concern about the decision, while their anger was palpable. "It's a f***ing disgrace." "It's political poison." "This will kill us." "This is a terrible decision." "It's crap." "It's all about Stuart [Ayres] holding Penrith but I don't think it will help him and it's given Labor a war chest."
'It will be used against us'The Members did not hold back. Some said they have received dozens of emails from constituents others said only a few emails and phone calls have come in, but they expect that to grow. One member from a safe Liberal seat said: "It's a bit prickly fronting up to a school waiting in line for funding and looking at $2 billion on stadiums." A number of senior MPs raised their concern about the narrative this creates for the Opposition. "It will be used against us in every other decision we make," one said.
"Labor has a narrative they can use every day until the next election … 'you can't have that money for the school but you can have $2b on stadiums,'" said another. The growing resentment amongst Coalition backbenchers is the last thing the Premier needs. Her predecessor Mike Baird faced similar resentment when he made the decision to ban greyhound racing, a decision he was forced to reverse three months later. At the time, party members were unhappy he made the decision and didn't take it to the partyroom for a vote. Ms Berejiklian has now done the same thing and that's put her team offside. Premier's relationship with MPs being testedOne Liberal said: "It's crap, there was no consultation with the party, at the end of the day we have to win an election, people want their schools and hospitals, not knocking down a 17-year-old stadium." The ABC was also told senior Cabinet ministers voiced their objection to the decision when it was made two weeks ago, including Treasurer Dominic Perrottet. The problem for the Premier is her ministers will fall into line, but the backbenchers are not as easily pleased. This Government is now seven years in, and relationships between the Premier and her MPs are being tested. They're wary of a greyhound-style revolt from the community and wary their leader won't listen. These are the MPs needed to sell the plan, but it's difficult when 98 per cent of them don't support it. Former Labor premier Bob Carr told the ABC last week: "Like the greyhound decision, it's going to haunt this government until it's revised."
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RBBAnonymous
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As much as I love the need for football stadiums and infrastructure for sporting teams I TOTALLY OPPOSE this new plan by the State government. The previous plan and the dollar spend was more than adequate. They will get heavy opposition to this at the next state election.
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sydneyfc1987
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+xAs much as I love the need for football stadiums and infrastructure for sporting teams I TOTALLY OPPOSE this new plan by the State government. The previous plan and the dollar spend was more than adequate. They will get heavy opposition to this at the next state election. It's a move that shows a remarkable level of naivety. Thanks in no small part to the lockout laws, selling off of housing commission in inner Sydney ect, the NSW Libs has been labelled as a government puppeteered by property developers and wealthy elites. This move does little to change the public's opinion. Labor will almost certainly win the next election now, which imo is a shame because this government has finally got the ball rolling on a number of transport infrastructure projects that are two decades behind thanks to labor's previous stint.
(VAR) IS NAVY BLUE
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The Fans
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Complete insanity. bigger waste of money than the NBN.
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Burztur
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Political suicide. Can see all those Lib and Nat MPs on marginal seats staging a revolt.
I'm all for a new rectangular ANZ but the way in which it has come about with Allianz etc is not going to sit well with the electorate.
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aussie scott21
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NRL boss holds taxpayers to ransom over controversial $2billion stadium rebuild by threatening to move the Grand Final away from Sydney - so how much money is HE handing over?- NRL chief Todd Greenberg threatened to take the Grand Final away from Sydney
- Said league's commitment to New South Wales 'contingent' on stadium rebuild
- Controversial $2billion plan to build new stadiums under increasing pressure
By MAX MARGAN FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA PUBLISHED: 06:04 GMT, 5 December 2017 | UPDATED: 08:27 GMT, 5 December 2017 NRL chief Todd Greenberg says he will take the Grand Final away from Sydney unless the taxpayer-funded $2billion plan to build two new stadiums goes ahead. Mr Greenburg said the league's commitment to New South Wales was 'contingent' on the delivery of the state government's proposal to upgrade ANZ and Allianz Stadiums. 'That means a new stadium at Homebush Bay and a new stadium at Moore Park,' he told The Daily Telegraph. 'Without the stadium agreement, we would have to do the best thing by the game and take matches interstate. NRL chief Todd Greenberg (pictured) has threathened to take the Grand Final away from Sydney Mr Greenburg said the league's commitment to New South Wales was 'contingent' on the delivery of the under fire proposal to upgrade ANZ and Allianz Stadiums. The new design (pictured) for ANZ stadium will pull fans in much closer to the pitch 'We would need to do the best thing for the game and that means generating more revenue from the other states which are willing to pay to host [them].' The government's plan, announced last month, includes a new 45,000 seat arena to replace Allianz stadium at Moore Park by 2021. A 75,000 capacity stadium would also be built by 2022 after the 17-year-old Sydney Olympic Park facility is knocked down. But there is growing opposition for the plan, with the governments' political opponents and sports fans in general voicing their disapproval. The government's plan, announced last month, includes a new 45,000 seat arena to replace Allianz stadium. An artist's impression of the proposed rebuild is pictured 'Without the stadium agreement, we would have to do the best thing by the game and take matches interstate,' Mr Greenberg said NSW Opposition leader Luke Foley on Tuesday labelled the new spending proposed by the coalition government a 'monumental waste of taxpayer dollars'. Greens sports spokesman Justin Field said: 'The revelation the $2 billion cost is almost half of what was spent on all of the 2000 Olympics infrastructure show it's a terrible deal for the NSW taxpayer.' Meanwhile, an online petition protesting the plan has been signed by more people than the proposed new Olympic Stadium could hold. The petition, which was launched at the weekend, recommends $1 billion instead be spent improving grassroots facilities in communities across the state. As of Tuesday afternoon it had been signed just under 120,000 times.Todd Greenberg threat to pull NRL Grand Final from Sydney | Daily Mail Online
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aussie scott21
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John Barilaro finds Sydney stadiums a tough sell to regional councilsActing NSW Premier John Barilaro found himself confronted with a tough crowd as he attempted to spruik the government's controversial $2.3 billion Sydney stadium policy to a room of mayors and councillors, many from the state's regional areas. Mr Barilaro was booed and heckled as he described the government's decision to knock down and rebuild both the Allianz Stadium at Moore Park and ANZ Stadium at Sydney Olympic Park. Delivering the keynote address to the annual NSW local government conference on Tuesday, he said the decision was not a "country versus city investment". Petition to scrap $2 billion stadium upgradeCritics of the plan to demolish and rebuild Sydney's main sporting stadiums are hoping a petition will help scrap the plan. Mr Barilaro, who is also the minister for regional development, made the remarks as part of a broader speech which endeavoured to sell the government's commitment to the bush. "We all know the [ANZ] stadium was built for a unique purpose, and that was the Sydney Olympics," Mr Barilaro told the conference. "What we are seeing now is an investment by the NSW government to build not just a stadium but a venue, to make sure Sydney remains, and NSW remains, a sporting destination, a venue destination, a tourism destination, which is important for the economy and growing jobs." But he was momentarily interrupted by booing and heckles of "waste of money" from some members of the audience, which was comprised of representatives from most of NSW's 128 councils, 95 of which are outside of Sydney. The government has faced considerable backlash over the revised stadium policy since announcing it last month. The announcement was a departure from the more modest $1.6 billion commitment made by former premier Mike Baird to upgrade the former Olympic stadium known as ANZ at Olympic Park, and spend leftover funds re-fitting the 30-year-old Allianz Stadium at Moore Park. Leader of NSW National party John Barilaro has defended the government's controversial Sydney stadium rebuild policy as not a "city versus country investment". Photo: Kate GeraghtyLithgow Mayor Stephen Lesslie, an independent, said Mr Barilaro's remarks were met with "ripples of derisive laughter" at the conference. Cr Lesslie said in the Lithgow community the stadium policy was being "treated with contempt". "It's a complete waste of money. We've got rural fire services, dams, water, sewage, forests, all of these matters that city councils don't have to deal with and a small ratepayer base to draw on." Snowy Monaro Regional Council's mayor John Rooney said the money would be better spent on regional transport infrastructure. "It's just very unfortunate to be rebuilding relatively modern stadiums in Sydney when the transport needs of regional NSW are being neglected," he said. However, councillors from the NSW-Victorian border had a different view. Cr Gail Law said residents who lived inside the Federation Council local government area were "virtually Victorians" and could see the benefits of Melbourne's sporting culture. "I think if Sydney wants to stay with the game, they need to do that," she said. Federation council deputy mayor Shaun Whitechurch said "being down near the border we can see Melbourne is really going hard and attracting so much tourism". Mr Barilaro said the government had committed to investing $1.3 billion in regional NSW, in addition $300 million as part of a regional tourism fund.
John Barilaro finds Sydney stadiums a tough sell to regional councils
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aussie scott21
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Heather McNab, CENtRAL THE original architect of Allianz Stadium has called for the sporting structure to be saved amid a furious debate over the State Government’s controversial decision to knock it down. Professor Philip Cox, who designed the landmark stadium in 1986 as part of the Government’s Bicentennial project, is supporting a growing campaign to save the landmark stadium from being demolished. “It is a fine building of the 20th century and an icon of Sydney which should be preserved,” Prof Cox told Central Sydney. Professor Philip Cox has called for Allianz Stadium to be preserved.Prof Cox’s comments follow the Government’s decision to knock down and rebuild both Allianz and ANZ stadiums at a cost of $2.3 billion. The announcement has attracted significant criticism from the community, multiple levels of government and reportedly even within Ms Berejiklian’s own cabinet. Calls have been made for the money to be invested in more sporting fields around the state.  NSW govt defends stadium rebuilds Lord Mayor Clover Moore praised the stadium’s design. “Allianz Stadium’s beautiful warping curves have graced our skyline since 1988 and perfectly complement the Sydney Cricket Ground,” she said. “Much of this process has been hidden from the public. We have not seen the business case for this project, nor reasons why the Government wants to embark on a $2.5 billion spending spree, rather than undertaking sensible and significantly cheaper refurbishments,” she said. Philip Cox was the original architect of Allianz Stadium which was designed for a Bicentennial project in 1986 and built in 1988.An online petition calling on the government to scrap the decision has garnered more than 114,000 signatures. Heffron state Labor MP Ron Hoenig called on Sports Minister Stuart Ayres to provide a business case, Environment Impact Statement and to undertake an independent expert assessment, possibly with Prof Cox. Mr Ayres hit back at critics of the plan this week. “If we don’t invest in these facilities, we put at risk that critical revenue supply for our state and the jobs of one in 23 people who rely on the events sector,” he said. Lord Mayor of the City of Sydney Clover Moore praised the stadium’s design.“The Sydney Football Stadium no longer meets modern standards. The structure and age of the building would not allow a refurbishment to deliver the required improvements,” he said. NRL boss Todd Greenberg has also threatened to pull the code’s grand final out of NSW if the state government doesn’t follow through.
Save my stadium: Allianz’s original architect Philip Cox joins debate over ‘icon of Sydney’ | News Local
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aussie scott21
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it sucks Cox. Not a fan.
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aussie scott21
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'Dear XX': Minister reveals key complaints over $2.5b stadium planSports Minister Stuart Ayres has zeroed in on two key complaints about his controversial $2.5 billion sports stadium announcement in arming government MPs with information to respond to public concerns. MPs were emailed template letters and talking points on the policy on Friday as community debate over the merits of the spending intensified following the announcement by Mr Ayres and Premier Gladys Berejiklian a week earlier. Sydney stadiums cost could build half an OlympicsThe $2.5 billion plan to knock down and rebuild ANZ, Allianz and Parramatta stadiums is being met with rising opposition. The government has announced it will demolish and rebuild ANZ Stadium at Sydney Olympic Park, Allianz Stadium at Moore Park and Parramatta Stadium. About $2 billion of that will be spent on ANZ and Allianz, sparking criticism from some quarters, including the state opposition, which has said the money would be better spent on health and education. Tony Shepherd said Allianz Stadium "doesn't meet modern safety standards". Photo: Wolter PeetersMinisters commonly issue talking points and "standard letters" to MPs after a major announcement. The letters issued by Mr Ayres seek to address the specific concerns about the cost of the policy and the proposal to knock down and rebuild Allianz.
A letter for constituents with an "issue with cost" portrays the spending as "an investment into our vital tourism industry, which is worth $33.2 billion per year to the NSW economy and supports more than 160,000 jobs". A letter designed for those with an "issue with replacing Allianz Stadium" argues: "To compete globally and attract national and international events, our stadiums must have the most modern facilities that offer a great experience for fans". Sports Minister Stuart Ayres has sent MPs talking points and standard letters to respond to concerns about the stadium plan. Photo: Daniel Munoz"This investment will drive growth in the visitor economy, realise the economic and social benefits of a strong cultural and sporting sector, and support liveability for the people of NSW," it says. A third letter is described as for "general" use. Mr Ayres said: "Of course I provide information to MPs on public policy." The public backlash has prompted the chairman of the Sydney Cricket and Sports Ground Trust Tony Shepherd to defend the plan for Allianz – also known as the Sydney Football Stadium – which is under his control. In an opinion piece for Fairfax Media, Mr Shepherd describes the plan as a "bold announcement to fix problems created in the 1980s". Echoing comments previously made by Mr Ayres about a lack of women's toilets and food outlets, Mr Shepherd said the stadium was "built in a different era". "Back then it hosted only male players, a time when your average league player was a labourer, a milkman or garbo who played footy on the weekend," he said. Mr Shepherd said the stadium "doesn't meet modern safety standards, the venue is rusted and ageing" and unfit to be simply renovated. 'Dear XX': Minister reveals key complaints over $2.5b stadium plan
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P&R will fix it 2.0
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Sydney stadiums debate shows sport's political power is not what it once was - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) OpinionSydney stadiums debate shows sport's political power is not what it once was By David Rowe, Western Sydney University Updated Less than two decades after Sydney hosted the Olympics, its sports infrastructure is back in the national consciousness. The New South Wales Government has come in for heavy criticism over its plan to knock down and rebuild the Olympic Stadium in Sydney's west and the Sydney Football Stadium, which sits in the east alongside the Sydney Cricket Ground. The cost? Somewhere above $2 billion. Suddenly, the media-sport-politics machine cranked up in earnest. A debate beyond the fieldSydney Morning Herald columnist and sport aficionado Peter FitzSimons reported that his article criticising the decision elicited the strongest reaction to anything that he had written in the paper over three decades. There followed a change.org petition and a welter of unfavourable publicity reaching well beyond Sydney. Even the NSW Opposition Leader, Luke Foley, broke out of the state political freezer to press his criticisms on national radio. This was, for Mr Foley, a matter of west versus east, education and health versus big sport, and the State Government pandering to its elite mates on the Sydney Cricket and Sports Ground Trust. Its trustees include the influential broadcaster Alan Jones and uber-conservative businessman Maurice Newman. Sport Minister Stuart Ayres had, by then, rolled out the familiar justifications that Sydney was falling behind the likes of Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth in its big event infrastructure.
This was not just a matter of civic pride, but of jobs in the event sector. And, in any case, Mr Ayres claimed the cost was only 1 per cent of planned five-year expenditure on health and education. The sport-friendly local tabloid, The Daily Telegraph, editorially supported him with the unequivocal opinion: "Spending $2 billion on revamping our sports stadiums is a good thing." Judging by the amplified negative response, this riposte was finding the going hard. Is sport's political power fading?What does all this claim and counter-claim over public investment in infrastructure tell us about sport, politics and economics? First, it appears that sport does not have quite the privileged place at the front of the public trough queue it once occupied.
Whereas once there would have been a great deal of flowery language about sport's unchallenged place in Australian hearts, the justification for the funding priority given to two large enclosed sport spaces has been almost entirely economic. In Australia, as elsewhere in the world (especially North America), cities have been drawn into a place-marketing competition in which private sport concerns demand public subsidies. If governments don't stump up the cash through building facilities, offering tax incentives and other inducements, sport franchises and signature events threaten to relocate. In Sydney's case, one threat is that it may lose major events like the NRL grand final if it does not do what is expected of it by those who run the game. That many locals seem prepared to run that risk suggests that sport cannot simply appeal to its intrinsic worth as a substitute for reasoned argument. But, if there is some well-founded scepticism about sport being unimpeachably good for the soul, it also seems that many people have become wary of the case that it is beneficial for the wallet. 'Cavalier' attitudes to public moneyThe seemingly hard-headed world of sport event economics has been frequently exposed as a fantasy island of rubbery figures, optimistic projections and misleading extrapolations. Building sport infrastructure has become enmeshed with all the other contentious projects that are currently underway in Sydney. The best known of these is the $17 billion (and rising) WestConnex road network expansion.
The Australian auditor-general has been highly critical of the cavalier way in which public funds were committed at the behest of governments and interest groups. Public transport advocates have bemoaned its lost opportunities. The information-light argument that has been made for the Sydney stadium rebuilds has, it appears, a similar level of substance to WestConnex. substituting "sport and jobs" for the "roads and jobs" mantra has been met with much cynicism, especially when more imaginative, lower-key ways of spending $2 billion on sport and other socially beneficial areas are being canvassed. Building up suburban, community-based sport facilities, reducing junior sport registration costs, advancing school classroom renovation timetables and restoring the embattled technical and further education system have all been suggested as better ways of spending on the public good out of the proceeds of privatisation. Working out who should benefit from public funding inevitably raises questions of need and privilege. The NSW Coalition Government's efforts to keep both sides of town happy across the east-west divide has left it uncomfortably astride the M4 motorway that it is widening in the name of WestConnex. Sport stadium debates, like the contests they stage, can be unpredictable affairs. The fate of governments may stand or fall with the grandstands. David Rowe is emeritus professor of cultural research at Western Sydney University's Institute for Culture and Society. Originally published in The Conversation
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Paul01
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Luke Foley got it right on Radio National.
there is NO case to knock down and rebuild Sydney Football Stadium. (Aka Allianz) It is hardly ever full for any code.
He highlighted that the SCG Trust are unelected and would get the benefit of government money.
No to a knockdown and rebuild of Allianz.
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Burztur
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+xLuke Foley got it right on Radio National.there is NO case to knock down and rebuild Sydney Football Stadium. (Aka Allianz) It is hardly ever full for any code.He highlighted that the SCG Trust are unelected and would get the benefit of government money.No to a knockdown and rebuild of Allianz. I think the SFS need to be fined a tremendous amount of money for hosting so many events at such a dangerous site. The fine should be $700m and we can then use those funds for the rebuild :)
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Kamaryn
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The SCG Trust, Union, AFL and Sydney FC are going to cost us getting any new stadium (i.e. ANZ as well as Allianz). Pretty damn annoyed.
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P&R will fix it 2.0
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Sydney stadium development sparks debate over costs, but do the leagues and clubs even deserve them?Updated Amid the outrage about the "astronomical price tag" and the tub-thumping of the Stop the Stadiums campaigners, the most significant question about Sydney's proposed $2.5 billion venue redevelopment has been lost. Ask not whether Sydney can afford better places to play rugby league, football and rugby. Ask whether the leagues who administer those sports and the clubs who play them deserve palatial new homes. More than a decade ago, as a Victorian working in the Sydney media, the plan now embraced by the NSW Government seemed as obvious as the rain pouring through the roof at the Sydney Football Stadium. As I wrote then, the Olympic Stadium was famed for a few great moments but despised by week-to-week fans of all codes because of its lack of intimacy and atmosphere. Thus it must kick the AFL to the kerbside and become a rectangle if it was to attract larger crowds for NRL and possibly A-League and Super Rugby games. The SFS and Parramatta Stadium were laughably outdated by contemporary standards, a common problem with the bland cookie cutter stadiums built in the 1980s. Knock them down and build modern facilities that would not only cater for existing crowds but attract more fans and corporate clients. That it took so long for the NSW Government and the various stakeholders to reach this seemingly obvious conclusion says much about the byzantine nature of Sydney sports politics. The SCG Trust is mistrusted and the Sydney Olympic Park Authority lacks authority. Meanwhile sports not only fight each other but also among themselves because clubs have opposing interests. The outcome — lots of grandstanding but few new grandstands. Then there was ingrained resistance of the Sydney public. The self-defeating arguments that Sydney has "unique geographical problems", "rugby league is a TV game", "we've got better things to do" and "we love our suburban grounds — although we don't actually go to them". It was this can't-do attitude, even more than the governmental dithering and petty squabbling between stadium operators that surprised me when I dared suggest Sydney fans deserved better stadiums. Back then, however, I assumed the various codes would unlock their potential or heighten demand and crowds would increase. Just as — Sydney sports fans will hate to hear — the AFL had done when it moved from relatively poorly populated suburban venues to impressive new or refurbished stadiums. There is compelling evidence that better stadiums help improve attendances. But even as the NSW Government ticks every box on the stadium wish list, it is hard to make a case that the three codes that would benefit from redevelopment have done enough to grow their games and, in turn, justify such extravagant expenditure. The historic bungling by Sydney's three rectangular codes is exemplified by how the AFL's savvy lobbyists snatched the lion's share of stadium funding from under their noses. The NRL, FFA and ARU, or their predecessors, stood by as the southern interlopers occupied the Olympic Stadium, won funding for the redevelopment of the SCG and built Blacktown Olympic Park (subsequently abandoned) and the Showgrounds Stadium. All while NRL clubs were getting meagre grants to put another lick of paint on crumbling suburban fortresses attended by relatively meagre crowds. The NRL has made some attempts to take its sport beyond its hard-core constituency and grow the game. Membership models have improved somewhat and some blockbuster games have been initiated. Yet rugby league won't cut the cord with the self-interested club war lords, muck-raking media crisis merchants and underworld figures who cast a pall over a brilliant game now played close to its optimal level. A game with big stadium potential is thus retarded by its small-minded suburban past. After a promising start, the A-League has stagnated, even as the standard of the games improve. The Western Sydney Wanderers' belated inclusion and inevitable popularity made the case for a new Parramatta Stadium compelling. But the current lack of momentum invites scepticism Sydney FC would fill a flexible new SFS in "championship", "club" or even "wet day against the Wellington Phoenix" mode. Rugby? You can understand why former Wallaby Peter FitzSimons initiated an anti-stadiums petition that has more than 120,000 signatories. To a Waratahs fan, investing in anything more than a new shoe box to accommodate dwindling crowds would seem an indulgence. FitzSimons has pushed predictable populist buttons by suggesting $2.5 billion would be better spent on hospitals, schools and other infrastructure. The argument is valid, perhaps even inarguable, although I suspect it would not seem so compelling had stadium building commenced earlier and expenditure been spread over many years. Instead the one fat, seemingly extravagant $2.5 billion price tag is an easy target for those who believe Sydney had its chance to get better stadiums when it built new venues at Moore Park and Parramatta and won the Sydney Olympics and blew it. No do-overs! The irony is that Sydneysiders have long been ridiculed for their fickle sporting allegiance. Now some are passionate about a sporting cause — they are determined to ensure their city does not have better stadiums. Meanwhile thousands nestle into comfortable seats with superb sightlines at Adelaide Oval, the MCG, Lang Park and, soon, the new Perth Stadium and enjoy the game.
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aussie scott21
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NSW must build stadiums or be left at the mercy of football codesIn the 17 years since the Sydney Olympics, every Australian capital city with major sports content, except Sydney, has rebuilt old stadiums or constructed new ones. Allianz Stadium, on the edge of Sydney's CBD, will no longer be guaranteed safe after 2018, while ANZ Stadium at Homebush in the city's west has been a compromised facility since it was built for the 2000 Games. New digs: An artist's impression of what the new Allianz Stadium will look like. The stadium is built entirely on SCG Trust lands. Photo: SuppliedShould the NSW government cancel its plan to spend $2 billion rebuilding both stadiums, Sydney will be left with three facilities suitable for AFL (SCG, ANZ and the Giants' boutique stadium at Homebush) and two rectangular stadiums for rugby league, rugby union and soccer (an unsafe Allianz and a 30,000-seater at Parramatta). This will leave Sydney in last place in the race among Australian capitals to stage major sporting events, such as grand finals, State of Origin matches, Bledisloe Cups and soccer's World Cup events. Lights up: An artist's impression of a new Allianz stadium during a Roosters game. Furthermore, the NSW capital will not compete on the world stage for events such as the FIFA 2023 Women's World Cup, the 2025 British and Irish Lions Tour, the 2027 Rugby World Cup, along with top music events. The NSW government will be at the mercy of the major football codes, rather than the reverse. When the ARU was forced to decide between the Melbourne Rebels and the Perth-based Western Force to cut from its SANZAAR competition, the Victorian government told the code it would not release any money from its well-funded major events budget if the Rebels were axed. Faced with no government support for Bledisloe Cup matches and visiting international teams for possibly a decade in Australia's second-biggest city, the ARU yielded to the Victorian government. If, however, the NSW government reneges on its two stadia rebuild, the NRL will withdraw from the agreement to stage the next 25 grand finals in Sydney. With former Queensland premier Peter Beattie expected to replace John Grant as chair of the ARL Commission in February, NRL grand finals will be shopped around the country, with Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium a likely venue. The Queensland government has become more aggressive in the past five years bidding for events. Big show: An artist's impression of a new Allianz stadium during a Waratahs game. Photo: SuppliedNSW has already lost to Queensland the status as dominant rugby league state, being beaten on most indices of success. The trend will continue unless fans of the Eels, Bulldogs, Wests Tigers and Rabbitohs fill modern rectangular stadiums, allowing these clubs to spend gate receipts on junior development. Perth, with a new stadium and minus an elite rugby union tenant, will also join the bidding race. Western Australia is in the process of spending over $1 billion on a new sporting precinct. Sydney has been under threat for more than a decade from Melbourne's easily accessible infrastructure, centring on the 100,000-seat MCG and justifying its self-proclaimed status as the sporting capital of the known universe. As Destinations NSW chair John Hartigan says, "Sydney's position as the gateway to Australia is under threat from the twofold restrictions imposed by the limitations of Sydney airport [a curfew and shortage of slots] and the lack of facilities to attract world class events." Hartigan points out that it will take 10 to 12 years to build a second airport at Badgerys Creek and the difficulties of attracting events to the city will compound in that time, should the two stadia not be built. Tourism has moved from a tier-two revenue earner to tier-one status in Australia, particularly with the decline in mining. Tourism is worth $33.2 billion a year to the NSW economy and it supports 164,000 jobs and more than 96,000 businesses in NSW rely on the sector.  Here we go again: ANZ Stadium in Homebush while still being built for the 2000 Games. Photo: Peter Morris PMZ ANZ Stadium and Allianz Stadium, even in their current, inadequate states, host 200 major men's and women's fixtures across five codes every year and both venues attract 3.5 million people per year to major events and a total 17 million precinct visitors. Allianz and ANZ, inject more than $1 billion into the NSW economy every year, meaning the initial $2 billion government investment is repaid in two years. If the state government doesn't invest in these facilities, it puts at risk the supply of critical revenue to NSW that funds schools and hospitals, as well as the jobs of one in 23 people who rely on the events sector. NSW Sports Minister Stuart Ayres has pointed out the $2 billion stadia rebuild is a mere 1 per cent of the $200 billion the state government will invest in health and education over the period ANZ and Allianz are being rebuilt. In other words, the 30-year investment in new stadiums is critical, not only for the long-term success of the visitor economy, but it helps fund health and education services all over the state. Political football has already resulted in two key infrastructure projects in Australia – Melbourne's East-West Link and Perth's Freight Link – being cancelled because of electoral backlash. Transport experts say both will inevitably be built at a massively higher cost. Kicking a hard decision down the road, like the NSW government's investment in the two stadia, only hurts the economy in the long run.
NSW must build stadiums or be left at the mercy of football codes
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aussie scott21
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Premier Berejiklian's Sydney stadium math doesn't stack upThe reaction of Premier Gladys Berejiklian to the stadium protests quite stuns me. She is a fine woman, who I have known personally for 25 years, and for my money has been a great minister, and good Premier ... right up until the issue of the stadiums came up. See, while you were out, it was announced that on top of having knocked down Parramatta Stadium to build a bigger one, her government is also going to knock down both the Olympic Stadium and the Sydney Football Stadiums. All up – while so many publicly funded sectors of the community are crying out for succour – three fine, working stadiums, all within coo-ee of each other in Sydney, are to be knocked down, and rebuilt for around $3 billion. Why Peter FitzSimons is against rebuilding Sydney's stadiumsThe NSW government announced it would be spending $2 billion to reconstruct two of Sydney's major sports stadiums. Fitz lays out his response. I wrote a piece 10 days ago, and started a petition against it saying the bleeding obvious: there is wasteful extravagance, there is ludicrous extravagance, and then there is #StadiumSplurge. And the NSW public overwhelming feels the same, as witness talkback, letters to the editor, and a stunning 140,000 people signing the petition at last count. (As a measure, when I did a similar petition, against the Tom Waterhouse gambling ads extravaganza on the league broadcasts, we got 20,000 signatures over six weeks – and even that helped impress the government enough that the policy was changed.) Back to the Premier's response to the outcry. She has, reportedly, decided to stay the course, telling the Tele, "It is easier not to do anything, and not to build anything. But you can't make decisions thinking about being a premier for this year and next year." A supplied rendering of one of Sydney's proposed stadiums. Her basic theme is the economic benefits of the exercise, consistent with her previous contention that the next two stadiums must be done, as they will generate about $1 billion in revenue annually. "So if you actually take that assumption over two years," she has said, "we're paying back their cost." Premier Berejiklian? You cannot be serious. I have seen correspondence from your parliamentary colleagues making that claim to outraged constituents, but the fact that you make it, is simply gobsmacking. To begin with, the operative number is not what the new stadiums will generate in profits – it is the difference between what the current stadiums are generating now, and what the new stadiums will generate when completed. To be remotely justifiable, those extra profits would have to pay back the extra $2 billion, yes? And you are seriously maintaining that will be done in two years? For your numbers to stack up, you need on average an extra 100,000 people a week, every week, to be turning up to those stadiums, and spending an extra $200 a week, all of which goes into the coffers of the NSW government. Can that possibly be your serious contention? If so, please release the figures. Show us the estimates! And please explain where these 100,000 extra people are coming from, at a time when – here are some numbers of my own – the NRL crowds at the Olympic Stadium, this last season, were at an average of 14,410 in the venue that now holds 83,500 seat venue. Ditto, the SFS, where average NRL crowds were just a smidgen under 14,000. The needs of NRL are often cited as why we need the new stadiums, and all the focus is on the Grand Finals, and the possibility that instead of taking those finals to the nation's biggest market, of Sydney, they'll take them to the third-biggest market, Brissie. (Doesn't sound likely to me, but still.) Either way, grand finals are one thing, but in the meat and potatoes of the regular season the average NRL crowds are under 15,000. So nowis the time to build three new stadiums, for $3 billion?  Here we go again: ANZ Stadium in Homebush while still being built for the 2000 Games. Photo: Peter Morris PMZ I repeat, we surely need to see your numbers to justify it. And while you're at it, if the numbers are actually so great, please explain how, as reported in The Australian there is a "cabinet minute pointing out that the benefit-cost ratio for the projects was well under 1, meaning they would not generate more money than their cost to the state's economy." If the numbers are genuinely so strong, Premier, why does that same report in the Oz note that both your Treasurer and your Finance Minister are against it, in the company of seven Cabinet Ministers, to go with more and more of the back-bench who are now perilously close to open revolt? And if all is hunky-dory, why are some of those same Cabinet Ministers clearly leaking against your government? I repeat: you can build those three stadiums again for $3 billion, or you can win another term. But you cannot do both. And your successor as leader will be the one who stands up most strongly against this madness. Unless, of course, and we all hope so, you listen to the public yourself and stop this. In the arts, as in sportNot that you care, but I also like Tony Shepherd, the Chair of the SCG Trust, and know him reasonably well. A good operator, honest, and well connected, he is behind many major works including the Harbour Tunnel, and among other things is the Chair of the Western Sydney Giants. He knows how to get things done, and my only query is, who must pay for it? Here, for example, were his words at the launch of the plans for Rooty Hill RSL Club Performing Arts Centre, a fortnight ago. "This is a magnificent performing arts centre," he said, "which will excite and draw people from Western Sydney and beyond. It is being built without a cent from the taxpayer and is providing the community with a facility it desperately wants and needs," Mr Shepherd said. "As the former chairman of the National Commission of Audit, [that] there's not a cent of government money in there makes me really happy. Truly happy." Fair enough. But here's the question, Tony. If it makes you happy that taxpayer didn't have to kick in a cent, for a useful and necessary arts centre, and that's one of your key arbiters of personal satisfaction, how can you be in such strong support of knocking down the relatively popular, and modern, Sydney Football Stadium, for a lazy 800 million dollars of taxpayer money? All when, just 18 months ago, the Baird government deemed that an entirely unnecessary exercise? What am I missing?
Premier Berejiklian's Sydney stadium math doesn't stack up
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aussie scott21
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No, Gladys, build it and they won’t comeThe NSW Government has announced it will knock down and rebuild Allianz Stadium at Moore Park at a cost of $700 million and the Olympic Stadium at Homebush, only 17 years old, at a cost of $1.6 billion. However, there is little ‘business case’ evidence that new stadiums would make a material difference to attendances at football games, although Sports Minister, Stuart Ayres argues, “With better quality facilities, more people will come and attend matches.” The politics are terrible for the NSW Premier, Gladys Berejiklian, and her Government. Over 130,000 people have signed an online petition against the proposal in only two weeks. The ABC reported NSW and National MPs were outraged by the weapon handed to the Opposition, quoting one MP as saying, “Labor has a narrative they can use every day until the next election – ‘you can’t have that money for the school but you can have $2 billion on stadiums’.” Where is everybody? On a sunny Sunday, 21 March 2010, a couple of hundred football (aka soccer) fans waited on The Domain for the luxury coach carrying the Sydney FC team to arrive direct from the airport. The previous day in Melbourne, Sydney had won the A-League Grand Final on penalties after extra time when South Korean Byun Sung-hwan scored the winner. A stage had been erected, food trucks arrived and it was a chance to celebrate with the returning heroes. Sydney FC had completed an historic double, delivering the Championship to go with the Premier’s Plate for winning the league, but the obvious question was: where is everybody? In the following season, 2010/2011, the average home attendance was a dismal 8,014, half the number in the first season of 2005/2006. Fast forward seven years and Sydney had not won a trophy in the intervening period. The 2012 excitement of Alessandro Del Piero (record holder for playing the most games for Juventus and 92 caps for Italy) had come and gone. But now something far more special was happening. Sydney FC was playing the best football in its 13-year history. It was an enthralling season of exciting football built around player of the year, Milos Ninkovic. Sydney went on to hold the treble (including the FFA Cup) for the first time and broke records that may stand forever, including winning the league by an unbelievable 17 points. Yet in the middle of that winning 2016/2017 season, Round 19, only 8,380 turned up to watch the Wellington game, and the average main season home game attendance was 16,001. In Del Piero’s first year, 2012/2013, it reached a record average of 18,737. Sydney’s home ground of Allianz Stadium holds 45,500. Where is everybody? Here is football at the highest standard Australia is ever likely to muster, and in the country’s biggest city, the crowds are disappointingly small. What’s it like to watch games at Allianz Stadium? 
In a recent article in The Sydney Morning Herald, the Chairman of the Sydney Cricket and Sports Ground Trust, Tony Shepherd, wrote: “People who claim the stadium is perfectly fine clearly don’t go there. The venue is rusted, ageing and doesn’t meet modern safety standards.” Well, Mr Shepherd, I go there regularly. Watching Sydney FC at Allianz is one of my favourite activities. I am a Foundation Member and I have held a season ticket since 2005. I rarely miss a home game and sometimes travel to away games. I don’t sit in the corporate boxes but prefer the seats with the hoi polloi who sing the songs and love this Sydney team. I want to concentrate on the game, especially when Sydney is so enthrallingly good, rather than entertain guests or sip on champagne while eating canapes. The irony of Mr Shepherd’s claims is that the Trust’s website has a page of endorsements on the wonderful stadium. At the recent FFA Cup Final, I asked a few people near me whether they wanted a new stadium. All said the existing stadium is fine. Allianz is a rectangular field and fans sit close to the action. My season ticket is in the exact place I want. It’s near the halfway line, about 20 rows back under cover, behind where Graham Arnold prowls like an angry leopard. I can see him losing his temper, planning his moves, shouting at players. Heaven. Last year, the Stadium made a stunning improvement. At each end, massive video screens fill the space behind the goals. The replays are excellent, in crystal clear dimensions on the best screens at any ground I’ve attended (and I’ve been to the last three World Cups in Germany, South Africa and Brazil). The food is a poor effort, but that has little to do with the design of the Stadium. It could be significantly improved by realising not all football fans want weak beer for $9 to wash down a $6 meat pie. The toilets are bad and I understand facilities for people with physical disabilities are sub-standard, but they can surely be fixed. A season ticket for Sydney’s 14 homes games for an adult costs as little at $270. It’s far more expensive to watch Paul McCartney for two hours. A modest $20 a game is an entertainment bargain in this expensive city where it costs $70 to park in the CBD for a day. Australians love playing and watching soccer Soccer is by far the largest participation sport in Australia. Reports Roy Morgan Research: “Soccer has been the big winner of the new century so far, gaining almost 200,000 regular participants (up 46 percent to 623,000). Now the most-played competitive sport in Australia, in 2001 soccer was fourth on the list.” Soccer fans also love to watch the game live. The Socceroos recently attracted 77,060 to the final World Cup qualifying game against Honduras. An incredible 163,652 attended two friendly Arsenal games (v Sydney FC 80,432 and v Western Sydney Wanderers 83,221) in July 2017. That’s more than watch Arsenal at their home ground in London. The Liverpool game against Sydney FC in May 2017 drew 72,892, despite Liverpool including several retired players such as Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher. An ageing Steve McManaman was an embarrassment. These games have no competitive meaning and no tension but the public flocks to them. There is simply no comparison with the excitement of a Sydney FC competition game from the reigning champions. Writing as someone who has followed Manchester United for 55 years, most of the fans at the Arsenal and Liverpool games show Euro snobbery and don’t realise how good the local game is. The first game of the 2016/2017 in the A-League was amazing. Sydney FC played Wanderers at ANZ Stadium and a record club crowd of 61,880 turned up. It was a fantastic atmosphere. A few months later, where is everybody? What’s the pool of available fans to attend regularly at Allianz? Sydney FC has only 13,613 members, and it needs a lot of walkups for a decent attendance. The average crowd in 2017/2018 to date is 15,793 but that includes the Sydney home derby at 36,057. The worry is that Sydney has found a new attendance level of about 15,000 for regular games despite playing such excellent football. Only 10,044 watched Sydney play Brisbane recently. A new stadium of 30,000 or 45,000 will have masses of empty seats except at one or two games a year. What about the rugby and league crowds? Allianz is shared with rugby league’s Sydney Roosters and rugby’s NSW Waratahs. In 2017, the NSW Waratahs recorded the lowest crowd in its 21-year history, 10,555 on 26 April 2017. The average for the season was 14,500. In the 11 main season games played by the Sydney Roosters NRL team at Allianz in 2016/2017, the average attendance was 13,971. Worse, what happens during the rebuilding? When it was first announced that Allianz Stadium would be knocked down and rebuilt, the three major tenants said in a statement in April 2016: “When teams are displaced from their established home ground, the impact is negative and of a long-term nature. Some clubs never recover.” Exactly. The Government has indicated it may compensate the clubs while the new stadium is built. Western Sydney Wanderers may continue to suffer from their move away from Parramatta Stadium during its reconstruction. Wanderers now play at Spotless Stadium at Homebush in front of 8,000 people and the fan experience is a shadow of its former glory. What will Sydney do during the rebuild, perish the thought? Three seasons at either Leichhardt Oval in Sydney inner west, Jubilee Oval down south in Kogarah or maybe the Sydney Cricket Ground. Every choice will alienate a large section of the fan base, and neither of the suburban grounds has much parking. Sydney fans from the north will not want to drive to Kogarah, Leichardt is in the crowded inner city with its traffic problems (and building of WestConnex) and the SCG would be a dust bowl of oval-shaped sadness. Little players kicking a ball in the distance on a field where nobody has played soccer for a good reason for many years. Where to from here? Last year, I noticed a small panel of plasterboard near my seat was coming unstuck. I advised Sydney FC and was told that they were only a tenant, and no money is being spent on the stadium because it is likely to be torn down. Little wonder it is ‘rusty and ageing’. All buildings, especially a public stadium built from steel, need maintenance. Mr Shepherd’s article outlined the safety, dressing room and toilet facilities that need fixing. Okay, fix them, maintain the place and find a better use for most of the $700 million. If fans are not turning up to watch the best Sydney FC team in its history, despite the obvious popularity of soccer, a new stadium will do little to improve the numbers. Graham Hand is Managing Editor of the free financial newsletter, Cuffelinks. Cuffelinks publishes insights from market professionals with a focus on investing and superannuation.
No, Gladys, build it and they won't come - Cuffelinks
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aussie scott21
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Its pretty obvious that Bling FC needs a big name to get bums on seats. This wont happen under Arnie so their growth is stunted. Doesnt matter how many games they win. No one is turning up to see a Ninko or Bobo. No one cares.
Arnold even got rid of Janko because he was getting too popular for his liking.
Sure, he is gods gift to core fans but he does nothing to grow your base. Sydney FC needs a Crouch or Del Piero or Drogba. Not a Polish guy no one knows or Matt Simon, its the fan culture around SFC.
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HeyItsRobbie
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+xIts pretty obvious that Bling FC needs a big name to get bums on seats. This wont happen under Arnie so their growth is stunted. Doesnt matter how many games they win. No one is turning up to see a Ninko or Bobo. No one cares. Arnold even got rid of Janko because he was getting too popular for his liking. Sure, he is gods gift to core fans but he does nothing to grow your base. Sydney FC needs a Crouch or Del Piero or Drogba. Not a Polish guy no one knows or Matt Simon, its the fan culture around SFC. and what makes you think those guys are going to come here without earning millions? should ask though, did sydney fc make much money when they had del piero or was it the opposite?
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paulc
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+xIts pretty obvious that Bling FC needs a big name to get bums on seats. This wont happen under Arnie so their growth is stunted. Doesnt matter how many games they win. No one is turning up to see a Ninko or Bobo. No one cares. Arnold even got rid of Janko because he was getting too popular for his liking. Sure, he is gods gift to core fans but he does nothing to grow your base. Sydney FC needs a Crouch or Del Piero or Drogba. Not a Polish guy no one knows or Matt Simon, its the fan culture around SFC. Fair comments
In a resort somewhere
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aussie scott21
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No it won't come cheap but this is where they are now. No visa player who is anywhere near ADP will be cheap. Any marquee who is not near ADP will be considered a nobody and won't help the numbers.
I'm pretty sure he helped with their Facebook likes. Not sure if he helped financially. Probably via sponsorships. "That Australian team Del Perio played for"
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aussie scott21
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Tap wealthy private and corporate donors to help fund new stadiumsAmid the debate regarding plans for new stadiums at Moore Park and Homebush, no one has considered alternatives to relying solely on government funding. It seems that no club or national organisation has been asked to contribute towards the capital costs. On the contrary, teams and sports are instead likely to be the recipient of compensation monies for having to move games away from their traditional home base, and for relocating their administration headquarters during construction. Elite sport plays a vital role in inspiring young Aussies to engage in sport, and major events need suitable stadiums. There are also established economic and social benefits driven by major sporting events. However, sports are becoming increasingly reliant on government funding and a culture of dependency exists in some sports. The "handout" culture mentality within sport needs to be curbed. There is no reason why the SCG Trust couldn't fundraise to help cover the cost of rebuilding Allianz. Photo: Wolter PeetersThere is another way towards offsetting government's contribution for the new stadiums. It involves a pro-active funding partnership with sports fans, club members and their communities where government grants are conditional on project monies being raised via philanthropic and community donations. Examples exist. Earlier this year, Geelong AFL club unveiled its newly built $91 million Brownlow Stand at its Simonds Stadium home. Last Wednesday, the Western Australian Cricket Association announced a $150 million revamp of the WACA ground in Perth. Significantly, both projects are not solely reliant on government grants to fund them. The ANZ Stadium in Homebush under construction for the Olympic games. Photo: Peter Morris PMZAs part of the funding mix, Geelong and the WACA have tapped into an under-utilised available resource – tax-deductible donations in support of these projects in partnership with the Australian Sports Foundation. Geelong raised $12 million in fundraising with the Sports Foundation for its new stand, while the WACA also aims to generate $12 million towards its project. Established by the federal government in 1986 to assist the development of sport, the Sports Foundation is the only body that can provide philanthropists and private and corporate donors with a tax deduction for donations to registered sports projects. Projects range from stadium redevelopments, clubroom and dressing room upgrades and team travel through to funding for state and national-standard athletes. In 2016-17, the Sports Foundation raised $44.75 million for sport – taking total monies raised over the past three years to more than $100 million. There is nothing preventing the SCG Trust, ANZ Stadium, the NRL, Football Federation Australia, Rugby Australia and their various member teams, which use the Sydney Football Stadium and ANZ Stadium as home grounds, from fundraising towards a portion of the capital costs with tax-deductible donations and philanthropic giving. The business, corporate and community networks within each organisation are vast, and they are passionate about sport. It is a matter of tapping into these existing groups. Government-philanthropic tax-deductible funding partnerships already exists within the arts. The NSW government has budgeted $244 million to help the Art Gallery of NSW build its Sydney Modern extension. But the funds are contingent on the gallery fundraising $100 million towards the project. Wealthy Sydney families have already donated $88 million for the new building. As the only body with deductible gift recipient status available to sport, the Sport Foundation stands ready to work with all parties to contribute to the stadiums' costs – just as government has partnered with the gallery. Monies saved via a fundraising partnership with stadium tenants can be directed by government to other needy grassroots community capital works sports projects. Philanthropic and community tax-deductible donations can and should play a major role in facility funding at the SFS and ANZ stadiums to reduce the drain on government funds. Patrick Walker is CEO of the Australian Sports Foundation.
Tap wealthy private and corporate donors to help fund new stadiums
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aussie scott21
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There is a Chinese group that have proposed to build a stadium but FFA dont seem interested.
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chillbilly
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Sydney chairman Andrew Pridham calls on funding help with Swans to lose out over stadium rebuild
THE AFL and the Swans are the big losers in Sydney’s $2 billion stadium rebuild. The first thing the code will be without is the venue which has hosted the 11 largest crowds outside Victoria in the game’s history. The red and white army won’t miss ANZ Stadium, but their club is in for a host of challenges in the coming years which include sharing their home ground with the Sydney Roosters, NSW Waratahs, State of Origin and possibly Sydney FC. The wear and tear alone will restrict their ability to train on their home ground. It’s a squeeze the Swans have been feeling for a long time as they fight for space in the most competitive sporting market in the world. Their practice ground opposite the SCG recently lost one of its wings to Sydney’s light rail project. The Swans are currently training at Sydney Grammar School, running around a heavy roller on their cricket pitch. But the biggest tightening the Swans will feel is in the State Government’s purse strings. They now find themselves well down the queue when it comes to the funding of any future developments at their home ground, including their much-desired training and administration centre. As CEO of the Australian division of Moelis and Company, Swans chairman Andrew Pridham knows how to make money but this could be the toughest assignment of his tenure. His wish list is sensibly modest — new grandstands at the SCG aren’t on it but a new $50 million HQ is. “Our training facility is one of the worst in the AFL,” Pridham said. “(That’s) when you consider the Swans are the biggest tenant at the SCG, we have the biggest supporter group of any sporting club in Australia with 1.2 million. We’re the biggest sporting club in NSW. It’s not unfair that we would look for government support.” The SCG Trust has a blueprint for the replacement of the Brewongle/Churchill and Bill O’Reilly Stands but the Swans aren’t particularly interested in any of them at the moment. “We have no desire for the Brewongle or the Bill O’Reilly stands to be redeveloped, that’s not on our agenda, we’ve never really pushed it,” Pridham said. “Our focus is about our training facilities and ovals so we can get a women’s team going. So we can keep our academy going and our indigenous program going and our senior team.” The Swans’ training and administration facility is way off the pace when it comes to most of the teams in the AFL. Fremantle is spending a staggering $100 million on their new complex and Essendon have a stunning set up at Tullamarine, complete with MCG and Etihad Stadium replicas on which to train. But Pridham and the Swans are aiming for around half that money. “In the context of this stadium strategy our needs are very, very modest,” Pridham said. “We are talking pennies compared to what’s going on elsewhere. We’re important to a lot of people in NSW so we want that reflected. We can’t get a women’s team and grow our academy until we’ve got the facilities. But equally important is we need ovals to train on.”
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bohemia
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+xSydney chairman Andrew Pridham calls on funding help with Swans to lose out over stadium rebuild
THE AFL and the Swans are the big losers in Sydney’s $2 billion stadium rebuild. The first thing the code will be without is the venue which has hosted the 11 largest crowds outside Victoria in the game’s history. The red and white army won’t miss ANZ Stadium, but their club is in for a host of challenges in the coming years which include sharing their home ground with the Sydney Roosters, NSW Waratahs, State of Origin and possibly Sydney FC. The wear and tear alone will restrict their ability to train on their home ground. It’s a squeeze the Swans have been feeling for a long time as they fight for space in the most competitive sporting market in the world. Their practice ground opposite the SCG recently lost one of its wings to Sydney’s light rail project. The Swans are currently training at Sydney Grammar School, running around a heavy roller on their cricket pitch. But the biggest tightening the Swans will feel is in the State Government’s purse strings. They now find themselves well down the queue when it comes to the funding of any future developments at their home ground, including their much-desired training and administration centre. As CEO of the Australian division of Moelis and Company, Swans chairman Andrew Pridham knows how to make money but this could be the toughest assignment of his tenure. His wish list is sensibly modest — new grandstands at the SCG aren’t on it but a new $50 million HQ is. “Our training facility is one of the worst in the AFL,” Pridham said. “(That’s) when you consider the Swans are the biggest tenant at the SCG, we have the biggest supporter group of any sporting club in Australia with 1.2 million. We’re the biggest sporting club in NSW. It’s not unfair that we would look for government support.” The SCG Trust has a blueprint for the replacement of the Brewongle/Churchill and Bill O’Reilly Stands but the Swans aren’t particularly interested in any of them at the moment. “We have no desire for the Brewongle or the Bill O’Reilly stands to be redeveloped, that’s not on our agenda, we’ve never really pushed it,” Pridham said. “Our focus is about our training facilities and ovals so we can get a women’s team going. So we can keep our academy going and our indigenous program going and our senior team.” The Swans’ training and administration facility is way off the pace when it comes to most of the teams in the AFL. Fremantle is spending a staggering $100 million on their new complex and Essendon have a stunning set up at Tullamarine, complete with MCG and Etihad Stadium replicas on which to train. But Pridham and the Swans are aiming for around half that money. “In the context of this stadium strategy our needs are very, very modest,” Pridham said. “We are talking pennies compared to what’s going on elsewhere. We’re important to a lot of people in NSW so we want that reflected. We can’t get a women’s team and grow our academy until we’ve got the facilities. But equally important is we need ovals to train on.” The swans can tell someone who cares. They have a 2.5 billion media deal. Stop going cap in hand to everyone else and pay your own way.
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aussie scott21
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I saw this article the other week. Didnt post it but it is probably more relevant now.  The Swans and Giants faced off at ANZ Stadium in the 2016 qualifying final THE AFL likes to think of itself as Australia’s game and when it comes to any of the football codes, using most of the usual indicators, it is a sentiment that is reasonably close to the mark. But a fortnight ago, when the AFL world gathered en masse in Sydney for its biggest annual non-football event, the 2017 NAB AFL Draft, the League was also served a jolting reminder about how far down the pecking order it is in New South Wales. The NSW state government announced the very same day that it was spending $2.3 billion to rebuild Allianz Stadium, which immediately abuts the SCG in Moore Park, and to all but rebuild ANZ Stadium, the 75,000-seat stadium that was initially built less than 20 years ago for the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. Add the new Western Sydney Stadium that is being built on the site of the former Parramatta Stadium, and that means three new sporting palaces for Sydney will open in the next few years, and more significantly, all rectangular and incapable of hosting AFL football, at least the 18-a-side version we have known and loved for 160 years. The AFL had lobbied, more out of hope than with any real degree of optimism, that the rebuilt ANZ Stadium would retain its oval configuration, so the option remained for staging really large drawing games such as a Sydney derby final or any final involving the Swans or Giants against a club with a large travelling supporter base, in a stadium that seats close to 75,000. Not surprisingly, NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian didn’t buy into that one. The Olympic Stadium is the home of the NRL, the Wallabies and the Socceroos, who all play on rectangular-shaped fields. Pleasing the AFL won’t win votes for any political party at the next election. But there was a reasonable argument that some of that $2.3 billion should have been allocated to the SCG, where both the AFL and Cricket Australia had lobbied for the Brewongle and O’Reilly Stands, both built nearly four decades ago, to be razed then rebuilt. The oval-shaped field sports argued that the various shortcomings that determined that Allianz Stadium needed to be bulldozed and started over applied even more so to the western corner of the SCG. Those two grandstands pre-date the neighbouring Sydney Football Stadium by nearly 10 years. The rectangular-field sports will argue that the NSW government has fairly looked after the AFL (and cricket) in recent years, what with $45 million in 2010 to help redevelop Spotless Stadium as the match-day home for GWS and $97.5 million towards the rebuilt Bradman and Noble stands at the SCG. The Giants' home ground of Spotless Stadium was given a facelift. Picture: AFL Photos And there are countless new AFL-suitable oval fields and accompanying infrastructure sprouting up all over New South Wales, and with more to come. And the reason nearly the entire AFL community decamped to Western Sydney for the draft was due to the largesse of the NSW government. But the plain fact is that within a few years, no AFL game in Sydney will be able to be watched by a crowd of more than 48,000. The Giants might have to put aside their distaste for playing home finals at the SCG in order to maximize crowds, including any home final against the Swans. In NSW, as in Victoria, it might become a case of home state rather home ground finals. The AFL packs plenty of punch in the corridors of power on one side of what Professor Ian Turner once called the 'Barassi Line'. The other side? Well, AFL boss Gillon McLachlan and commission chairman Richard Goyder still have some work to do.
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Lastbroadcast
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The biggest crowd the AFL ever got at Stadium Australia was 72,000.
It’s only happened a handful of times that they have had a crowd figure in excess of the SCG’s current capacity (48k). They’d be lucky to do it once per year. Most of the time when they hold a game there it would be about 50,000 at best.
In their mind the AFL wants to hang on to ANZ for that one big game per year, or for a future sydney derby that draws a huge crowd. That’s a long way off, and it assumes the Giants will get popular.
As for money for the Swans administration and training facilities, the AFL can pay for it themselves. What return does the taxpayer get for that?
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aussie scott21
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+xThe biggest crowd the AFL ever got at Stadium Australia was 72,000. It’s only happened a handful of times that they have had a crowd figure in excess of the SCG’s current capacity (48k). They’d be lucky to do it once per year. Most of the time when they hold a game there it would be about 50,000 at best. In their mind the AFL wants to hang on to ANZ for that one big game per year, or for a future sydney derby that draws a huge crowd. That’s a long way off, and it assumes the Giants will get popular.As for money for the Swans administration and training facilities, the AFL can pay for it themselves. What return does the taxpayer get for that? After cricket, Australian football can build bridges with India - INDIA New England News
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Burztur
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11th largest crowd outside of Victoria...
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Eldar
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Get fucked, let the Victorian government fund AFL.
Beaten by Eldar
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Davo1985
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"But the plain fact is that within a few years, no AFL game in Sydney will be able to be watched by a crowd of more than 48,000. The Giants might have to put aside their distaste for playing home finals at the SCG in order to maximize crowds, including any home final against the Swans. In NSW, as in Victoria, it might become a case of home state rather home ground finals."
That quote sums up I think why we have such a bloody obsession with crowds.
The afl would be happy to get rid of all their club's identities and geographical ground advantage etc just so they can sprout their voices off by announcing a bigger crowd figure at another location. They really are that petulant.
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