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Everything’s falling into place perfectly for Souths’ $32m centre of excellence

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14,937
Sam Burgess and the South Sydney Rabbitohs are closing in on their move to a $32 million home at Maroubra, ending a 109-year tenure at Redfern. SOUTH Sydney Rabbitohs are close to completing their move to a new home at Maroubra after submitting a final funding application for a $32 million Community and High Performance Centre at Heffron Park.

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Sam Burgessurgess in training. Picture: Mark Kolbe/ Getty Images
Rabbitohs chief executive Blake Solly said he was “extremely confident” the club would secure the $15.31 million it was seeking from the State Government NRL Centres of Excellence Program after lodging the papers last Friday.

The cash would be added to $4 million of the club’s own money, plus the $10 million committed by the Federal Government and another $3 million from Randwick Council.

“All NSW-based NRL clubs are bidding for the $40 million funding pot and we’re in that process,” Mr Solly said.

“We certainly feel that, given the support the Federal Government and Randwick Council have put in, and what we’ve done to make sure there will be significant value to community in building the centre, we will do well out of the State Government process.

“We just have to wait now and find out. Once we do that we can get on with the design and development application process ... everyone is very excited.”

The council discussed a draft terms document at last Tuesday’s meeting, detailing the proposed 21-year lease for the Community and High Performance Centre building.

The market value of the rent was independently valued at $110 sq m per annum, with Souths entitled to offset capital contributions, and a subsidy applied to the part of the premises used by the club’s community arm Souths Cares.

The council would also fund the construction of the 14,091sq m oval already approved in the Heffron Park Plan of Management and Masterplan, with community-based groups including Souths Cares to be given access capped at 400 hours a year.

Mr Solly said the proposed length of the lease reflected the club’s commitment to a long-term future at Maroubra.

“We have worked for almost four years to fund and build a centre that the community, club and council will be proud of for a long time,” he said.

“Council have done a wonderful job with making improvements to Heffron to make it the centre of sport for the community, and if we can contribute to that plan then that’s great.”

The Rabbitohs’ lease on their present home at Redfern Oval will expire in 2020, with construction on the Heffron centre expected to take 18 months from the date of approval.

“There’ll be some tears shed when we leave Redfern because it has been the club’s home for a long period of time,” Mr Solly said.

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http://newslocal.newspaperdirect.com/epaper/viewer.aspx
 

Hawkins

Juniors
Messages
1,993
Where is Heffron park in relation to their home ground at Sydney Olympic park in the west-es part of western Sydney?
 

callmack1

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
11,611
Sounds awesome.

As sad as it will be to leave Redfern, this is a good move for the future.
 

Pommy

Coach
Messages
14,657
Where is Heffron park in relation to their home ground at Sydney Olympic park in the west-es part of western Sydney?

33km by road or an hour and 20 minutes drive according to my phone. It is around 8.30 at the time of checking.
 

Pommy

Coach
Messages
14,657
Sharing a home ground with the roosters, Bulldogs, tigers is not a good look. We need our own home ground. Just like the tigers and Bulldogs have. ANZ isn't a true home for south Sydney.

We don't share with roosters but I wish we did.
Unfortunately we're never going to get our own stadium with the cost the cost of property in Sydney it's a non starter.
Still anywhere but ANZ.
 

Pommy

Coach
Messages
14,657
Lottoland, its pronounced Lottoland.

To remind oneself think after playing the lotto and losing you throw the slip in the trash. That stadium represents the trash.

Haha good point. The only reason is prefer ANZ over lotto land is location, its a twat to get too. if it was located someone where more reasonable i would pick it over ANZ.
 

Rabbits20

Immortal
Messages
41,607
Sharing a home ground with the roosters, Bulldogs, tigers is not a good look. We need our own home ground. Just like the tigers and Bulldogs have. ANZ isn't a true home for south Sydney.
Most of our ticketed members live out that way.

It's financially beneficial for the club.

It's facilities are good.

Allianz is a run down hole. I'll take ANZ over Allianz any day.
 

DiegoNT

First Grade
Messages
9,378
We don't share with roosters but I wish we did.
Unfortunately we're never going to get our own stadium with the cost the cost of property in Sydney it's a non starter.
Still anywhere but ANZ.
Surely a redevelopment of the SFS would be viable with roosters, bunnies, sydney fc and the waratahs as tenants? A nice 30k english/Germany styled football stadium
 

Pommy

Coach
Messages
14,657
Surely a redevelopment of the SFS would be viable with roosters, bunnies, sydney fc and the waratahs as tenants? A nice 30k english/Germany styled football stadium

To me it makes perfect sense.
They're building light rail straight from central as well so that removes that issue as well.
It probably won't happen. SFS is getting whatever money is left over from Para and ANZ so with cost overruns it will probably be less than what's in my wallet.
 

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