Race against time to demolish Allianz Stadium before state election
JACOB SAULWICK MAY 19, 2018The Berejiklian government’s controversial plan to build a new stadium at Moore Park is in doubt if it cannot start the demolition of Allianz Stadium before the March election.
With Labor opposed to the construction of a new stadium at the site, any delay to the planning process risks more uncertainty for sporting codes and fans.
Based on the time taken to approve similar projects, the 30-year-old stadium might remain standing in March, even if it does not host a game beyond this NRL season.
Allianz Stadium could still be standing at the time of the state election in March.
Photo: Janie Barrett
Any delay means if there were a change of government, Labor would then have an opportunity to save the stadium, even it was only a shell.
“If they have only gone as far as ripping the seats out and the stadium's still standing, you could fix up the safety issues and put the seats back in,” said Labor’s sports spokeswoman, Lynda Voltz.
When Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Sports Minister Stuart Ayres committed in November to tearing down Allianz, they said construction would start in 2018, and a new stadium open in 2021.
But starting construction on the new stadium proper requires obtaining planning approval for the demolition of the old.
Stuart Ayres initially said rebuilding of the stadium would begin in 2018.
Photo: Daniel Munoz
It took the government 10 months to obtain planning approval to demolish the old Parramatta Stadium.
After starting the planning approval process for demolishing Allianz Stadium last month, a similar timeline would result in approval granted in February, one month prior to the next election.
The Allianz project is, however, significantly more expensive than the Parramatta Stadium project. It is also in a more congested neighbourhood, and likely to raise difficult questions about construction traffic.
The new Parramatta Stadium will have 30,000 seats and cost $300 million; the Moore Park stadium is to have around a third more seats at $730 million.
Asked why the Moore Park project was so much more expensive than that at Parramatta, a spokeswoman for Sports Minister Stuart Ayres said the Moore Park stadium was being built to “global Tier 1 standards.”
Construction on the 30,000-seat Western Sydney Stadium at Parramatta last year.
Photo: Craig Willoughby
The concept of “Tier 1” standards is the government’s own. It was developed for a 2012 review of the city’s stadium needs, and means stadiums with at least 40,000 seats and the ability to host international events.
The new Moore Park stadium is to include a subterranean “ring-road” under the field of play.
A spokeswoman for the sports minister, Stuart Ayres, said the agency would work to time-frames set by the Department of Planning and Environment.
NSW Labor leader Luke Foley is opposed to tearing down Allianz stadium.
Photo: AAP
“Decommissioning of the Sydney Football Stadium will commence immediately following the last NRL Final to be played there in September this year,” the spokeswoman said.
Decommissioning the stadium means pulling out seats, as well as audio-visual, catering and other utilities and equipment.
Labor leader Luke Foley opposes tearing down Allianz. He said it would be scandalous “if they tore it down before people vote in the next state election on whether they want to see over $2 billion of public money spent on the Liberals’ stadiums”.
The government and Sydney Cricket & Sports Ground Trust have raised safety concerns about the continued operation of the stadium.
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The Berejiklian government’s controversial plan to build a new stadium at Moore Park is in doubt if it cannot start the demolition of Allianz Stadium before the March election.
With Labor opposed to the construction of a new stadium at the site, any delay to the planning process risks more uncertainty for sporting codes and fans.
Based on the time taken to approve similar projects, the 30-year-old stadium might remain standing in March, even if it does not host a game beyond this NRL season.
Allianz Stadium could still be standing at the time of the state election in March.
Photo: Janie Barrett
Any delay means if there were a change of government, Labor would then have an opportunity to save the stadium, even it was only a shell.
“If they have only gone as far as ripping the seats out and the stadium's still standing, you could fix up the safety issues and put the seats back in,” said Labor’s sports spokeswoman, Lynda Voltz.
When Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Sports Minister Stuart Ayres committed in November to tearing down Allianz, they said construction would start in 2018, and a new stadium open in 2021.
But starting construction on the new stadium proper requires obtaining planning approval for the demolition of the old.
Stuart Ayres initially said rebuilding of the stadium would begin in 2018.
Photo: Daniel Munoz
It took the government 10 months to obtain planning approval to demolish the old Parramatta Stadium.
After starting the planning approval process for demolishing Allianz Stadium last month, a similar timeline would result in approval granted in February, one month prior to the next election.
The Allianz project is, however, significantly more expensive than the Parramatta Stadium project. It is also in a more congested neighbourhood, and likely to raise difficult questions about construction traffic.
The new Parramatta Stadium will have 30,000 seats and cost $300 million; the Moore Park stadium is to have around a third more seats at $730 million.
Asked why the Moore Park project was so much more expensive than that at Parramatta, a spokeswoman for Sports Minister Stuart Ayres said the Moore Park stadium was being built to “global Tier 1 standards.”
Construction on the 30,000-seat Western Sydney Stadium at Parramatta last year.
Photo: Craig Willoughby
The concept of “Tier 1” standards is the government’s own. It was developed for a 2012 review of the city’s stadium needs, and means stadiums with at least 40,000 seats and the ability to host international events.
The new Moore Park stadium is to include a subterranean “ring-road” under the field of play.
A spokeswoman for the sports minister, Stuart Ayres, said the agency would work to time-frames set by the Department of Planning and Environment.
NSW Labor leader Luke Foley is opposed to tearing down Allianz stadium.
Photo: AAP
“Decommissioning of the Sydney Football Stadium will commence immediately following the last NRL Final to be played there in September this year,” the spokeswoman said.
Decommissioning the stadium means pulling out seats, as well as audio-visual, catering and other utilities and equipment.
Labor leader Luke Foley opposes tearing down Allianz. He said it would be scandalous “if they tore it down before people vote in the next state election on whether they want to see over $2 billion of public money spent on the Liberals’ stadiums”.
The government and Sydney Cricket & Sports Ground Trust have raised safety concerns about the continued operation of the stadium.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw...um-before-state-election-20180518-p4zg4z.html
