http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/ne...s/news-story/eae810ff916ddcaa2adb621288fd0543
Sydney could lose major concerts and sports matches
ANNA CALDWELL, The Daily Telegraph
November 7, 2017 11:00pm
FORMER premier Morris Iemma has warned Sydney could lose major concerts and sports matches — declaring that without world-class stadiums the city does not have a “divine right” to host top events.
As the Berejiklian Cabinet prepares to consider an ambitious plan to rebuild Sydney’s Allianz Stadium and Olympic Park’s ANZ, Mr Iemma, who now consults for the Greater Sydney Commission, said the state could not afford to waste time bickering over the job, with the city’s status as a true global events city at risk unless both venues are dramatically upgraded.
Despite Gladys Berejiklian revealing in The Daily Telegraph in August she would support a dual upgrade, there has been some doubt among government MPs over the cost of the project and division over which stadium should be a priority.
“The harsh cold reality is that both precincts are at the time in their life that they won’t remain relevant if they aren’t updated,” Mr Iemma told The Daily Telegraph in an interview.
He said the state was at a do or die turning point to rescue the stadiums and there was no time to delay.
He pointed to Perth as a city that could wrest events from Sydney, saying its new 60,000 seat stadium could lure big acts, conventions and matches. “We don’t have a divine right to have big matches or concerts at Moore Park or Olympic Park,” he said.
“If another city puts a better venue on the table those events will act on it.
“If we are to continue to attract events — this isn’t just about sport — it’s about getting events, conferences, conventions, shows, exhibitions and concerts that drive jobs, revenue, tourism and business, both stadiums must be moved on.”
Mr Iemma also revealed that when he was sports minister in 2002, he received briefings that ANZ would need up to $200 million in upgrades within a decade.
“This was for public amenities — toilets, paths, ramps, public spaces. That time has come and gone by five years,” he said.
It was still unclear last night whether Sports Minister Stuart Ayres’s proposal to rebuild both stadiums would go to cabinet this week, with senior sources saying the plan was still developing.
Some including Treasurer Dominic Perrottet have questioned the size of the spend on the project, which could stretch past $1.8 billion, as the NRL lobbies the government to prioritise ANZ. It is understood Mr Ayres’s current plan was to move on Allianz Stadium first and start an ANZ rebuild by 2019.
Failure to move on Allianz before the next election risks its rebuild entirely, with Labor Leader Luke Foley prioritising an ANZ regeneration and questioning the spend. Mr Iemma disputed his Labor colleague’s views, saying it was “the biggest mistake anyone on either side of politics could make” to write off Moore Park.
