https://www.theaustralian.com.au/na...m/news-story/397061fbce0362f305e3e7909702b13c
Tennis to might join footy at new Sydney stadium
Tennis might be played at the new Sydney Football Stadium complex at Moore Park under ambitious plans being discussed between Tennis NSW and the Sydney Cricket Ground Trust.
Ideas discussed are an indoor tennis arena next to the stadium or the prospect of professional tennis matches being played inside the stadium that the government has announced would replace Allianz Stadium.
It is understood that the trust believes that for a tennis arena to be built near the new stadium, it would have to be at the nearby Entertainment Quarter, over which the trust has no control.
The state government has promised an indoor sports arena in the city eventually as part of its stadiums strategy.
Tennis NSW last night confirmed the talks. “Representatives from Tennis Australia and Tennis NSW held meetings yesterday with SCG, SOPA (Sydney Olympic Park authority) and the Office of Sport on the current and future needs of the sport,” said chief executive Lawrence Robertson.
The organisation drew up maps in 2015 for a tennis centre in the Moore Park complex but the plans did not progress.
As the state government weighs up a rethink on its stadiums plans, confidential government analysis obtained by
The Australian found the construction of a new stadium at Moore Park would not lead to “new events” for NSW, just events being taken from Sydney Olympic Park in a “zero-sum game” for the state.
The 2015 analysis by Infrastructure NSW found there was no compelling case for the proposal by the trust for a 65,000-seat stadium to replace Allianz.
The analysis prepared for then premier Mike Baird also says: “The positive benefit/cost ratio for the 65,000-seat stadium is based on its ability to attract ‘blockbuster’ events (eg State of Origin, Bledisloe Cup). Without these events, and associated high-value memberships, the BCR falls to less than 1.”
A KPMG report commissioned by Sports Minister Stuart Ayres — and subject of a Premier’s department leak inquiry to see if the minister leaked it — put new events as a justification for how the benefit/cost ratio of the project had risen from 0.6 to 1.1
Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced in November that she would spend $705 million on knocking down and rebuilding Allianz Stadium and $1.25 billion on doing the same to ANZ Stadium at Sydney Olympic Park to make it a true rectangular stadium. This spending came on top of the $300m-plus construction of a new Parramatta stadium and $200m the government spent buying ANZ Stadium back from the private sector.
The Australian revealed this week that the work of Infrastructure NSW in its final business case had the cost of the knockdown and rebuilding of Allianz blowing out by up to $200m, taking the government’s total proposed stadium spending to $2.7bn.
Ms Berejiklian yesterday did not rule out a flip on the policy by ducking a question as to whether one stadium project might be dumped. She declined to commit to knocking down and rebuilding both ANZ and Allianz Stadiums.
Mr Ayres is understood to favour a development of Allianz ahead of ANZ, but the NRL has threatened to take some NRL grand finals to Queensland if ANZ is left out. New rugby league commissioner Peter Beattie warned yesterday Queensland would be quick to pounce on Sydney’s grand final if NSW’s stadium rebuild plans changed.
● It was revealed last night NSW Opposition Leader Luke Foley has often taken up invitations to attend sporting events at Allianz Stadium despite describing the venue as a “private palace” for eastern suburbs elites.
The Daily Telegraph reports today that Mr Foley, who is refusing to commit to spending money on the stadium, has accepted tickets to eight VIP corporate functions at major matches since 2012.
Mr Foley said: “The people of NSW want to know that just because their politicians enjoy the hospitality of an organisation doesn’t mean that politician will grant the every wish of that organisation — that would be called corruption.”
