https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/n...e/news-story/b9600909cad086462b7e3cbd5317305a
Editorial: Sir Frank Lowy talks stadium sense
Editorial, The Daily Telegraph
March 8, 2018 11:00pm
SIR Frank Lowy is not just a legendary Australian and one of the greatest success stories this country has ever produced, he also knows a thing or two about really big building projects.
So when the former chairman of both Westfield and Football Federation Australia has something to say about Sydney’s sporting infrastructure, it pays to listen.
And his message is loud and clear when it comes to the state government’s plan to invest $2 billion to rebuild Allianz Stadium at Moore Park and ANZ Stadium at Homebush.
This city needs world-class sporting infrastructure as much as it needs theatres and other cultural institutions, and it is time to get on with the job.
In an exclusive interview with The Daily Telegraph, Sir Frank backed the call to knock down the existing stadiums, noting the lack of space at their current locations makes expanding or refurbishing them unsuitable solutions.
That’s not all the outspoken Sir Frank had to say. While the rebirth of the ANZ and Allianz stadiums would be a boon for sport, culture and the economy, he also said that Sydney was at risk of hamstringing itself due to the lack of good transport options.
Proving that being stuck in traffic is a wholly democratic and universal experience for Sydneysiders that knows no class boundaries, Sir Frank said we had to move now to cater for the population growth that is slated to hit Sydney.
Echoing the thoughts of many in this city, Sir Frank told The Daily Telegraph, “The traffic in Sydney is unbelievable and I think we need to build more connecting roads ... can you imagine what Sydney will be like in 20 years time?”
According to the shopping centre mogul, this means more underground roads in the inner city as well as more trains.
As well as projects such as the two stadium rebuilds, he supports building a high-speed railway line to link Western Sydney Airport with Parramatta and the Sydney CBD.
All of which is about as sound an endorsement of embarking on an infrastructure campaign as can be found.
A man who escaped war-torn Europe with nothing, only to fetch up in Australia to build a multibillion-dollar retail empire knows a thing or two about planning for the future.
We’re improving with age
Over the hill ain’t what it used to be. In fact, if new research is anything to go by, Australian women are feeling happier and more confident at ever older ages.
Researchers found that of a sample group of more than 2000 women surveyed between ages 40 and 59, nearly half said they never looked better and two-thirds rated themselves more confident and body positive than when they were younger.
And this, researchers found, led to better results in everything — from career prospects to the bedroom.
So much for the old saying, youth is wasted on the young.
Rails to Newcastle
Sydney to Newcastle in two hours seems like an impossibly quick trip by rail, but there is a glimmer of hope it may be possible.
As The Daily Telegraph reports, the federal Infrastructure Department is investigating a major upgrade to the rail line between the two cities.
Should it occur, the project would open up a range of new housing and jobs.
It would all be made possible through a series of upgrades to tracks, removal of level crossings, simplifying ageing junctions, and shifting freight services that currently clog the passenger routes between the two cities.
But Novocastrians should not jump the gun and start job hunting in the Sydney CBD with an expectation of a shortened commute just yet.
What’s on the table is at this stage just a proposal which will be lodged with Infrastructure Australia next year.
Nevertheless, faster rail services between the two cities would be a tremendous asset to both metropolises, and even if it’s a long way off many would say it can’t come a moment too soon.
