ANZ Stadium to be turned into a permanent rectangle, Mike Baird announces
Mike Baird has finally made a decision about how to spend billions on upgrading the biggest sports precincts in Sydney.
Work on turning ANZ Stadium into a permanent rectangular stadium will begin in the next three years, Premier Mike Baird has announced.
And Allianz Stadium at Moore Park will be refurbished after that, rather than be replaced by a completely new stadium, Mr Baird said at a press conference at ANZ Stadium.
The decision is a humiliation for Sports Minister Stuart Ayres, who alongside the Sydney Cricket & Sports Ground Trust has campaigned for a brand new stadium to be built at Moore Park and a more minor upgrade to be delivered at Olympic Park.
Sydney's biggest sporting venue: ANZ Stadium.
Sydney's biggest sporting venue: ANZ Stadium. Photo: Mark Metcalfe
Mr Baird said he "absolutely" still had confidence in Mr Ayres. But he also announced that he had handed future responsibility for future stadium policy to Infrastructure NSW, an agency not under Mr Ayres' control.
"There are many stakeholders involved and, listening to them, I strongly believe we have come to the consensus position today that is going to be truly fantastic for this city," Mr Baird said.
"This was never going to be an easy process. There are multiple stakeholders, multiple codes with multiple clubs, we need to ensure that we get it right," he said.
Premier Mike Baird and Sports Minister Stuart Ayres last September.
Premier Mike Baird and Sports Minister Stuart Ayres last September. Photo: Nick Moir
The announcement lays out the direction of $1.6 billion in stadium funding. Parramatta Stadium will be rebuilt in the next three years, at a cost of about $300 million.
And construction will start on turning the former Olympic stadium into a permanent rectangular venue before the 2019 state election.
According to the owners of ANZ Stadium, that will cost about $700 million. The government also intends to buy back the ownership of ANZ Stadium.
Whatever funds remain will be spent on improving the facilities at Allianz Stadium at Moore Park.
The decision is a remarkable about-face. On Monday Mr Ayres told 2GB presenter and SCG Trustee Alan Jones that an upgrade of Allianz Stadium, along the lines now proposed, would not work.
"The bones of that building simply don't meet the modern standard for stadiums," he said.
"I'm not going to expose the taxpayer to a renovation that doesn't deliver a world-class outcome when that is our primary objective," he said.
Asked about these comments at the press conference on Thursday, Mr Ayres said after the ANZ and Parramatta projects were complete, the government would deliver "the best possible upgrade we can" at Allianz.
"We are investing in a fantastic new rectangular bowl at ANZ, we are investing in a new stadium at Parramatta, there won't be enough money left for a new stadium at Allianz," he said.
"So we will be taking whatever's left in that envelope to invest in making sure that that stadium gets whatever upgrade that we can get for the best value for the taxpayer."
The announcement follows months of uncertainty, and heated argument among the city's sporting elites, about where the government would spend its stadium funding.
National Rugby League chief executive Todd Greenberg, Australian Rugby Union chief Bill Pulver, and Football Federation Australia corporate affairs head stood alongside Mr Baird and Mr Ayres to announce the funding.
"This is a big moment for our sport, and a significant moment in time," Mr Greenberg said.
When Mr Baird and Mr Ayres announced in September the government would spend $1.6 billion on stadium infrastructure, they said that funding was contingent on securing content from the major sporting codes.
The policy at the time was to fund a new stadium at Moore Park, build a new stadium at Parramatta, and deliver a more minor upgrade to ANZ stadium at Olympic Park.
Mr Ayres subsequently attempted to convince Sydney's NRL clubs to commit to playing at least 65 games at either ANZ stadium or a new stadium at Moore Park.
But the clubs were reluctant. They were particularly reluctant to commit to playing at Moore Park, when the majority see their demographic future to the city's west.
It emerged in February that Mr Baird had given NRL clubs the chance to change the direction of stadium funding, if they would prefer the bulk of the money spent at ANZ. This option had not been available under previous NRL chief executive Dave Smith, who strongly backed a new stadium at Allianz.
On Monday, Mr Ayres acknowledged that the clubs had not agreed to play the required games at the new stadiums. But he was still determined to build the new stadium at Moore Park.
But the issue ignited when the three sporting organisations who regularly play at Allianz – the Roosters, Sydney FC and the Waratahs – said they would not stomach having to play elsewhere for four years while a new stadium was built.
They said Mr Ayres had been privately assuring them that they would not have to relocate, because a new stadium could be built on Centennial Park and Moore Park Trust land while the old one remained standing.
But this assurance was purportedly given in spite of the cabinet decision in September that required a new stadium be built on Sydney Cricket & Sports Ground Trust land.
Mr Baird on Monday reiterated that any new stadium would have to be on SCG Trust land. But on Thursday he said there would be no new stadium at all.
