$1b threshold will limit bidders for Parramatta's western Sydney stadium
Lendlease, Laing O'Rourke, John Holland and Brookfield Multiplex are leading the race for Parramatta's new stadium, which is limited to contractors with an annual revenue of $1 billion or more.
The NSW government has set strict criteria for would-be bidders for the $300 million stadium and also requires any consortium taking part in the tender to show a track record of at least two stadiums completed in the past 10 years, say sources with knowledge of the tender that opened last week.
Premier Mike Baird's government, which will be up for re-election in 2019, wants to reduce any risk of the new stadium, which will replace the existing Pirtek Stadium – home of the Western Sydney Wanderers soccer and Parramatta Eels rugby league teams – running over time or budget.
Requests for proposals are due as early as July and the contract could be awarded as early as September. Work will start before the end of the year, Mr Baird said last month.
Parramatta's stadium is the first part of a $1.6 billion spending package that will also include redevelopment of the ANZ Stadium – the former Sydney 2000 Olympic stadium – the refurbishment of Allianz Stadium and a new outer western Sydney stadium.
"The western Sydney stadium at Parramatta is expected to be operational by mid-2019," a spokesman for NSW Sports Minister Stuart Ayres told The Australian Financial Review.
As consortiums assemble to bid for the work, Lendlease has joined Populous – designer of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics Fisht​ Stadium – and engineering firm Aurecon.
John Holland and Cox Architecture, appointed to design Indonesia's 2018 Asian Games velodrome, and engineers Robert Bird Group, are another team. Brookfield Multiplex, architecture firm Hassell – collaborating with Cox on the new 60,000-seat Perth Stadium – and engineers Arup are another. Laing O'Rourke has paired with architects BVN, which designed the Sydney 2000 Olympic venue with Populous and which also designed a retractable roof planned for ANZ Stadium in 2014.
None of the companies named were willing to comment.
The strategy Mr Baird outlined last month, to develop three stadiums that would permit Sydney to compete better to host rugby and soccer games also means a shake-up of stadium management in the state, with one governing entity for the network of venues.
The NSW government is negotiating to acquire leasehold management rights for Stadium Australia from the private company, Stadium *Australian Group, which currently holds them.
Other potential bidders for Parramatta include Watpac, which could tout the stadium credentials of Besix Group, the Belgian contractor that owns a 25 per cent stake of the Brisbane-based contractor and which is carrying out the redevelopment of Qatar's Khalifa International Stadium, one venue for the 2022 FIFA soccer World Cup.
However, while Watpac has a strong presence in Queensland and to a lesser extent in Victoria, it is less well-known in NSW.
Grocon has also been named as another possible bidder in concert with Grimshaw Architects. Watpac and Grocon declined to comment.
