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Mt Smart just looks antiquated and half finished and seems to be much more open and wind swept compared to the impression you get of Eden park, as a corporate I think I'd rather entertain at a modern facility. Bow to the people who attend regularly though if Mt Smart genuinely is a better Rl stadium than Eden Park. Looking at the bottom image it looks like the stands can be moved or extended to bring up to touch line?
New hi-tech plan for Allianz Stadium has footy fans covered
Exclusive John Lehmann Editor-at-Large
The Daily Telegraph
May 19, 2014 12:00AM
An artists impression of the upgraded Allianz Stadium.
A $250 million plan is being proposed to transform the out-of-date Allianz Stadium into a hi-tech, fully-roofed entertainment facility to help Sydneys sports teams shore up their financial futures.
A new master plan for the 44,000-seat venue at Moore Park includes upgraded seating, quality food outlets and super-fast Wi-fi to dramatically improve fans match-day experience.
Expanded entry gates, digital video signage and live fan sites will use special lighting systems to enable the stadium to adopt the colours of the home teams for different matches.
The master plan, by the Sydney Cricket and Sports Ground Trust, includes a permanent see-through roof, which would turn Allianz into Australias premier all-weather rectangular stadium.
An artists impression of the upgraded Allianz Stadium.
It would also help Sydney attract more tourists and generate economic activity by staging global sporting events like the successful Los Angeles Dodgers baseball season opener.
Sport minister Stuart Ayres, who will consider the Allianz upgrade while finalising the governments stadium investment strategy, said he wants to roll out the red carpet to more top American sporting franchises, including ice hockey and basketball teams.
NRL chief executive Dave Smith is a strong supporter of the plan and wrote to former premier Barry OFarrell last month lobbying for $18 million to be allocated in next months state Budget.
About $13 million would be spent installing Wi-fi and internet TV by next March, enabling fans to watch unique replays of the sports action on their phones, access live statistics and order food and drinks.
A similar hi-tech system was recently introduced in the SCGs new stand, which has also seen fans spending on food and drinks more than double since the quality was lifted at the Ashes Test in January.
Mr Smith said Sydney needed world-class rectangular stadiums to attract more spectators and provide a better experience. He said better stadiums would drive bigger revenues for NRL clubs, which under different deals share a cut of ticket and merchandising sales, corporate hospitality and advertising signage.
From a financial perspective, quality seating, quality facilities, quality corporate areas all contribute to a better financial position for the game and for our clubs, he said.
Mr Smith said the NRL was willing to be part of discussions on possible ways to fund the upgrade, which the Trust wants completed by 2020.
An artists impression of the upgraded Allianz Stadium.
The NRL has battled to increase crowd numbers over the past decade and at least half of the 16 clubs are struggling financially.
Trust chairman Tony Shepherd said Allianz was tired and desperately needs work.
Allianz hasnt had one cent of public money spent on it ever it was built with members money in 1988, he said.
He said Sydney needed sports facilities worthy of a global city and was slipping behind Melbourne.
Weve got to stop thinking like Mickey Mouse and just doing a little bit here and a little bit there the world will pass us by, he said.
Lets be honest, the Yarra Park precinct in Melbourne is world-class, but our facilities in Sydney need investment. Melbourne has just announced plans to spend another $700 million on a tennis centre that we would love to have.
Allianz is home to the NSW Waratahs, Sydney Roosters and Sydney FC, and hosts rugby league and rugby union Test matches and Socceroos internationals.
BUILDING A PREMIER PRECINCT John Lehmann
A new indoor cricket centre is part of a $90 million plan to establish a high-performance sports centre at the SCG.
The project, known as Sports Central, would include a terraced building featuring fitness facilities, a rooftop swimming pool and a childcare centre.
The SCG Trust is close to finalising a deal with a well-known Sydney university to establish a sports medicine and hospitality campus within this building.
An artists impression of the upgraded Allianz Stadium and Sydney Cricket Ground.
The nearby cricket centre, the home of Cricket NSW, would feature 12 indoor practice wickets, a 60-seat theatrette and a digital coaching centre located underneath a 16-wicket turf training area.
The Sports Central plan also includes an entertainment plaza, featuring an ANZAC memorial dedicated to more than 1000 NSW men and women who have played on the famous grounds and served in Australian defence forces.
The Trust is aiming to further broaden the Moore Park sports precinct and hopes the Sydney Kings basketballers will relocate to the Hordern Pavilion and Sydney Blue Sox to the old Sydney showground.
Cricket NSW chief executive Andrew Jones said Sydneys cricket facilities had fallen behind those in Brisbane and Adelaide.
We see a lot of money being spent in AFL, but cricket has many more participants and generates far higher TV ratings, he said.
POLES SALE TO EMPOWER $30 BILLION GRAND PLAN John Lehmann comment
Fast-rising Baird government minister Stuart Ayres reckons voters are not really in love with power poles.
Do you really want to go up to the power pole outside your home, wrap your arms around it and say I love owning you? he told a Committee for Sydney meeting in Parramatta.
Mr Ayres believes Sydneysiders might be more enamoured with better roads, rail services, sports venues and cultural facilities.
Of course, many of these goodies can only be funded if Premier Mike Baird wins support at the 2015 election to sell the states electricity assets. That will be the central battleground of the election, with Labor glued to its ideological opposition to such a sale.
The key to the Baird governments success will be deciding in the months ahead how the proceeds from such a sale expected to be about $30 billion will be invested and then exciting voters in those plans.
Expect much jockeying from various interest groups including the major sports codes and venues to get on the Premiers shopping list.
It is time to invest in major stadiums. We are a sporting town but venues like Allianz have been neglected.
Previous governments spent $280 million in eight years patching up suburban grounds, rather than major stadiums like Melbourne and Brisbane have done.
At least Mr Ayres is on the right track, saying recently his focus will be on improving the SCG Trust venues and Homebushs ANZ Stadium.
