Malinauskas says Marshall has his eye off the ball with $700m arena pledge

Peter Malinauskas says the Premier is planning a $700 million sports centre when he should be focused on more important jobs.

Opposition Leader Peter Malinauskas has blasted the timing of a proposed $700m entertainment arena for the CBD, saying “jobs” should be the No. 1 priority.

Launching Labor’s campaign in the northeastern suburbs, he said jobs and South Australia’s economic recovery were the key focus of his party’s election platform for 2022.

“A $700m basketball stadium is a nice idea but there is that question about whether or not it is the right priority for the right time,” he said.

“What is (Premier) Steven Marshall doing about having the worst unemployment rate in the country,” he said during his visit to Golden Grove.

Opposition leader Peter Malinauskas. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

“(What) about the fact that people can’t have access to ambulances when they need them most … and when they do, they get ramped at a hospital. These are legitimate issues that need to be addressed right now.”

On Friday, The Advertiser exclusively revealed the centrepiece for Mr Marshall’s re-election bid – an indoor arena for concerts, conventions, basketball and other court sports to built between the railyards and the River Torrens in 2025.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ latest unemployment figures – released on Thursday – weren’t good news for SA. The jobless rate of 6.8 per cent is the highest in the country.

Mr Marshall, who was at the Riverbank precinct in the CBD yesterday, defended the arena plan, saying feedback had been “great” and he was “delighted” with the response, notably from local businesses.

An artist’s rendering of the exterior of the new arena.

How the new arena will look from the River Torrens, alongside the Convention Centre.

Mr Marshall said the Riverbank Arena would attract large crowds into the CBD outside the state’s busy festival season in February and March, adding economic activity all year round post-COVID-19.

“This is precisely what our CBD needs. CBDs right across the country have been hit by the coronavirus and we know that this has led to many job losses in this area,” Mr Marshall said.

He had the backing of SkyCity Adelaide general manager David Christian, who said the stadium would create more jobs by supporting surrounding businesses.

SkyCity has invested $330m in the Adelaide casino’s expansion in the Riverbank precinct, which has included a five-star 120-room hotel.