Allianz Stadium demolition gets green light as court injunction lifted

Major demolition on the walls and roof of Allianz Stadium can resume until at least Monday after a temporary injunction, which was due to expire this afternoon, was lifted in the Land and Environment Court. HERE’S WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT.

• Court injunction delays stadium demolition
• Premier to Daley: ‘Stop playing games’

The demolition of Sydney’s Allianz Stadium can begin immediately after a judge dismissed an application to extend a court order preventing major works.

A temporary injunction — in place since February to allow a challenge to the $730 million project in the NSW Land and Environment Court — was due to expire at 5pm today.

Those behind the challenge applied to have it extended until Monday, when they head to the Court of Appeal in another attempt to stop the controversial redevelopment.

Major works to demolish the walls and roof of the stadium can now continue. Picture: Jonathan Ng

MORE NEWS

Police swoop on man over dad’s murder

Sydney woman allegedly left beaten on floor for 16 hours

Girls’ schools plan to support transgender students

But on Friday Justice Nicola Pain dismissed the application and lifted the freeze on major works.

It follows her decision on Wednesday to throw out the challenge based on the planning process to rebuild the city’s biggest rectangular stadium. Community group Local Democracy Matters is now considering applying for an urgent injunction before their appeal is heard next week.

The group had unsuccessfully argued Planning Minister Anthony Roberts did not consider design excellence or soil contamination before approving the project and his government did not exhibit the demolition proposal for long enough.

Photos inside Allianz Stadium show the progress of demolition.

LDM spokesman Chris Maltby, an IT specialist for the Greens, said it would be an outrage if the bulldozers were sent in before Monday.

“If the government does proceed like that, it says everything you need to know about how they’ve carried out this project,” he said.

It comes after the NSW deputy premier blasted Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter Beattie for failing to champion his government’s knock down rebuild plan.

Mr Barilaro questioned where the former Queensland Labor premier’s allegiances lie, saying he hadn’t done enough to defend the government’s $730 million rebuild of the Moore Park football stadium.

Demolition work earlier this week at Moore Park.

“I’m more disappointed the NRL hasn’t come out strong enough in relation to the government’s plan to build sporting stadiums for the future,” Mr Barilaro told AAP.

“I’d even question where Peter Beattie’s allegiances sit, a former Labor premier of Queensland heading up the NRL, and I’m bloody disappointed that he’s not out there criticising (NSW Labor leader) Michael Daley.”

Premier Gladys Berejiklian has come under intense scrutiny for splashing cash on the demolition and reconstruction of Allianz Stadium, despite arguing her government was spending close to $90 billion on other infrastructure in NSW.

Opposition leader Michael Daley has been accused of “lying” to voters to win government.

Mr Barilaro conceded the government had done “a terrible job” at selling the stadiums policy to voters ahead of the March 23 election.

He said Mr Daley had also capitalised on the situation.

“It is marketing. It’s politics at it’s best from the Labor Party and Michael Daley,” he said.

“He’s a liar and he’ll lie and say whatever he needs to say to win government.” Mr Barilaro believes Mr Beattie and the NRL should be doing more to advocate for the stadium plan.

“If he wants to show bipartisanship, if he wants to show he’s genuine about the game of NRL then he should actually get out there and prosecute the case with us, because they’re the beneficiaries,” he said.

“We’ve done everything we said we would do yet I don’t feel like we’re getting the support.”