Moore Park: SCG and SFS revamp a more realistic alternative than building new venue

ANZ Stadium at Homebush is set to receive a $750 million revamp after it emerged that refurbishing the SCG and SFS was a realistic alternative to building a new venue at Moore Park

• BAIRD WANTS NEWS COMPLEX ON ANZ STADIUM SITE
• SYDNEY TEAMS REJECT THE ‘DEAD ZONE’
• NRL MAY HAVE SHOT ITSELF IN THE BOOT

A REVAMP of the Sydney Cricket Ground and the Sydney Football Stadium has emerged as a realistic alternative to building a new venue at Moore Park, following a meeting between the Premier and SCG executives.

The decision would mean a revamped ANZ Stadium at Homebush becomes the big winner in the Baird government’s $1.6 billion sporting venue investment.

ANZ Stadium redeveloped as a 75,000-seat rectangle.

An artist’s impression of the revamped rectangluar ANZ Stadium.

State Cabinet is expected to be told today that after the upgrade of Parramatta Stadium is completed, ANZ Stadium would be refurbished with up to $750 million — and then any remaining funds would be used to upgrade Allianz Stadium at Moore Park.

Mr Baird called the meeting with SCG officials on Tuesday in a bid to tackle the stadiums controversy, after it was revealed Sports Minister Stuart Ayres told stakeholders that a new

Moore Park stadium could be built half on Centennial Park land.

Artist’s impression of the proposed $250m plan to transform the out-of-date Allianz stadium.

Mr Baird met SCG Trust chairman Tony Shepherd and chief executive Jamie Barkley, without Mr Ayres, and reiterated that his position was any new stadium must be on existing SCG Trust land.

The Daily Telegraph understands the subject of a refurbishment of the Sydney Football Stadium and the upgrade of the SCG were discussed as an alternative means of spending the $800 million to $1 billion that was set aside for a new stadium.

A source said Mr Baird wanted to “crack the whip” and get the matter moving after days of controversy. It is understood he also met with Mr Ayres yesterday morning.

Mr Ayres met the NRL and ARU again yesterday in a bid to get an agreement on stadiums.

Cabinet meets today for the first time since Mr Baird’s trip to Israel with a “general discussion” expected on stadiums and some ministers expected to vent their spleen at the handling of the issue by Mr Ayres.

Sports Minister Stuart Ayres has struggled to unite the stakeholders over the stadiums plan.

Mike Baird is keen to ‘crack the whip’ and get the project moving.

Speculation mounts that the project may be taken out of Mr Ayres’s hands and given to Mr Baird or his Infrastructure Minister Andrew Constance, after the Sports Minister was accused of briefing clubs at ­Allianz Stadium that the new stadium could be built on Centennial and Moore Park lands, despite Cabinet agreeing it should be on SCG Trust land.

Liberal powerbroker Michael Photios is said to have asked Treasurer and parliamentary leader of the moderates Gladys Berejiklan to help protect Mr Ayres amid the storm last week.

Eight of nine Sydney NRL clubs last week resolved on a “five-point plan” which would bury any new stadium at Moore Park.

Mr Photios did not deny a conversation between the pair last week but denied the Ayres matter was discussed. A spokesman for Ms Berejiklian said: “No such conversation took place.”

An NRL spokesman said of the meeting with Mr Ayres yesterday: “The NRL’s position hasn’t changed; we support the government’s position on redeveloping all three stadiums: Parramatta, ANZ and Allianz.

ANZ Stadium is proposing a $750 million rebuild into a rectangular stadium, with its owners arguing this could occur without clubs having to leave.