Penrith Stadium’s $309m upgrade could blow out if relocated, documents reveal
Newly-released documents show the multimillion-dollar upgrade of Penrith Stadium could blow out in cost if it is relocated to a site close by.
NSW
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The $309m upgrade of Penrith Stadium could blow out in cost should it be relocated to a harness racing paceway site next door, state government documents revealed.
The documents, released to state parliament last week following a call for papers by Labor, included minutes of meetings involving Projects NSW, Office of Sport, Penrith Stadium and Penrith Paceways representatives.
Sports Minister Alister Henskens told Budget Estimates two weeks ago that no decision had yet been taken to acquire the paceway site.
Minutes from a meeting of stadium stakeholders held on May 26 this year revealed the existing budget might not be enough if the paceway site was to be an option.
Asked when the redevelopment might begin, Projects NSW head Tom Gellibrand said if there was not change to the budget “or the site … we commence the project asap after the 2022 footy season”.
However, if it was decided to move the stadium to the paceway site, “then we need to secure the land and would need additional budget”.
Mr Gellibrand also revealed how the government would likely require the entire Paceway site rather than only a portion.
“Often the government requires the whole site,” Mr Gellibrand was recorded as stating.
While Penrith Paceway has been open to moving, its representatives told the meeting that it would have to be on their “terms” and include compensation.
“We are all for the stadium redevelopment but not at the cost of our business and livelihood,” the minutes said.
The documents, which also included minutes from other meetings held throughout this year, also noted how Infrastructure NSW had confirmed to Penrith City Council on April 4 how the stadium would include 22,000 seats.
At a later meeting held on May 20, the NSW Government met with Panthers Group, who said they would like a 30,000-seat stadium.
On June 28, Infrastructure Minister Rob Stokes lodged a “project authorisation order” for the “delivery of a new stadium with a capacity of up to 25,000 on the site”.
A business case for the stadium – which is in the ultra-marginal Liberal seat of Penrith held by Stuart Ayres – has been finalised, but is understood to be now being “re-prosecuted.”
A request for the business case by the council in April was knocked with the NSW Office of Sport declaring how the document was Cabinet confidential and unable to be shared.
The stadium is the only suburban stadium project to survive a savings review, with the tabled documents revealing how the “benefit cost ratio” figure for Brookvale was 0.24 – well beyond the desired figure of “1”.
While the BCR for Penrith Stadium has not been released, it is understood it is not much better.
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