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The Sauce: Touring companies in secret talks for new enclosed arena at Moore Park

Secret talks have been held between “major” US touring companies and Entertainment Quarter officials over the possibility of establishing a fully enclosed arena at the Moore Park precinct.

Secret talks have been held between “major” US touring companies and Entertainment Quarter officials over the possibility of establishing a fully enclosed arena at the Moore Park precinct.

A high-level source familiar with the talks said several “major” US entertainment companies had expressed interest in “establishing modern facilities at the Entertainment Quarter”.

“It could include a fully enclosed arena,” the source said.

The interest by touring companies in a “fully enclosed” option is of little surprise given the drenching rain that occurred during Elton John’s concert at the new $828 million Allianz stadium.

Not only were concertgoers left sodden, the Rocket Man’s piano had to be repeatedly wiped down mid-performance.

The Entertainment Quarter already has the Hordern Pavilion, but the iconic rock venue only has a capacity for 5,500 people.

The Allianz Stadium has a 45,500 capacity. The old Sydney Entertainment Centre had room for 13,250.

Another source claimed Frontier Touring – which is bringing out Taylor Swift for the Australian leg of her Eras tour – may also been involved in some of the discussions for “a new Sydney entertainment centre”.

The Sauce was unable to verify if this was the case with Frontier Touring CEO Dion Brant unavailable at the time of press.

A high-level source familiar with the talks said several “major” US entertainment companies had expressed interest in establishing modern facilities at the Entertainment Quarter.
A high-level source familiar with the talks said several “major” US entertainment companies had expressed interest in establishing modern facilities at the Entertainment Quarter.

The interest by touring companies in a “fully enclosed” option is of little surprise given the drenching rain that occurred during Elton John’s concert at the new $828 million Allianz stadium.

Not only were concertgoers left sodden, the Rocket Man’s piano had to be repeatedly wiped down mid-performance.

The Entertainment Quarter already has the Hordern Pavilion, but the iconic rock venue only has a capacity for 5,500 people.

The Allianz Stadium has a 45,500 capacity. The old Sydney Entertainment Centre had room for 13,250.

A high powered group of sports bosses recently wrote to Premier Chris Minns pleading for a new metro station at Moore Park to help families better access the major sporting and entertainment hub – a move that would also benefit a new venue.

The group – who call themselves The Alliance of Moore Park Sports (AMPS) – wants the line to be extending to the Entertainment Quarter next to the SCG.

Last year, Entertainment Quarter co-chief executive officer Sam Romaniuk wrote in another publication how – “to locals” – the precinct felt “tired”.

Romaniuk wrote how the “EQ” had long struggled to become viable, and was in need of a “comprehensive reinvention”.

Will be interesting to see how Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore – who recently won a battle to convert half of Moore Park golf course into green space – will feel about all of this.

PRISON LEAK

The Minns government runs a tight ship when it comes to its “announcibles” with few of its planned policy decisions leaking out ahead of the scheduled time.

That was until GEO Group Australia learned this week the government was about to announce the privately run Junee Correctional Centre was to head back to public hands.

GEO has operated Junee since the jail was commissioned in 1993.

And as the media statement is rushed out on Monday declared: “The decision has been met by staff and management with much disappointment and surprise,” it said.

The Minns government runs a tight ship when it comes to its “announcibles”. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nikki Short
The Minns government runs a tight ship when it comes to its “announcibles”. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nikki Short

In the lead up to the March election, Labor ran on an anti-privatisation agenda.

However, it never specified this also meant taking a privately-operated prison and placing it back in public hands.

The GEO statement was followed by an “overhead on the streets” post on The Last Governor Facebook page, which wrote how Junee staff had been informed of their contract ending.

The Sauce is aware of much behind-the-scenes cursing among government bureaucrats as staff rushed to finalise their own official announcement.

HOT SEAT

Transport Minister Jo Haylen will appear at Budget Estimates Tuesday with her chief-of-staff having quit, a transport department liaison officer under investigation and calls for her scalp by a State opposition smelling blood.

The Opposition has also not finished with besieged transport secretary Josh Murray who will also be in the hot seat – but alongside a high-ranking public servant.

Murray is facing accusations that his appointment was effectively an “inside job” given the former Labor adviser was hand-picked for the role despite initial warnings a lack of experience.

Transport Minister Jo Haylen will appear at Budget Estimates on Tuesday. Picture: NCA NewsWIRE / Monique Harmer
Transport Minister Jo Haylen will appear at Budget Estimates on Tuesday. Picture: NCA NewsWIRE / Monique Harmer

A three-person recruitment panel later found that Murray – a former Laing O’Rourke group director – would be “very suitable”.

While Murray has so far survived a parliamentary inquiry into his appointment, it is clear he is not taking any chances with his Budget Estimates hearing with Transport for NSW chief financial officer (CFO) Brenda Hoang to appear with him.

Hoang is presumably acommpanying Murray as she’ll be able to bat away any trick questions by an Opposition that until recently had access to the books.

Labor will also not be wanting a repeat of Women’s Minister Jodie Harrison’s appearance who provided Estimates viewers with the “dying on the inside” moment as struggled to answer a series of questions posed by Nationals MP Bronnie Taylor.

Noting how a CFO had not appeared at Estimates for “about a decade”, Opposition transport spokeswoman Natalie Ward claimed it was evidence Murray was out of his depth.

. “I know Ms Hoang is across her brief, but the public deserve to know if Mr Murray is,” Ward said.

No pressure.

TONGUE TWISTER

Nationals MP Wes Fang doesn’t think his surname is that difficult to pronounce – but for some reason Labor ministers seem to have trouble with it.

Multicultural Minister Steve Kamper was the first to roll out “Wes Wang” during his Budget Estimates appearance, only for Emergency Services Minister Jihad Dib to also make the same mistake at a later hearing

While Fang believes Dib’s may have been an accidental slip-up, he’s not so sure about Kamper’s “fumble”.

Fang said it was clear he had rattled Dib.

“Did you just call me Mr Wang?” Fang asked Dib.

“Honestly Minister. Kamper clearly isn’t very articulate but you should know better.”

Fang – who reckons he was “born for opposition” – said he thought the whole thing was rather funny.

“Given what Labor members usually say about me, it isn’t so bad,” he said.

“It’s not even in the top five worst things they’ve said this week.”

WRONG LEADER

Acting Opposition leader Sussan Ley was fired up on regional radio last Thursday, attacking Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for being “overseas”.

The only problem was, it wasn’t the PM who was abroad, but her own boss (the reason she was “Acting’).

But Press Gallery members who did not hear the actual interview on 2HD were left none the wiser with the subsequent transcript of it changing what she said on radio from “the Prime Minister is overseas” to “The Prime Minister is heading overseas”.

Acting Opposition leader Sussan Ley.
Acting Opposition leader Sussan Ley.

The transcript hit journalists’ inboxes at the same time as Albanese was on stage answering questions in Melbourne.

Dutton was among a host of Coalition MPs and former PMs who took part in a conservative “contiki tour” to the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship conference in London, with others including Angus Taylor, Jacinta Price, Barnaby Joyce, James Peterson, Dan Tehan, Matt Canavan, Andrew Hastie and former premier Dominic Perrottet.

PAPER STRAWS

It began as a discussion about energy policy, but – as flagged by The Sauce – the discussion at last week’s northern Sydney Liberals meet-up turned nuclear.

Party Defence & National Security Policy Branch chair Lincoln Parker led the charge for the country to start building reactors, saying it held the key to Australia’s energy security.

“From heating our homes to facilitating everyday tasks, the potential of nuclear energy is truly

remarkable,” he said.

“However, our nation has yet to tap into the potential of this technology, a stark contrast to global advancements since the 1960s. Even Canada’s federal government has

acknowledged nuclear power as the sole pathway to achieving net-zero emissions.

“We’ve gone from manufacturing aeroplanes and cars to making paper straws.”

Not only would it help drive down electricity prices, it would also help with energy security, noting how security services had warned about Chinese hacking of solar systems in Australia.

“No responsible government should ever, ever place Australia’s energy security in the hands of any foreign country, let alone the world’s largest and most aggressive dictatorship,” Parker said.

Got some Sauce? Contact linda.silmalis@news.com.au

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Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/the-sauce-touring-companies-in-secret-talks-for-new-enclosed-arena-at-moore-park/news-story/069f367691f279269d161453b59ce05a