Broadcaster Alan Jones says NSW Premier Mike Baird’s stadium plan is ‘humbug’

SHOCK Jock Alan Jones has laid into NSW Premier Mike Baird saying his reasons for the rejection of a new footy stadium are ‘humbug’.

BROADCASTER Alan Jones has weighed in on the debate surrounding the future of Sydney’s sporting stadiums claiming NSW Premier Mike Baird’s government has “fiddled with the truth” and footy clubs have been “dudded”.

Mr Baird has ruled out the building of a new rectangular stadium on parkland next to the current Allianz Stadium in Moore Park, east of the city, insisting any new arena should be within the current Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) Trust precinct.

The decision almost certainly means the Sydney Roosters, Sydney FC and NSW Waratahs will have to find a temporary home while Allianz is overhauled or completely rebuilt as part of a $1.6 billion funding package for stadiums.

The announcement is at odds with the views of his Sports Minister, Stuart Ayres, who was heavily lobbying NRL clubs to support the building of an entirely new $1 billion stadium. This, in all likelihood, would have been built on top of open land and the historic Kippax Lake on grounds owned by the Centennial Park and Moore Park Trust.

While the Roosters are supportive of the plan, the remaining Sydney NRL teams were gunning for ANZ stadium, in the city’s west, to be renovated.

Questions were also raised about the plan which would have replaced the 45,000 capacity Allianz stadium with a 55,000 seater arena despite the fact the current facility is rarely filled.

On Monday, Mr Baird said that if the SCG Trust came back to the government with a proposal to build on the Centennial Parklands he would urge them “go back and make sure it’s built on existing land”.

Alan Jones is on the board of the SCG Trust. Picture: Evan Morgan

Jones, who is a member of the SCG which backed Ayres’ plan, said the Sports Minister’s “one agenda is to do his best for the people of NSW” while Baird’s position was “humbug”.

On his 2GB breakfast show, he said he supported the joint position of the Roosters, Sydney FC and Waratahs for a new stadium on a new site.

“The proposal always was from the Premier down that the Roosters, Sydney FC and Waratahs would stay playing at Allianz stadium while a new rectangle was built on a different footprint,” Jones said on Wednesday morning.

“We have a Premier saying, I won’t allow anything to be built that reduces the green space.

“The Premier ought to know that in [the proposals] he has been shown there would be more green space.

“I hope we don’t have a government that when it suits they fiddle with the truth,” he continued.

“Let’s stop the humbug. These football clubs are entitled to feel that they have been dudded.”

Jones said two independent reports had recommended the proposal to build a new stadium alongside Allianz and the demolition of the current arena.

Mike Baird has insisted that a replacement for the Allianz Stadium (top) be on Sydney Cricket Ground Trust land, not in adjacent parklands. Picture: Mark Evans

However, while he insisted there would be more green space once Allianz was torn down, Jones didn’t discuss if his favoured plan would indeed involve building over parts of the parklands and lake.

He finished with a warning to the Premier.

“If Mike Baird again, on yet another issue, wants to wriggle away from a commitment then he’ll have to understand he’s buying trouble.”

On Monday, NSW Labor called for Mr Ayres to be replaced over his management of the future of Sydney’s stadiums.

“The government’s stadium strategy has now descended into farce,” opposition leader Luke Foley said.

“Stuart Ayres is fighting his own cabinet’s decision and trying to steal precious urban parkland from the public to build his white elephant stadium in Sydney’s eastern suburbs,” he said.

— with AAP