What we’ve missed on contentious stadiums issue in NSW election campaign

A secret report on the contentious Allianz Stadium has been leaked as the NSW election campaign enters its final days.

Allianz Stadium could hve been fixed for as little as $18 million, a secret report for the Sydney Cricket Ground Trust has revealed.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported the stadium, in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, could have been ugraded to meet all safety standards and address “current non-compliance” for $18,153,800.

That’s in stark contrast to the Berejiklian Government’s claim that it would have cost $700 million to fix the safety issues.

Mr Daley told The Sydney Morning Herald the report “exposes once and for all their entire case for the stadium splurge to be nothing more than a sham”.

“Instead they wanted a gold plated stadium. What a disgrace,” he said.

STADIUM SCRAP

The government’s plan to knock down and rebuild a football stadium in Sydney has become one of the most contentious issues in the NSW election campaign.

Labor leader Michael Daley has vowed to cancel the demolition and rebuilding of Allianz Stadium at Moore Park and to instead refurbish the facility so that it complies with fire safety and evacuation standards.

But Premier Gladys Berejiklian had accused her opponent of being deliberately misleading in the debate and ignoring common economic sense.

Ms Berejiklian said project modelling had indicated it would cost $340 million to install “the basic safety requirements” at Allianz Stadium that independent certifiers had deemed a risk.

“Allianz Stadium is arguably contentious, but we had reports that said it was a fire and safety hazard,” Ms Berejiklian told news.com.au.

“The cost of refurbishing it with the basic safety requirements is $340 million. To do a proper refurb would be at least $700 million. We’re building a brand new stadium for $720 million.”

The difference between Labor’s plan — bringing Allianz Stadium up to standard in regards to safety — and the government’s total rebuild is “about $300 million”, Ms Berejiklian said.

“I know that’s a lot of money, but that’s the difference … the Leader of the Opposition hasn’t been honest in this debate.”

Michael Daley has seized on community upset and confusion about the government’s contentious stadiums plan. Picture: AAP

An architectural render of the new Allianz Stadium development at Moore Park.

But Mr Daley has hit back, saying the premier is being misleading by not clarifying the financial impact to taxpayers.

“Her plan is $730 million all paid for by the taxpayer. My plan, the refurbishment, we’ll work out what the cost is once we have a chance to see what shape the place is in, but the premier has said it’s $348 million,” Mr Daley told news.com.au.

“The treasurer has said you can refurbish it for $348 million. The difference is, I’ll make the Trust take out a loan for the cost of the refurbishment. The cost to taxpayers – zero. Their plan - $730 million to the taxpayer. My plan – zero.”

Mr Daley said he will make the Sydney Cricket Ground Trust take out a loan for the cost of the refurbishment.

Mr Daley has repeatedly questioned the legitimacy of the SCG Trust’s claims that the stadium is unsafe as it is.

The Labor leader even claimed an existing fire sprinkler system had been removed “under the cover of darkness” in a bid to justify the rebuild plan.

David Blackett, the director of Blackett, Maguire and Goldsmith, the independent certifier of the stadium, slammed the suggestion.

“The existing Allianz Stadium did not have a sprinkler system removed under the cover of darkness,” Mr Blackett said in an email. “There was never a sprinkler system installed.”

Mr Daley later backtracked and said he was talking about the field’s grass sprinkler system.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian has accused Labor of being ‘dishonest’ in the stadiums debate. Picture: AAP

The stadium’s safety features were so lacking that fire trucks and firefighters regularly had to be present on site at games and other events in case an incident occurred.

“These ongoing management strategies, including resource strain on (Fire and Rescue personnel) and equipment to be present … during events was a temporary measure and was not sustainable,” Mr Blackett said.

“With all facts and matters considered, I support the decision to demolish the current Allianz Stadium.”

In January, Mr Daley demanded the government halt the project until after the election.

Labor describes the continued demolition works at Allianz Stadium as an attempt by the government to “deny the people of NSW a say on the $2.2 billion Liberals and Nationals stadiums splurge”.

The only problem is, the Allianz project is about $730 million while the other major component, the large-scale refurbishment of ANZ Stadium at Olympic Park, is another $810 million, for a total of $1.54 billion.

“I want to call out the leader of the Opposition because he hasn’t been honest in this debate,” Ms Berejiklian told news.com.au. “The (plan) is nowhere near the $2.2 billion he’s talking about.”

Demolition has continued at Allianz Stadium despite demands from Labor that the project be halted until after the election. Picture: John Grainger

My Daley told news.com.au that demolition works current under way would not make the stadium salvagable should Labor win government.

“Big buildings like that take a long time to demolish. They’ve only really started in earnest last Friday,” he said.

“We’ve had people look at the stadium, including a former deputy government architect, and he said what the others have said – the damage at the moment is only superficial.

“It’ll still be standing and it means everyone’s vote is important.”

The Premier defended the spend itself, saying the budget surplus meant there was enough to invest in “cultural institutions and sporting infrastructure” as well as essential services.

She lashed Mr Daley’s campaign message — schools and hospitals before stadiums — and insisted her government was delivering both.

“If you have a strong government running a strong budget … yes, of course we’re building record amounts of schools and hospitals, roads and rail, but we need to make sure we don’t fall behind in our cultural institutions and sporting infrastructure,” Ms Berejiklian said.

Of the Labor leader, she said: “He’s got one policy and that’s to cancel projects.

“I worry that it’s not just the stadium he doesn’t want to build. He doesn’t want to build the Metro Rail down to Bankstown, which is a fantastic project for southwest Sydney. He wants to cancel the West Harbour Tunnel, which would relieve congestion in the inner west. He wants to cancel the F6, a new road to the Shire.

“There are so many projects he wants to cancel. Just of those I’ve listed, (it) would be tens of thousands of jobs lost, lots of opportunities for our citizens lost.

“I can’t get my head around why the only policy he has is to cancel projects.”

Labor’s campaign has centred on the stadiums plan and the huge cost, which Michael Daley says could be better spent on health and education. Picture: AAP

But Mr Daley said a refurbishment would make Allianz Stadium “shine like a pin” without wasting money on an unnecessary redevelopment.

“There’s a better way to do it. You can do it by making the Trust take out a loan so the taxpayer doesn’t have to pay, and we’ll have $730 million to play with,” he said.

In an interview on 2GB earlier this month, Mr Daley said the SCG Trust, which operates the stadium in Moore Park, has inflated the apparent fire and safety risks of the existing facility.

“That’s one of the reasons, Alan, I’m going to sack the Board,” Mr Daley said in a heated exchange with radio host Alan Jones.

“If I’m elected, the Board will go. I know you’ve been on that Board for 30 years.”

A petition started by journalist and TV personality Peter FitzSimons saying the money being spent on stadiums is a waste has more than 220,000 signatures.

Last week FitzSimons said it was “economic madness” to “destroy a valuable public asset nine days before the election”.

NSW heads to the polls on Saturday, March 23.