Sydney’s stadium ambitions

Sydney’s stadium squabble has all the hallmarks of conflict in that city, with warring tribes and powerbrokers split on geographic lines. It doesn’t matter much, as long as Australia’s most international city ends up with world-class sport infrastructure. That’s the intention of last week’s announcement by NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian of plans to build two new stadiums.

Sydney has fallen behind since the building frenzy before the 2000 Olympics. Perth’s new multipurpose stadium is due to open in January. Melbourne has Etihad Stadium (with retractable roof), the rectangular AAMI Park and the refurbished MCG.

After years of difficult negotiations led by NSW Sports Minister Stuart Ayres, Ms Berejiklian has proposed a new, 75,000-seat $1.25 billion rectangular redevelopment of ANZ Stadium in Sydney’s west. It’s close to home for the great mass of the city’s rugby league and soccer fans and, if built with a retractable roof, would enhance its status as one of Australia’s premier venues to host major concerts and conferences.

Opened almost 30 years ago, Allianz Stadium in Sydney’s east is a strong candidate to be knocked down and rebuilt. As things stand, safety problems could force its closure by 2019. The new rectangular stadium would take 45,000 people and cost $705 million. It would feature safer seating and standing areas and, once outside, crowds would be able to disperse quickly and safely.

Stadium investment is rightly seen as part of Sydney’s pitch for tourism as well as international events, such as the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the Rugby World Cup. But Ms Berejiklian must go to the polls in 2019 before either new stadium is declared open, and is likely to suffer headaches before any plaudits come her way. Starting work on Allianz before ANZ will cause some resentment, and major projects bring plenty of disruption.

Opposition Leader Luke Foley had signed on to a previous plan that gave ANZ priority. Now that the city’s east will get its stadium first, Mr Foley is saying the investment would be better made on schools and hospitals in Sydney’s west. Two world-class stadiums should form part of the political legacy of Ms Berejiklian and Mr Ayres but they will have to keep their eyes on the ball.