Sydney stadiums’ $1.6bn upgrade the news Waratahs, Sydney FC and Roosters wanted to hear

THE Waratahs, Roosters and Sydney FC can all rest easy, with the NSW government finally revealing plans for upgrading Sydney’s stadiums to the tune of $1.6bn.

THE three main tenants of Allianz Stadium — the Waratahs, Roosters and Sydney FC — have expressed relief after learning that NSW Premier Mike Baird’s stadium plan means they can continue playing at the Moore Park venue.

Mr Baird’s $1.6 billion plan makes ANZ Stadium at Sydney Olympic Park the big winner, as it will be turned into a world class 75,000-seat rectangular stadium with a retractable roof, to be ready by 2023 at an estimated cost of $750 million.

A mooted 65,000-seat stadium at Moore Park adjacent to Allianz Stadium is no longer an option.

Parramatta Stadium is also being refurbished to the tune of $300 million, and will be completed in three years, leaving Allianz Stadium $450 million for a staged refurbishment that will not require it to be shut down.

That means the Waratahs, Roosters, and Sydney FC will not be forced to play at other venues, as appeared the case earlier this week when NSW sports minister Stuart Ayres suggested Allianz Stadium could not be refurbished without having to be shut down for four years.

The three clubs reacted angrily to that news, but this deal — which has killed the SCG Trust’s hopes of a brand new stadium built across the road from Allianz Stadium — has appeased them.

“Cool heads have prevailed, this is a practical and very sensible decision made in the best interests of the clubs, communities, and dare I say the state,” Waratahs chairman Roger Davis said.

“We’re back from the wilderness, thankfully we didn’t have to do 40 days, we were only out there for four days — we had a short penance.

“The task now is to make sure reconfigured stadium is fit for purpose, there’s plenty to do there.

The rectangular and roofed ANZ will provide an amazing atmosphere for matches of all codes.

“They successfully reconfigured the SCG and they continued to play there, including the Swans, so I don’t forecast any issues in us being able to fulfil our 16-year contract [at Allianz Stadium].

“I think our case was passionately and eloquently made, it was one of common sense, and the government closed the loop in a timely basis.

“This is a really good win for sport.”

Roosters CEO John Lee added: “We are ecstatic that the government is committing to not only the grand final being played in Sydney and at a rectangular solution at ANZ, but we’ll be able to stay open the whole time that our refurbishment is underway.

“We understand it will be up to $450 million and it will be a staged refurbishment like what happened for the Swans, so it’s winner, winner chicken dinner and everyone’s a winner today in the NRL.

Premier Mike Baird has managed to keep all the codes happy.

“We’ve now got certainty and everyone now knows where everyone else stands.

“There had been some other plans and ideas and now we all have a very clear picture of what the stadiums strategy is and therefore where all the teams will play into the future, which is a great outcome for everyone in club land.

“It’s happy days for the members of the Roosters.”

Work on the new ANZ Stadium will begin in 2019 and by the time it’s finished, the government’s light rail network connecting Parramatta, Sydney Olympic Park and Strathfield will be operational, while the $3.8 billion WestConnex motorway will allow city drivers to bypass 30 traffic lights on the way to the ground.

An artist’s impression of the revamped rectangular ANZ Stadium.

While the Tahs, Roosters and Sydney FC had been supportive of a new stadium at Moore Park, it was only on the basis that they could continue to play at Allianz while the venue was being built.

Ayres had given them that indication, but was shot down by his boss Baird, leaving the SCG Trust to accept whatever is left over from the ANZ Stadium and Parramatta Stadium builds to spruce up Allianz Stadium.

“To be relocated for three, possibly four years, when there aren’t really any suitable alternate stadiums, would’ve been disastrous for all three of us,” Sydney FC chairman Scott Barlow said.

“And for that reason a refurbishment of the existing stadium was our preferred option if a new stadium across the road couldn’t be achieved.”

Originally published as Sydney stadiums’ $1.6bn upgrade the news Waratahs, Sydney FC and Roosters wanted to hear