Politicians, pundits and the public are seething over the New South Wales government’s decision to demolish and rebuild two Sydney sports stadiums at a cost of up to $2.5billion.
‘It’s a f***ing disgrace,’ one Coalition MP told the ABC. ‘It’s political poison,’ said another.
Other comments from MPs to the broadcaster included: ‘this will kill us’, ‘this is a terrible decision’ and ‘it’s c**p’.
Almost 80,000 people have signed a petition asking NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and the state government to reconsider their costly plan.
Politicians, pundits and punters are seething ove the NSW government’s decision to knock down and rebuild ANZ Stadium at Homebush (pictured is an artist’s impression)
A petition is calling on the NSW government to reconsider its $2.5b plan to knock down and rebuild Allianz Stadium at Moore Park (pictured is an artist’s impression)
The petition was created by Fairfax columnist and former Wallaby Peter FitzSimons on Saturday and is signed ‘The Concerned Citizens of NSW’.
‘We are tired of taxpayer dollars being lavished on building facilities for sports big business, while community sport withers on the vine for lack of facilities and resources,’ it reads.
The overhaul, which will involve the ANZ Stadium at Sydney Olympic Park being substantially demolished and rebuilt from 2019, was signed off by Cabinet on Thursday. That will follow a rebuilding of Moore Park’s Allianz Stadium from 2018.
The ABC reported it had spoken to dozens of state MPs and all but one raised concern about the decision.
One Liberal member said: ‘It’s a bit prickly fronting up to a school waiting in line for funding and looking at $2billion on stadiums.’
Another said: ‘Labor has a narrative they can use every day until the next election … “you can’t have that money for the school but you can have $2billion on stadiums”.’
The petition posted on Change.org has attracted more than 76,000 signatures in two days.
Tens of thousands of people have signed a petition against demolishing and rebuilding two Sydney stadiums at a cost of $2.5billion
The overhaul will involve the ANZ Stadium being substantially demolished and rebuilt from 2019; that will follow a similar rebuilding of Moore Park’s Allianz Stadium (pictured) in 2018
‘We… believe our money could be better spent with the likes of 100 $10million projects being funded across the state, so towns, suburbs and regions could see a thousand fields, pools, courts and arenas bloom, doing something for the wider people of NSW, the petition states.
‘This would still allow nearly a billion dollars left over to refurbish the current stadiums.’
NSW Sports Minister Stuart Ayres defended the plan saying it will account for one per cent of government spending on health and education during the time the stadiums are built.
‘This government will invest 100 times more in health and education than stadia over the next five years,’ Mr Ayres told the Sydney Morning Herald.
‘I say that demonstrates we have our priorities right.’
However, one Liberal MP told the ABC: ‘It’s c**p, there was no consultation with the party, at the end of the day we have to win an election, people want their schools and hospitals, not knocking down a 17-year-old stadium.’
Fans took to social media to express their outrage at the projected funding allotment, saying the money could have been better spent.
‘Demolishing & rebuilding ANZ Stadium & Allianz Stadium will cost taxpayers $2billion. How much is that in Hospital & Schools in the old money?” one person asked.
The plan, announced on Friday, is larger in scope and significantly more costly than the $1.6billion vision put forward by former coalition premier Mike Baird in 2016 for the refurbishment of the arenas.
The government hopes the project will make ANZ Stadium the premier ‘rectangular’ ground in Australia. It will have a retractable roof and a 75,000-seat capacity.
People have taken to social media to criticise the government’s stadium decision
Fans took to social media to express their outrage at the projected funding allotment, saying the money could have been better spent
Costs for tearing down and rebuilding the old Olympic stadium will be a minimum of $1.25billion, while Allianz Stadium will cost at least $750 million upon the completion of the refurbishment.
A $300million redevelopment of Parramatta Stadium due to be completed by 2019, as well as the government’s $200million purchase of the Olympic stadium lease, brings the total cost of the stadiums package to $2.5billion.
The NRL Grand Final and State of Origin will be played at the historic Sydney Cricket Ground in 2020 before the completion of the stadiums.
Allianz Stadium will then host the matches in 2021 and 2022, before they return to the completed ANZ Stadium from 2023.
The petition calling for the stadium decision to be reversed was created by outspoken former Wallaby Peter FitzSimons, who played seven Tests for Australia
The new design for ANZ stadium will pull fans in much closer to the pitch, making the viewing experience infinitely better for watching rugby league and football
The plan, announced on Friday, is larger in scope and significantly more costly than the $1.6 billion vision put forward by former premier Mike Baird for the refurbishment of the arenas
‘I really question the government’s priorities – they say they’re for the west, but then prioritise sports investment in the east with a massive $700million cost blowout,’ Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said.
‘The public interest is being steamrolled by an all-powerful SCG Trust and an ambitious Sports Minister who wants to play with the big boys – and a premier who’s lost control of her cabinet,’ Ms Moore said in a statement.
Opposition leader Luke Foley acknowledged ANZ stadium needed to be upgraded but opposed the additional funding for the Allianz stadium, which he branded a ‘white elephant’.
‘I can’t and won’t support $2.5billion on a couple of sporting stadiums when there are 100,000 school kids being taught in demountable classrooms,’ Mr Foley told reporters on Thursday.
The current oval design of ANZ Stadium has led to dwindling crowds due to the distance between fans and the rectangular field
‘Knocking them down and starting again is just absurd. Especially for the price tag…’
‘When you add it all up, it’s $2.5billion while we have record waiting lists for elective surgery and at emergency departments in western Sydney.’
However, Ms Berejiklian hit back at the ‘naysayers’ of the allocating funds, saying she would never approve a plan that didn’t benefit the state.
‘I’m not someone who takes a decision rashly, I’m not someone who doesn’t deliberate on these decisions, and we have done that in a very collegiate way,’ she told reporters.
She said the rest of her cabinet were confident in the benefits of the plan, despite reports her party were split on the funding.
‘Wouldn’t be demolished if it had been properly converted to a rectangle post Olympics’
Fans were particularly distressed by the lack of foresight with the formerly-named Olympic Stadium in Homebush, which only started operating in 2000 for the Sydney games.
‘Ridiculous, I am sure ANZ Stadium was built to last longer than 17 yrs. What exactly is wrong with these stadiums that they need replacing,’ another tweeted.
‘Who needs decent schools and hospitals apparently we only need bigger stadiums to sit empty most of the time.’
Some, however, welcomed the idea saying the renovations are long overdue.
‘ANZ Stadium is a shocking stadium to watch the rectangular footy codes from. The re-build is a must,’ a fan tweeted.
Allianz Stadium will be decked out with new bars and restaurants with the colours of the respective home teams