Allianz Stadium set to jump the queue in Sydney's bitter stadium war


Allianz Stadium set to jump the queue in Sydney's bitter stadium war - 27th August 2017

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Work on Allianz Stadium could start as early as May. Photo: Lumapixel

by Andrew Webster

Allianz Stadium could be knocked down and work started on a new 45,000-seat stadium as early as May next year.

NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg told club bosses in a telephone hook-up on Friday to prepare themselves for the likelihood of both Allianz and ANZ Stadium being out of action at the same time.

Mr Greenberg will on Monday afternoon meet with NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, who announced last week she was prepared to allocate more than the $1.6 billion set aside by her predecessor, Mike Baird, for a much-needed overhaul of the city's stadiums.

ANZ Stadium has long been the priority but there is a renewed push for work to start first on Allianz.

NRL clubs have been told the earliest that construction could start on ANZ Stadium's $900 million reconfiguration into a rectangular venue is the first quarter of 2019. The SCG Trust has told the government that Allianz is ready to go as early as May 2018.

Influential figures on the Trust — headed by 2GB broadcaster Alan Jones — have been agitating for work to start on Allianz as soon as possible because of safety and compliance issues at the 31-year-old venue.

But there are also fears a change of government at the state elections in March 2019 could prevent any funding coming to Allianz. Labor leader Luke Foley has said in the past he supports an upgrade of ANZ Stadium ahead of Allianz, with any surplus funding pushed to suburban grounds.

The new stadium at Moore Park would cost about $800 million to build on the existing site, meaning it would not encroach on Centennial Park land. It is already being hyped as "the best rectangular stadium in the world" that could rival the yet-to-be-completed Las Vegas Stadium, which will be home to NFL's Raiders at a cost of $2.4 billion.

Some Sydney clubs, however, already fear the consequences if Allianz and ANZ Stadium are out of action at the same time.

The Sydney Roosters, Waratahs and Sydney FC would be forced to share the SCG with the Sydney Swans while Allianz is out of action. ANZ Stadium has lucrative deals with South Sydney, Bulldogs, Wests Tigers, Dragons and Eels.

NRL clubs fear the temporary pain of relocating to other venues would permanently disenfranchise fans who already refuse to attend matches in Sydney. Crowd attendances have dropped this year with large banks of empty seats at most matches held at Allianz and ANZ Stadium.

With construction of the new Parramatta Stadium also falling behind its scheduled completion of March 2019, Sydney could be without its three main rectangular venues for part of 2019.

Mr Greenberg would not comment on Sunday but a spokesman for the NRL said it was working with the government on the schedule of stadium works.

"I think all rugby league fans will welcome the proposal to invest in both ANZ and Allianz stadiums," the spokesman said. "Our priority is to work with the clubs and government to deliver both projects for our supporters."

Whichever way the stadiums are refurbished, the Premier's new stadium strategy is shaping as a significant win for NSW's major football codes.

It will also allow Sydney to push for hosting rights for FIFA Women's World Cup in 2023, which would pump millions of dollars into the NSW economy.

The new Allianz Stadium would feature "club mode" and "championship mode", depending on the size of the crowd and the significance of the match.

The stadium issue, though, remains sensitive uncertain. There have been two government announcements in the last three years.

Another is expected this week but those involved in Sydney's so-called "stadium wars" say they aren't holding their breath, so mired has the debate been in politics and agenda.

If work was to start on Allianz Stadium before ANZ Stadium it would be a return to the original announcement from Mr Baird in 2015 that stadiums would be refurbished in accordance with how old they are.

In April, Mr Baird backflipped on that decision and announced ANZ Stadium would be the priority ahead of Allianz Stadium and the SCG.

Ms Berejiklian's office declined to comment when contacted on Sunday but her "pragmatic" approach is being hailed by those close to the negotiations as a positive step forward.

"A redeveloped Allianz Stadium will be on existing SCG Trust lands," a SCG Trust spokesman said. "The Trust will work closely with the NSW Government, sports partners, neighbours and other stakeholders to maximise the economic, entertainment, parkland and sporting benefits of a new stadium.

"The SCG and Allianz Stadium contribute an estimated $678m per year to the NSW economy in turnover and add more than $300m to the Gross State Product every year, at the same time as nearly 3000 jobs."

(The Sydney Morning Herald)