It appears common sense has
finally prevailed in the Sydney Stadium debate, with Mike Baird declaring a
$1.6 Billion plan a go-ahead on Thursday afternoon.
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| The new-look ANZ Stadium to be built as part of Baird's plan. |
After a
much-publicised and well-touted battle between the powerbrokers – or rather the
pawn-manovourers on Sydney’s sporting chessboard – the biggest piece appears to
have been played by fed-up NSW Premier, Mike Baird.
Following
bungled negotiations by NSW Government Sports Minister, Stuart Ayres, Baird
returned to Sydney from an overseas trip to discover the public relations mess on
the Government’s hands.
The
Premier, who has self-titled himself as the man to get the state going, seems
to be doing just that, albeit by the sale of various bits and pieces of the
state’s infrastructure.
Forgetting
the nuts and bolts, Thursday’s decision can finally be dubbed a ‘win for the
fans’. While many will contest that suggestion, those in the decades to come,
will be thankful for the decision.
With $700
million set be pumped into an ANZ Stadium overhaul; $350 million on a rebuild at
Parramatta; and a $400 million restoration of the old-girl Allianz in Sydney’s
East, the framework is finally in place to set-up the future of sport in Sydney
for at least the next 30 years.
Crucially,
the major proportion of the $1.6 million will go directly to Western Sydney’s
foremost arena, ANZ Stadium.
Formerly
known as Stadium Australia in its hey-day when it played host to the Summer
Olympics in the year 2000, the venue has become void of all proper purpose
outside big-time feature events.
While the
venue might not be in the ‘heart of the city’, it is geographically best placed
to cater for Sydney’s broad population. When considering public transport and
private travel, the Olympic Park precinct stands head and shoulders above any
inner-city option.
The fans
will again be the beneficiaries when you take into account the potential the
area has to build match-day entertainment around the venue.
With an
increase in content across all three major codes; rugby league, rugby union and football, the Olympic Park precinct has
the capability to increase its options in hospitality, experiences and
activities for its visitors.
Of some
concern are Baird’s words that label ANZ Stadium as a project that will be fast-tracked.
While commendable, the window being proposed to build the stadium is from
2019-2022, years away from what fans would consider fast-tracked.
On
first-sight this would appear to open up a Pandora’s box of challenges for the
NRL with up to five NRL teams currently playing at the venue. However, the
three-to-four year construction phase presents enormous opportunities to spread
the greatest game of all in what the league’s administration currently
considers growth areas.
Queensland
have been crying out for a Grand Final ever since they re-built Suncorp Stadium
in 2001, Victoria have stepped-up their interest in Rugby League in recent
years by hosting State of Origin Matches, and Western Australia is due to open
a brand-new 60,000 strong capacity stadium in Perth by 2018.
While the home-ground status quo for the NRL may be disrupted for some
years at the end of this decade; the end result, along with the opportunities
to take the game’s flagship events to places they’ve never been, should be
mind-boggling the code’s administrators with excitement.
It’s sure
turned me on.
In the words of Mike Baird: “The world’s best city, needs the
world’s best stadiums.”