Stadium Demolition Under Way as Court Lifts Ban

The controversial demolition of Allianz Stadium will move ahead after Land and Environment Court justice Nicola Pain dismissed an application to extend an injunction banning heavy demolition works.

Lendlease called the bulldozers back, recommencing the $730 million rebuild of the stadium just two weeks out from the NSW election.

Justice Nicola Pain dismissed a temporary injunction to stop hard demolition work of the structure, which was due to expire at 5pm on Friday.

The group behind the challenge, Local Democracy Matters, have applied to extend the injunction until Monday when they will elevate their case to the Court of Appeal.

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The Land and Environment Court this week dismissed the group’s judicial review action, launched alongside Waverley Council, that claimed the approval by the planning minister was invalid.

The applicants challenged the approval on three grounds: that the department had failed to exhibit the proposal for 30 days; that the proposal did not satisfy design excellence requirements and that the plans failed to assess contaminated soil on the Moore Park site.

Justice Nicola Pain found that the group had failed to establish all three grounds.

The Berejiklian government’s expensive plans for the two stadiums, which includes $730 million for Allianz and $810 million for a reconfiguration of ANZ Stadium, have been subject to much controversy.

Local Democracy Matters spokesperson Chris Maltby said it would be an “outrage” if bulldozers were sent in before next week.

“If the government does proceed like that, it says everything you need to know about how they’ve carried out the project,” Maltby told reporters.