NSW Stadiums a Priority as Funding Could Top $1.6 Billion

The NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian has announced she is prepared to commit more money over the $1.6 billion currently set aside to upgrade stadiums including Sydney’s ANZ and Allianz stadiums.

The premier said on a visit to Tokyo that both stadiums could possibly be rebuilt at the same time according to The Daily Telegraph.

She said that ANZ Stadium at Olympic Park was the priority but she would consider jump-starting work on Allianz Stadium at Moore Park before the next election.

The 31-year-old Allianz stadium, located next to the Sydney Cricket Ground, is in high need of renovation amid fears of it not being able to cope with a serious emergency.

It has been estimated that a $137 million investment would be required for even minimal remediation works. Concerns include lack of fire sprinklers, no emergency power supply, not enough exits, non-complying crowd barriers and poor toilet facilities.

The premier said she is committed to the benefits that world-class venues have in attracting top international events. An outer Western Sydney stadium is also flagged.

Berejiklian said investing in stadiums could make Sydney “the global events capital of the region”.

“We’ve got the International Convention Centre. We’re starting to see soccer matches we’ve never seen before; I want Sydney to be the regional capital for major events and we have the potential to do that.”

The premier said she would like to see more indoor facilities as well and would look to increase commitments in a future term as they were in a strong financial position.

“We have an infrastructure investment boom the likes of which we’ve never seen [...] I want to make sure it’s there for the next generation of projects,” she said.

“The pitch to people is NSW not only has impressive infrastructure now but we’re wanting you to invest in future projects.”

The NSW Government is expected to announce details of ANZ Stadium redevelopment in the next month.