Former NSW Premier Morris Iemma warned Sydney "could lose major concerts and sports matches -- declaring that without world-class stadiums the city does not have a divine right to host top events," according to Anna Caldwell of the Sydney DAILY TELEGRAPH. As the NSW Cabinet "prepares to consider an ambitious plan" to rebuild Sydney's Allianz Stadium and Olympic Park's ANZ, Iemma, who is a consultant for the Greater Sydney Commission, said that the state "could not afford to waste time bickering over the job, with the city's status as a true global events city at risk unless both venues are dramatically upgraded." Iemma added, "The harsh cold reality is that both precincts are at the time in their life that they won't remain relevant if they aren't updated." He pointed to Perth as a city that "could wrest events from Sydney," saying that its new 60,000-seat stadium "could lure big acts, conventions and matches." Iemma: "We don't have a divine right to have big matches or concerts at Moore Park or Olympic Park. If another city puts a better venue on the table, those events will act on it" (DAILY TELEGRAPH, 11/7).
