Planning documents show the Mike Baird government can identify only one of the three National Rugby League teams "it has claimed would use a new stadium built at Parramatta in Sydney’s west," as part of its A$1.6B ($1.2B) sporting facilities strategy, according to Mark Coultan of THE AUSTRALIAN. An environmental impact statement for the new Parramatta Stadium, which will increase its capacity from 20,000 seats to 30,000, "states it will be used by three NRL teams as their home ground, plus the Western Sydney Wanderers football team." The EIS, in an "apparent attempt to justify the building" of the A$300M ($231M) stadium, said that the ground will be used on 43-44 days a year, including by the Parramatta Eels, as well as “NRL team 2” and “NRL team 3” with both apparently playing 10 games a year. Sports Minister Stuart Ayres was "unable to identify the teams." He said, "The NRL and individual clubs decide where games are played, not the NSW government." Labor sports spokesperson Lynda Voltz called on Baird to sack Ayres, saying that the government "had presented a very poor business case for events to be held at Parramatta Stadium" (THE AUSTRALIA, 10/20).
