The Public Works Committee said that the A$810M redevelopment of ANZ Stadium should be delayed.GETTY IMAGES
An NSW parliamentary committee concluded the state government "should not proceed" with its A$810M ($584.2M) redevelopment of ANZ Stadium at Olympic Park "until the construction of the new Allianz Stadium in Moore Park is finished" in '22, according to Lisa Visentin of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. The five-month-long inquiry also found that the multibillion-dollar stadium strategy "did not meet the government's own infrastructure spending criteria," and recommended that an independent audit of the business case be conducted. The findings were contained in a report published on Thursday by the Public Works Committee, which scrutinized the government's justifications for its A$2B ($1.44B)-plus "stadium spree" on a new stadium at Parramatta to open early next year, a replacement stadium at Moore Park and a redevelopment of ANZ Stadium at Olympic Park. Committee Chair Robert Brown said, "Postponing these works will also provide an opportunity for the government to undertake comprehensive community consultation on the project." The report made a total of 10 recommendations, including that the government prioritize plans for a new indoor facility, after hearing evidence that the demolition of the Sydney Entertainment Centre in '15 "left Sydney without a major indoor sports facility" (SMH, 9/27).
