In a recent article in Melbourne’s Herald Sun, the proposed $129 million facelift for Melbourne’s Arts Centre and Hamer Hall effectively had the blow torch applied to it.

The Herald Sun spoke to representatives of the Public Transport Users Association, the Nurses Federation and the Police Association to effectively establish how the money could be better spent.

The unions, and transport unions, said the money could this year have paid for up to 645 more police, 1290 nurses, eight trains or the construction of 10 schools.

Now the Melbourne Age reports up to 20 new six-carriage trains will be ordered to ease overcrowding on Melbourne’s rail system.

The $300-million-plus order will be a key plank of the State Government’s coming transport statement.

Why is this relevant to sports?

Obviously in Victoria, we have the new Rectangular Stadium being constructed at a cost of around $268 million dollars – near enough to the long overdue expenditure on the public transport network indicated above.

Unlike Hamer Hall, the Herald Sun hasn’t gone on about the cost and what else could be bought.

The promise of this Stadium was key to the 2005 pitch for a Super 14 franchise to come to Melbourne. That did not eventuate, but, the Stadium will go ahead anyway. For a team that does not exist and for 1 soccer team and 1 Rugby League team.

Further down the track, via appropriate foundations construction, the 31,000 venue will be able to be increased to 50,000. Presumably should Australia ever win the FIFA WC hosting rights.

Now – last week the News Ltd press reported:

“Like all bidders, Australia would require at least 10 stadiums with a capacity of at least 40,000, though a number of those are already in place.

It’s believed those listed in the consultants’ report for consideration include Sydney Football Stadium, ANZ Stadium and Newcastle’s EnergyAustralia Stadium in NSW; the MCG and Telstra Dome in Melbourne; plus Adelaide’s AAMI Stadium, the new venue in Perth and Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium.

Others that have been listed as suitable for upgrading include Canberra Stadium, Skilled Park on the Gold Coast and possibly a venue in Townsville”.

It’s interesting to note that the MCG and Telstra Dome are both listed, but NOT the new rectangular stadium??? (I hope that’s just an oversight by the reporter).

However, if this new venue is filling a gap – - that apparently can be filled already by Telstra Dome?? (one thing we have seen of late is the unsatisfactory ACTUAL practice of mobile seating sections at ANZ stadium, conflicts in codes of desirable length of grass and ground stability and that the Tesltra Dome retractable seating has seemingly been rusted shut for several years now).

We’ve done this issue before – however, the irony now is that the Herald Sun has attacked a vastly smaller sum being spent on the ‘Arts’. After all, the number of patrons annually to the Melbourne Arts centre and even Hamer Hall would compare quite favourably to the perhaps 30,000 members of Storm and Victory combined, and the perhaps 24 home games by both teams in a given season that may equate to half a million ‘attendees’.

True though – - we are likely to gain a 2nd HAL side, and there’s still a desire to secure a Super 14 side and at 50,000 capacity if completed to that stage, then the AFL could be preserved unrestricted access to Telstra Dome and potentially the MCG during a hosted FIFA WC.

A lot of ifs involved. Whereas, the public transport network has been dying a slow death for 20 years and that’s REAL. (apparently not ‘sexy’ though, although, the new ‘bio-frame’ for the Stadium has been compared to the Southern Cross Station roof). It just seems that the promise of hosting a FIFA WC is being used to get projects off the ground that aren’t actually yet needed. And, after all, most WC winning bids have PLANS. There’s plenty of time to build.

Roll on Hamer Hall, I say!!

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