With all the recent hullabaloo about the stadia to be used in Australia’s bid for the 2018 or 2022 World Cup, we need to ask a different question: what exactly will the proposed $2 billion in government funding be used for?
The most recently built rectangular stadia in Australia have been on the Gold Coast (cost $160 milllion, capacity 27,000) and Melbourne (cost $267 million, capacity 31,000).
I know next to nothing about building or upgrading stadia, but average these two out and it works out to be $7,300 per seat.
So how about this list:
1 ANZ stadium, Sydney (cosmetic upgrade) $30M.
2 SFS, Sydney (cosmetic upgrade) $30M.
3 MCG, Melbourne (cosmetic upgrade) $30M.
4 Suncorp, Brisbane (upgrade to 60,000) $60M.
5 EAS, Newcastle (upgrade to 40,000) $50M.
6 Skilled Park, Gold Coast (upgrade to 40,000) $95M.
7 Bubble Dome, Melbourne (upgrade to 40,000) $150M (based on media reports of the roof related costs).
8 New rectangular Canberra stadium (40,000) $290M.
9 New rectangular Perth stadium (40,000) $290M.
10 New rectangular Adelaide stadium (40,000) $290M.
11 New rectangular Townsville stadium (40,000) $290M.
12 Parramatta stadium (upgrade to 40,000) $145M.
So, if we use all twelve stadia, it costs $1.8B. If we use the first ten (South Africa is only using ten), it costs $1.35B.
AFL experiences minimal disruption and the three rectangular football codes get a real legacy and ongoing tenants in A-League, NRL and Super 15 sides.
I have read about how Skilled Park and the Bubble Dome cannot be upgraded. I don’t believe it.
I think that the proposed $450 million upgrade to Adelaide Oval and the Carrara Oval upgrade (which will host six AFL games per year) were hush money for the AFL to support the bid.
That deal is now seems to be in jeopardy.
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