Nine things you can buy with $2 billion that aren't new sporting stadiums

869,565 Golden Retriever puppies , at 3 dollars a day to keep , amounts to $ 952,173,675 a year . That's close to billion outlay in the first year anyway . Those figures are based on astute private enterprise infrastructure . If we let the state government take care of the puppies that could well blow out to 13 dollars a day to keep . You do the math . And where are we going to keep them all .In our underpants ! I vote for the batteries or a split between the nuggets and then some extra hospitals to cover the digestive complaints of the people that ate them . This extravagant outlay on stadiums is pure evil but nuggets are a close second .

Yeah rl fans flooded AFL threads,hmmmm. Cut the rubbish Clip.The amounts stumped up were not sizeable in the overall costs of the stadiums.And waste with Blacktown and the ACT paying for 3 games of further wastage.Hence the whining ,Blacktown was a disgrace. The expenditure made by the WA/SA/Vic/NSW/Qld Govts towards oval stadiums made the contribution by your code peanuts.More so when ATT the WA/SA and NSW Govt were struggling financially. You still don't get it ANZ is not just for the NRL,its for rugby union, soccer,concerts,American football.International visitors also have habit of coming here to watch ESL games,Amercian Football,Union Tests and even SOO.I don't know how many International people come to watch AFL tests(oh wait). I do know the NRL under Smith "wasted" if that's the word $750,000 contribution to a feasibility study for a SFS rebuild.Ans a substantial contribution toward the Townsville stadium. I further suggest a rebuilt ANZ will have much more regular throughput/usage than Perth/Adel;aide/SCG/Spotless over a year by the 3 football codes.Plus the other entertainment opportunities.

Clover Moore (a local)gets voted in by the NIMBYs ,trendies ,who it is fair to suggest many wouldn't have clue what lies who beyond Homebush and West. to the South and North of the City. I see the various cycle tracks around the city ,and even on weekends the traffic for them is very light.Then of course the statue near the QVB.She gets voted in because the benefits exist for her constituency not for the city as a whole of 5m.You live in the vicinity or nearby . She is acknowledged as a waster of public monies by many, but of course those within that limited area worship her.She is great at self promotion and photo ops. The Olympic stadium also fulfilled a need for Olympics competition.Once the Games were concluded, it was planned to reconfigure to a rectangular ground ,with seats brought closer to FULFILL the NEEDS of the 3 football codes..Then your mob's heirarchy decided in their wisdom, to throw in a couple of million, to ensure it would remain unchanged.For the big games to be played. The Swans played there ,and their fans decided, hey, it's too far away from where many of us live or work, and gradually stopped going.The Swans decided the SCG was in fact home. The need is for Sydney to have a decent rectangular specific stadium to host major ESL gams,Union tests,SOO .Grand finals as well as NRL club games, as well as concerts.IOW 3 major football codes, not just one. The needs of AFL in Sydney have been satisfied with many millions spent on upgrading the SCG and Spotless,plus the waste at Blacktown. The needs of Adelaide and Perth ditto. So why in Gods' name should AFL be the only football code to have Govt funded updated or new code specific stadiums in every major cap city,and the 3 major rectangular codes in Sydney put up with the current lot. Sth Australia and West Australia were close to financial basket cases, yet Govts decided infrastructure was a good thing. I am more than happy, that the SFS be brought up to scratch not rebuilt if possible.

There was plenty of whinging about the AFL getting government money, much of it on here. Whether they deserved it or not, they actually stumped up sizable amounts themselves to contribute. How much is the NRL going to contribute, or the FFA (the ARU could probably manage some lunch money for the workers or a 'feasibility' test, but not much else)

Do you ever wonder why Clover Moore keeps getting elected against all odds and against the party machines of Labour and Liberal - perhaps the actual residents appreciate that she is not wasting as much of their money as the other parties used to. But sure, just put aside 30 years of victories down to being an Olympic Class waster. The Perth and Adelaide stadiums fulfilled a need - both were built in the 70's and there is a 10 year waiting list for West Coast members - there is definitely a case for a bigger stadium. No case can be made in Sydney (except maybe the SCG)

no worries mate, Ill get that done for you.

So now you've listed a heap of things that we want less than a new stadium (and put chickens on the endangered species list LOL) can we please have our stadium?

Big J I assume this is conditional on you getting the $2b. I'll put in my order for a HK to celebrate our last real success . (69). But better still the last real commodore to celebrate the end of the true Aussie and a nervous but hopeful look at our multicultural future.

You got my vote 3 hats. You could spend money on a retirement village for old run down Santas.and people would complain. That's democracy in action.

Wrong assumption once again AR,as if I'm surprised. My argument is, that very desal plant is not that far from my abode. Wasting money WTF,on a refurbished SFS/ANZ which will be used repeat used ,not lying idle.And not by one code but 3 or more plus other organisations,.I do not want an SFS rebuilds refurbishment. It could be argued $500m spent ATT what that was in today's figures who knows, could have been spent on hospitals and schools, who some say were in greater need. And costing hundreds of thousands pa just to sit there's good use of taxpeyers' money.People will justify it, and people will state its' like burning $100 bills on a bonfire. Then aagin knowing the money wasted by Council and govt,with GWS and Blacktown,nothing surprises. The old Adelaide oval was AFL suitable from day one ,cricket fields and AFL fields intertwine. ANZ is not rectangular it should have been made so after the OPs. The SFS is old ,compared to the upgraded SCG,little cover, women have to queue for ages for the toilets. You can have the data at your disposal.You do not have the data for schedling,the reasons for non attendance at venues which are non fan friendly .It's understandable you see it only from an AFL perspective ,where all of your grounds are either updated and code specific .Funny that. Funny how you ignore the hundreds of millions expended on grounds for AFL use throughout the country for one winter code not three.But but but the hospitals, schools . The point is redeveloping stadiums to suit your code ,has assisted crowds.Rest assured the new Parramatta stadium will bring in larger crowds for the eels and Wanderers.

Funny the Adelaide stadium received a huge amount of local negativity because of the cost and a state govt devoid of funding.Sound familiar?How much $550m whatever buys a hell of a lot of health and schooling. And the WA Govt with financial issues in the past. The stadiums they played in,during the past were ideal for AFL/cricket.That is a completely different kettle of fish to ANZ. The SFS is abominable for women and the toilet facilities they need to queue. I repeat one more time,I have no issue with just refurbishing the SFS.In fact I was more than happy with just a reconfiguration of ANZ. It was complete lack of foresight by whoever, once the Olympics was over red rover, that it was not then reconfigured to a rectangular stadium with seating much closer to the playing area. I agree wholeheartedly with your last line ,up grade them by all means.But i'm sorry i know Fitzy's attitude toward rl. One reads his columns and hears him on TV to get a reasonable gist of his feelings. Ask most rl fans and indeed iru fans ,as i have watched ru matches at the SCG.It is not suited to rectangular sports in reality.Rectangular sports should be played in rectangular venues whenever possible. I realise SOO was played at the G,but the playing area had to be brought in from the normal area.

Yet was quite "vocal"when it came to the Force situation in another state.Fitzy does what suits his agenda. I've set out my response to the OP House.One could argue the $200m for an Opera House upgrade is better spent on health and education . I';ve seen enough govt waste in this state and Federally to last a lifetime.

If Fed Govt money is going into stadiums in other states as well as state monies(boosted by Fed GST revenue), as a responsible taxpayer he should be concerned. Just as State govt monies goes into helping local codes including Fitzy's.He's certainly vocal about interstate issues when he chooses to be, The SFS needs refurbishing, not a knockdown, always stated that point.A complete knockdown and rebuild is a waste IMO. ANZ is not rectangular stadium.3 rectangular codes use it.That's not a case of vanity, it's a case of practicality for the attendees.That stadium should have been reconfigured post Olympics. The OP house is but one of many must sees ,for visitors to Sydney,including sports' fans who attend soccer friendlies,SOO,G/Fs,Bledisloe. You see it gets to the point you spend X millions on this,people complain you should be spending X millions on that.Hospitals,schools,roads there is never enough,becaue we live in a huge country with a small population.

Then one could well argue,like the stadium expenditure its a long term issue, not just for today. You spend $500m on a desal plant, and it sits there for a long time costing hundreds of thousands each year, not being utilised, Yet you spend many millions on stadium that will be utilised from Day 1. We should have done more to increase capacities of existing dams in the past. Uncertainty against certainty.If that;s being thiccccc so be it. . There has been Govt waste since Adam started enjoying apples.The fact Fitzy is behind the petition and his dislike of rl,raises suspicions ,and sorry to say I'm not the only one of that opinion.

No but ill buy you a tigers car just for you mate, just let me know the make and model.

Agree 3 Hats.

Crosscoders logic on the desal comparison is: “you wasted money there, so waste more money here!” Brilliant. Back on topic though, it’s a tad perilous to compare the Sydney and Adelaide spend. Since 1988 - 30 years - the average NRL crowd at SFS is 12.4k. Not a typo. 12.4. Since the redevelopment of Adelaide Oval, the average crowd (and remembering, this is just for 2 tenants) is 44k to every game. The Crows and Power provide ROI...and this is a city with 1/4 the population of Sydney. We have 30 years of data that tells us Sydney doesn’t turn up. $2.3B on whiter shinier elephants is a disgraceful waste of taxpayer money - it’s bizarre that people try to defend or rationalise it.

Also might have something to do with the fact that people actually attend live sport in Adelaide and Perth. Whats the average crowd for a NRL/rugby/Aleague games in Sydney these days? Cant be much more than 10k. Waste of money. Money should be spent at the community grass roots level.

+100

and most liklely people in Sydney will