The NSW government appears less than giddy with excitement about the prospect of building a new entertainment centre in Newcastle, despite the existence of a business case which the Newcastle Herald has been told makes a strong financial argument for the project.
The 25-year-old Newcastle Entertainment Centre is an embarrassment, not only to the city but to successive governments which have reaped the rewards of Hunter coal royalties and, more recently, asset sell-offs.
Australia's largest regional economy has as its prime entertainment venue a 4100-seat tin shed with demountable toilets and hopelessly outdated facilities.
Venues NSW has made it clear what it thinks of the state-owned indoor stadium.
"Lack of precinct activation with poor sense of arrival and significant resident disruption," the government agency says in a PowerPoint presentation on the proposed Hunter Park precinct.
"Underserviced facility with limited food & beverage offerings and toilet numbers relying on demountable structures. Poor building condition with no premium seating offerings or suites.
"Lacks modern events infrastructure with poor audio-visual experience and limited performer areas.
"Poor circulation and plaza areas causing pedestrian and traffic issues with queuing on local roads post events. No precinct activation outside of event mode. Lack of wheelchair seats and patron services."
A National Basketball League trial match at the stadium in 2018 between the Sydney Kings and Illawarra Hawks was abandoned before tip-off because of condensation on the court.
Boomers great Andrew Bogut, playing in Newcastle for the first time, was forced to grab a microphone and apologise for the fiasco.
Newcastle is not alone among mid-sized cities in being poorly served when it comes to indoor stadia.
Canberra's 1980-built AIS Arena (capacity 5200) has been closed for two years due to concerns about fire safety.
Wollongong City Council is trying to convince the NSW government to replace its 6000-seat centre, which opened in 1998.
The Central Coast does not have an indoor stadium.
Hobart's Derwent Entertainment Centre (4500 capacity for sport) reopened last year after a $66 million upgrade which includes modern equipment such as a "jumbotron" screen.
The work was part of a deal between the Tasmanian government and NBL owner Larry Kestelman.
Cairns has a 5000-seat convention centre which has been upgraded twice and is now enjoying a $176 million expansion.
The Gold Coast has the most impressive entertainment and convention centre outside a capital city, a sleek 6000-seat venue built in 2004, upgraded five years later and used for the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Venues NSW wants the state to spend about $350 million on an 11,900-seat venue in Newcastle as the first stage of Hunter Park.
The government has been virtually silent on the redevelopment precinct since then sports minister Stuart Ayres arrived in town in 2017 with a draft concept plan.
The opposition says it needs to see the business case for the entertainment centre before it can comment.
Good luck clicking on the Hunter Park project page on the Venues NSW website. When the Herald tried on Thursday, it said: "404 Page Not Found."
Neither the Venues NSW presentation, which includes detailed renders, nor the business case have been announced publicly.
Infrastructure Minister Rob Stokes did not mention Hunter Park while addressing a property industry lunch in Newcastle this week.
If the Hunter Park master plan presentation had not been leaked to the Herald last week, the public would be none the wiser about where the project was up to.
The Venues NSW presentation, which was completed at least two weeks ago, says the "outcome of the business case is a request for investment in Newcastle Entertainment Centre".
"The funding request for this business case is currently being discussed within government to understand the capital constraints and the best path forward for the Entertainment Centre delivery," it says.
"Venues NSW is seeking ERC [expenditure review committee] approval for $50 million of Restart NSW funding to relocate Newcastle International Paceway to the Lower Hunter."
Sports Minister Alister Henskens, whose portfolio includes Venues NSW, says only that the business case is not finished.
Maybe the planning and funding requests are methodically making their way through government processes, but, after five-and-a-half years, the Hunter deserves more than a 31-word ministerial response to questions about such an important urban renewal project.
That only adds fuel to fears Hunter Park is being buried.
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