The New South Wales premier, Dominic Perrottet, has been both praised and criticised over his decision to scrap $250m in upgrades to suburban stadiums and direct it toward flood relief in the state. But mystery remains about why the premier is still proceeding with the controversial $300m-plus upgrade of Penrith stadium – the most expensive of the promised projects – while scrapping the upgrades of other suburban grounds.
The obvious answer might be: it’s politics.
After a 2021 seat redistribution, Penrith is the third-most marginal seat in the state, held by the Liberals with just 0.6%.
The local member is Stuart Ayres, who until a few days ago week was deputy leader of the Liberals and sport minister.
Ayres was forced to resign on Tuesday over questions about his involvement in the appointment of the former Nationals leader John Barilaro to a $500,000-a-year trade commissioner job.
Ayres is a strong advocate for Penrith and close to the board of Penrith Panthers.
Panthers, the local NRL team and operator of one of NSW’s biggest clubs, is a major player in the Penrith economy. The club’s membership is large enough to determine who could win or lose this marginal seat, assuming the club chose to try and influence its members.
While the club is strongly behind the stadium upgrade and says it is needed, the proposal is more controversial within the community.
For a start, the current BlueBet stadium is much loved by fans because of its intimacy and the part known as “Family Hill”, which provides a grassy area for families to picnic and watch games.
The stadium has already had two upgrades: in 1987, when new stands were constructed, and again in 2006, when its corporate facilities were extended.
It has a capacity to seat 8,000 and can take a total crowd of 22,500. For the most part that is adequate. When the Panthers played the Sharks at the ground two weeks ago, 17,400 people attended.
The planned bigger stadium to seat 30,000 would likely result in the loss of the green cheaper spaces and more corporate facilities.
“From a spectator’s view, it is an excellent ground to watch rugby league, rugby union or soccer – all of which are played there – because you are never too far away. There are excellent corporate and media facilities. Lighting is up to broadcast standard,” the Austadium site says.
But since July, the plan has changed again.
Much to the surprise of the neighbouring Penrith District AH&I Society, which has owned the adjoining 11ha site for 177 years – home to the harness racing paceway and the Penrith showground – the government has announced plans to compulsorily acquire their site in order to build an entirely new stadium.
“This has come as quite a shock to us,” the chief executive, Tash Greentree, told 2GB recently.
She said the first she knew of it was 4 July when the government issued a compulsory acquisition notice. No other sites have been offered, despite the many community uses of their facilities.
“We are the Penrith community,” Greentree said, pointing out that the site was used for carols by candlelight, weekly markets and the annual Penrith show, as well as being home to several local businesses and charities.
Already facing Covid headwinds, the society had sounded out the Penrith council about redeveloping the showground and paceway into a mixed-use development with 2,000 residential units, with a view to using the funds to move to a new site further from Penrith CBD.
But that plan is now in tatters. The prized site will be acquired at its current zoning, which is unlikely to yield the funds for a move. Greentree said the government had not offered a new site.
Meanwhile, it is unclear what will happen to the old stadium next door, which is on a site owned by the NSW government.
The plan to rebuild on the paceway site is strongly supported by the Penrith Panthers.
“The paceway site would facilitate a state-of-the-art stadium with an improved game day experience for fans, with modern amenities that exists within a precinct that is activated throughout the week, not just on event days,” the Panthers Group chief executive, Brian Fletcher, said in a statement in July.
Panthers can also remain at the old BlueBet site for the 2023 season, instead of having to move while an upgrade takes place.
The opposition spokesperson for sport, Julia Finn, said that while Labor was not against an upgrade in Penrith, the government should release the business case.
“We are concerned about a cost blowout. The Parramatta stadium cost $300m several years ago and building costs have increased dramatically during Covid,” Finn said.
“Also, we want to know why they need to acquire the paceway site. It’s 11ha – much bigger than needed. What happens to the rest of it?”
A spokesperson for the new sport minister, Alister Henskens, said the government committed to delivering a state-of-the-art stadium in Penrith and was consulting on a range of options as part of the redevelopment.
“The eastern suburbs have the new SFS, the central city of Parramatta has CommBank and the Western Parkland City [council grouping] will have the state-of-the-art stadium people deserve, because we’re committed to investing in communities right across our city and delivering at the appropriate time and best value to taxpayers,” he said.
“The cost and timing of construction for a new stadium will be confirmed once the consultation is completed and the scope for the new Penrith stadium has been determined.
The spokesperson said the government remained committed to upgrading suburban stadiums. However, following recent natural disasters and the Covid-19 pandemic, further investment in stadiums is to be done in stages.
