Perth Stadium: Difference between revisions

Perth Stadium

File:PerthStadiumBurswood.jpg An artist's impression of what the new Perth stadium at Burswood could look like
Location	Burswood, Western Australia
Coordinates	31°56′40″S 115°49′53″E / 31.94444°S 115.83139°E / -31.94444; 115.83139
Owner	Government of Western Australia
Capacity	60,0000 (with potential to be increased to 70,000)
Surface	Grass
Opened	2018 (planned)
Tenants
Fremantle Football Club (AFL) (planned for 2018–) West Coast Eagles (AFL) (planned for 2018–) Western Force (Super Rugby) (planned for 2018–)

Perth Stadium is a planned

In July 2007 the Government of Western Australia announced its preference to build a new 60,000-seat stadium rather than re-develop Subiaco Oval,^[4] and in early 2008 it confirmed that Subiaco Oval would be demolished for the new Perth super-stadium to be built next door at Kitchener Park.^[5] This site was chosen ahead of the other suggested site at the old East Perth Power Station, which was set aside to house a new $500 million museum.^[6]

The new stadium at Subiaco was scheduled to be built between 2011 and 2016, with the majority of the stadium to be completed in 2014. Subiaco Oval was to be demolished between 2014 and 2016 to allow the end of construction on Perth Stadium. The staged construction would have allowed for football to be played at the new venue by 2014, when the stadium was two-thirds completed with an initial capacity of 40,000 seats.^[5][7]

Stadium plans suggested its playing surface would have been oval in shape to accommodate Australian rules football and cricket games. The stadium was also expected to have retractable seating which would have reconfigured the venue to make it suitable for rectangular-field sports codes, such as soccer and rugby.^[8] These retractable seats were to number 22,000, and were to be situated along the touch lines and behind the posts in the rectangular configuration. With an overall planned capacity of 60,000, Perth Stadium would have been Western Australia's largest sports venue, and it was designed to be built such that the capacity could be increased to 70,000 if needed in the future.^[7]

The stadium was expected to be primarily used for Australian rules football with the ability to host cricket, rugby union, rugby league and

Following the election of a new State Liberal party Government under Colin Barnett, the new stadium's plans were scrapped in early February 2009.^[9] Barnett stated that a new stadium would not be considered for at least two years.^[9] As a result of Australia's failed bid for the 2018/2022 World Cup, $250 million in potential federal funding for a new stadium was also withdrawn in December 2010.^[10]

In June 2011 the State Government announced that the new stadium would be built on the northern section of the Burswood Park golf course. It stated that the Burswood site was preferred because it was unconstrained by surrounding developments and had the additional benefit of being government-owned. It would also allow for a special events four-platform train station to be built and could be connected to the CBD via a pedestrian bridge across the Swan River to East Perth. A car park will not be built to service the stadium, with visitors expected to either park in the city and walk across the bridge or use public transport.^{[3][11][1][12]}

As with the earlier plans for the new stadium at Kitchener Park, the stadium is intended to seat 60,000 spectators, with potential for this capacity to be extended to 70,000 in the future.

The Government stated that planning for the new stadium at Burswood is due to completed by mid-2012, with construction commencing in 2014 and scheduled for completion in 2018. It appointed the firm Populous as the project's architectural consultants.[3]^[11][1]

Cost

The earlier design for Perth Stadium at Kitchener Park in Subiaco was expected to reach $1.1 billion, including $800 million on construction of the stadium itself and $300 million on associated infrastructure, property acquisition, escalation, transport infrastructure and other costs.^[5] Construction of the new stadium would have involved moving 27 private residences and moving residents from another 66 state housing properties surrounding Subiaco Oval. These state housing tenants would have been relocated within the Subiaco area.^[7] The project was going to be funded by the Government of Western Australia.^[7][6] Expected construction costs were based on a December 2008 start, with a four-year completion period.

Following the Barnett Government's announcement to move the site of the proposed stadium to Burswood, it stated that the stadium would cost around $700 million, with an extra $300 million allocated to public transport works.^[3][1] However, in December 2011 Premier Barnett stated that it was too early to say what the final cost would be, explaining that "No one can put a price on it until it's designed, until it goes out to tender".^[3] The previous Government's Major Stadia Taskforce had earlier put the total cost of the Burswood stadium option, including transport needs, at $1.147 billion.^[1] The West Australian newspaper has reported that due to an increase in construction costs since the release of the task force report in 2007, the total cost will be close to $1.5 billion, assuming work begins within two years.^[1]

The Australian Football League has agreed to help pay for Perth's new stadium at Burswood, although it has not revealed how much money it will contribute.^[13]

References