SYDNEY, NSW (CelebrityAccess) — The government of New South Wales has abandoned plans for an extensive refurb of the ANZ Stadium at Sydney Olympic Park, due to budget constraints in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The proposed $800 million (AUD) remodel of the stadium would have transformed the 85,000 seat cricket field into a 75,000 seat rectangular multi-puprpose stadium.
Thew new stadium would have provided better sightlines, as well as a rectractable roof.
“The communities of NSW have been through an incredibly tough period with continued drought, horrific bushfires and now COVID-19 and the best path to recovery is creating jobs,” Deputy Premier John Barilaro said.
“An unprecedented crisis calls for an unprecedented recovery and redirecting funding from Stadium Australia to job-creating infrastructure builds is the right thing to do for the people of NSW,” he added.
According to a statement from the government of NSW, the $800 million will instead be used as part of a $3 billion infrastructure and jobs bill intended to create as many as 20,000 new jobs in the state.
The stimulus plan will also include the fast-tracking of multiple “shovel-ready” projects around New South Wales. The government is currently evaluating projects for inclusion.
Work on the nearby Allianz Stadium, a replacement for the venerable Sydney Football Stadium which was demolished in 2018, will continue as planned.
