Grand opening of the stadium that almost lost government an election
Grand opening of the stadium that almost lost government an election: NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet put an end to half-time beer and bathroom queues. Perrottet opened the controversial $828 million Allianz Stadium. This almost cost his government an election.
The entertainment and sports facility welcomed a crowd of about 30,000 for the first time on Sunday night. This was for an opening ceremony that included the national anthem. It boasted live performances by Guy Sebastian and Baker Boy. It included a lap of honor from sports stars like Sonny Bill Williams, and a firework and light show.
Underneath a sparkling Sydney sky, he opened the venue. Perrottet conceded the struggles that had weighed on the project had not been lost on him.
“This has been a long journey. But today we open a world-class stadium for our world-class people,” he said.
“We lost a lot of political skin. We almost lost an election on the construction of this stadium … so there are always challenges with building great venues and great infrastructure. But you have just got to push through and do what’s right.”
Women now have been offered almost six times as many toilets to choose from – 600, up from 113. On the other hand, the number of wheelchair and companion-accessible seats has increased from 28 to more than 500 at this new stadium.
While the project in 2019 was expected to cost $790 million, Perrottet said it was well worth spending extra to attract events and performances. The reason was NSW was losing to other states, arguing the stadium was now “the envy of the world”.
“The stadium is in its honeymoon period,” V’landys told the Herald. “Its real test is when it’s analysed in 12 months.”
V’landys admitted that he would not be at the opening ceremony on Sunday night. He would be attending “the real opening when the greatest game for all is played next Friday night.”
Safety and accessibility situations at the old Allianz Stadium triggered the controversial decision by former premier Gladys Berejiklian in 2017. This will be funding a replacement stadium at Moore Park, as part of $2 billion-plus stadium package.
The decision was criticized by the state opposition and was deeply unpopular in the community. Polling at the time showed almost 60 percent of voters were against the knockdown and rebuild. On the other hand, then-Labor leader Michael Daley stood on his stance that he would not rebuild the venue. So, he declared the 2019 state election a referendum on stadiums.
Sports Minister Alistair Henskens emphasized that the new stadium was “all about the people”. He said it will be offering a better experience from food and hospitality, to general amenities.
The recently appointed minister took the place of Stuart Ayres. Ayres had been central to the stadium development. But he was forced to resign from his role in the John Barilaro trade job saga.
Four thousand pieces of steel stretching more than 19 kilometers in length have been transformed into the roof of the rebuilt stadium. The stadium has a 360-degree open concourse. This includes food and beverage offerings from hospitality giant Merivale.
The last game in the stadium was in September 2018. The Roosters overthrew the Rabbitohs in an NRL preliminary final.
The two teams will be returning to the field for the first game in the new stadium. The Wallabies took on the Springboks on Saturday.
Arts and Tourism Minister Ben Franklin insisted that the venue should host more than ball games.
“This is much more than a sporting stadium. This is an entire entertainment precinct,” he said.
“This all plays into our vision of being the premier visitor economy of the Asia Pacific. We know that we can bring in $65 billion a year by 2030 … and this stadium is going to be at the heart of that with extraordinary cultural, sporting, and entertainment events.”