320 million Indoor Stadium for Perth
Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 2:00 pm
www.thewest.com.au
Indoor arena cost hits $320m
28th August 2006, 8:00 WST
The cost of Perth’s new multi-purpose indoor stadium has blown out another $70 million to $320 million after the State Government added a multi-storey 680-bay carpark to be built on top of the rail line.
The latest design for the 14,000-seat stadium — to be called Perth Arena — was unveiled by Alan Carpenter yesterday to a new barrage of criticism over the carpark, which the Premier conceded was an afterthought.
The stadium has been upgraded with 40 corporate suites and a forecourt able to host outdoor concerts, Hopman Cup practice courts and big screens for events such as sell-out football matches and telecasts of overseas events like the recent soccer World Cup.
Since the arena was first proposed as a public-private partnership, the cost to taxpayers has risen from $50 million to $160 million when Labor decided to go it alone in 2005, to $195 million in the May Budget and then $250 million last month.
“Originally we were looking at a facility of around about $160 million based on similar-sized venues with a retractable roof,” Mr Carpenter said.
“When we had a closer look we thought it was more likely to be $190 million. But we improved the design, we put in place more corporate suites, hence $250 million, plus $70 million for the carpark.”
The carpark, demanded by several future stadium users including millionaire Perth Wildcats owner Jack Bendat, will be between the arena and Roe Street above the rail line.
CityVision chairman Ken Adam said he was appalled at the carpark design, describing it as “an extraordinary bad piece of planning”.
“It’s another example of doing something half-cocked because you are in a hurry,” Mr Adam said.
“There was never any planning for a carpark and now the Government has been pressured into doing something. It clearly doesn’t fit and it will be another barrier between Perth and Northbridge.”
Lord Mayor Peter Nattrass said having a carpark visible from the road was a negative aspect.
“It would be something the City of Perth, and I’m pretty sure the East Perth Redevelopment Authority, would oppose,” Dr Nattrass said.
Another problem for the Government will be how to use the adjoining land — Housing and Works Minister Michelle Roberts and Planning and Infrastructure Minister Alannah MacTiernan disagree on the issue.
Ms MacTiernan has been pushing for inner-city housing to be part of the project but proponents of the arena — who have the ear of Mrs Roberts — want future residents kept away, fearing a repeat of the noise restrictions which plagued the Burswood Dome after housing was built nearby.
Opposition Leader Paul Omodei said it was another Government project that could get out of control with two ministers not agreeing with each other over inner-city living.
“Obviously MacTiernan wants inner-city living around the stadium and I think Roberts has a slightly different point of view, but they just seem to be in conflict at the moment,” Mr Omodei said.
Hopman Cup operations manager Andrew Firman said Perth Arena would guarantee that the world-class tennis event would stay in Perth.
Graham Mason, Robert Taylor and Daniel Emerson
Indoor arena cost hits $320m
28th August 2006, 8:00 WST
The cost of Perth’s new multi-purpose indoor stadium has blown out another $70 million to $320 million after the State Government added a multi-storey 680-bay carpark to be built on top of the rail line.
The latest design for the 14,000-seat stadium — to be called Perth Arena — was unveiled by Alan Carpenter yesterday to a new barrage of criticism over the carpark, which the Premier conceded was an afterthought.
The stadium has been upgraded with 40 corporate suites and a forecourt able to host outdoor concerts, Hopman Cup practice courts and big screens for events such as sell-out football matches and telecasts of overseas events like the recent soccer World Cup.
Since the arena was first proposed as a public-private partnership, the cost to taxpayers has risen from $50 million to $160 million when Labor decided to go it alone in 2005, to $195 million in the May Budget and then $250 million last month.
“Originally we were looking at a facility of around about $160 million based on similar-sized venues with a retractable roof,” Mr Carpenter said.
“When we had a closer look we thought it was more likely to be $190 million. But we improved the design, we put in place more corporate suites, hence $250 million, plus $70 million for the carpark.”
The carpark, demanded by several future stadium users including millionaire Perth Wildcats owner Jack Bendat, will be between the arena and Roe Street above the rail line.
CityVision chairman Ken Adam said he was appalled at the carpark design, describing it as “an extraordinary bad piece of planning”.
“It’s another example of doing something half-cocked because you are in a hurry,” Mr Adam said.
“There was never any planning for a carpark and now the Government has been pressured into doing something. It clearly doesn’t fit and it will be another barrier between Perth and Northbridge.”
Lord Mayor Peter Nattrass said having a carpark visible from the road was a negative aspect.
“It would be something the City of Perth, and I’m pretty sure the East Perth Redevelopment Authority, would oppose,” Dr Nattrass said.
Another problem for the Government will be how to use the adjoining land — Housing and Works Minister Michelle Roberts and Planning and Infrastructure Minister Alannah MacTiernan disagree on the issue.
Ms MacTiernan has been pushing for inner-city housing to be part of the project but proponents of the arena — who have the ear of Mrs Roberts — want future residents kept away, fearing a repeat of the noise restrictions which plagued the Burswood Dome after housing was built nearby.
Opposition Leader Paul Omodei said it was another Government project that could get out of control with two ministers not agreeing with each other over inner-city living.
“Obviously MacTiernan wants inner-city living around the stadium and I think Roberts has a slightly different point of view, but they just seem to be in conflict at the moment,” Mr Omodei said.
Hopman Cup operations manager Andrew Firman said Perth Arena would guarantee that the world-class tennis event would stay in Perth.
Graham Mason, Robert Taylor and Daniel Emerson