Cricket NSW calls for 15,000-seat Newcastle stadium
The governing body of cricket in NSW has identified Newcastle as an infrastructure priority and wants to see a new 15,000-seat oval stadium built in the city.
The list of funding priorities, announced by Cricket NSW last week in the leadup to the state election, features over 170 local community and five major infrastructure projects throughout the state over the next four years.
One of those projects that Cricket NSW is seeking government investment for is a new 15,000-seat boutique stadium within the Hunter Park sporting precinct at Broadmeadow.
Also listed is $8 million for upgrades to Newcastle No. 1 Sportsground to ensure first-class cricket can return to the Hunter, $8.5m for upgrades to North Sydney Oval to consolidate its position as the home of women’s cricket and a Masterplan for the Sydney Cricket Ground.
The proposed stadium would be similar to Manuka Oval and located adjacent to McDonald Jones Stadium, on the current site of the Newcastle Harness Racetrack, which would be relocated to a purpose-built complex.
A new sports stadium would allow Newcastle to host major cricket fixtures including the BBL as well as AFL matches.
The traditional home of cricket in the region, the Newcastle No. 1 Sportsground, is no longer considered fit for elite cricket matches, despite an $8 million upgrade by the Newcastle City Council recently being completed.
Cricket NSW chief executive Lee Germon told the Newcastle Herald a new stadium would “absolutely” be regularly patronised by international and state-level team, as Canberra’s Manuka Oval is now.
“The vision is to bring a stadium to Newcastle capable of hosting international cricket and big BBL games.”
A new boutique stadium would be years away and the immediate priority is to upgrade the No. 1 Sportsground to once again allow elite cricket to be played in the region.
“The plan is to get No.1 Sportsground up to speed, so we can start to bring first-class cricket and even international teams back to Newcastle,” Germon said.
The City of Newcastle last year welcomed $6.7 million in funding to prepare a full business case for the Hunter Park project, to transform 63 hectares surrounding McDonald Jones Stadium, the Newcastle Entertainment Centre and Newcastle Showground, into a world-class lifestyle precinct.
Also proposed is a new 11,000-seat entertainment centre to be built adjacent to McDonald Jones Stadium, to replace the existing outdated facility. That has sparked talk this week of the NBL returning to the Hunter with a potential expansion side to join the competition.
The Cricket NSW priorities outlined in the plan to grow Australia’s favourite sport document call for Venues NSW to begin work on the SCG Masterplan to identify much-needed upgrades at the venue and to provide adequate parking options within the Moore Park precinct.
The report says ‘this famous and popular venue has some of the oldest spectator facilities in the country, and similar building code compliance issues that saw Parramatta Stadium and the SFS rebuilt. The masterplan of the SCG is needed to identify much needed upgrades at the venue. These include upgrades to the outdated Brewongle, Churchill and O’Reilly stands.’
It states the lack of any significant investment, compared to other stadiums across Australia including Optus Stadium, Adelaide Oval, a new Tasmanian stadium and Gabba rebuild, highlights the risk that the SCG will slip further down the rankings as a top tier sporting venue.
