Taskforce chief on sports mission

WA Stadium taskforce chairman John Langoulant is on a fact-finding mission of the nation's stadiums as the government puts the finishing touches to the terms of reference for the second stage of the review.

The guidelines for the 60,000 seat project are expected to be handed to the taskforce in the next couple of weeks.

In esssence, it means the taskforce will then get down to the nuts and bolts of costs and its final recommendation on where the $600 million stadium will be built.

''Once we get the terms of reference we can really define the dimensions of the task ahead,'' Mr Langoulant said shortly before a visit to Brisbane's rectangular Suncorp Stadium.

The taskforce came up with three options in its first stage: Mueller/Kitchener Park in Subiaco, the East Perth power station site and the redevelopment of Subiaco Oval.

Mr Langoulant said seeing first hand ''back-of-stadium'' facilities and infrastructure had been particularly useful.

''You are not going to get that by adding another storey to Subiaco,'' he said.

The taskforce prefers Members Equity Stadium as the city's rectangular stadium for rugby and soccer.

However the present redevelopment plans would be too small for the Western Force. Mr Langoulant said seven or eight rugby games a year at the stadium would not be financially viable.

''We need to work out how we can grow the content into the stadium and sort out heritage issues,'' he said.

''If we can find a way of bringing a rectangular stadium we'll do it.''

Using retractabale seating on a football oval could be too costly.