$100m AAMI Stadium pledge

Austadiums • Sunday 30th September 2007

SANFL boss Leigh Whicker has vowed to spend as much as $100 million upgrading AAMI Stadium even though the league's request for funding by the Federal Government was rejected last week.

Despite his disappointment at missing out on the much-needed funding, Mr Whicker said the upgrade of AAMI Stadium would continue even though it may now take longer to complete than originally planned.

The SANFL announced last year it would spend $70 million over five years improving a raft of player and spectator facilities at AAMI.

Mr Whicker said the SANFL was now also considering spending even more on improving AAMI.

"It might take longer but we just see it as another challenge," he said. "$70 million may not be enough, it might go as high as $100 million."

He highlighted improved traffic management as one area where more money might need to be spent. "That is part of the service, getting people into and out of AAMI," he said.

While neither Mr Whicker nor federal Finance Minister Nick Minchin would confirm how much the SANFL had sought, it is believed to be between $20 million and $30 million.

To date, it has spent more than $1 million improving changerooms, $1.5 million on a new public address system, $1.63 million for a new video screen at the southern end and $1.32 million on new public kiosks.

Other improvements scheduled include a $4 million security upgrade, a $1.5 million refurbishment of the members' entry and foyer, and a $3 million replacement of light-tower head frames. In the longer term, the SANFL is also planning to spend $14 million building a new corporate facility above the eastern grandstand, which would be similar to the Medallion Club at Telstra Dome, and a further $30 million to extend the members' main grandstand to bring it to the same height as the northern stand.

Mr Whicker said he would be approaching the federal Labor Party and the State Government to talk about future funding as well, although he denied he would be using the issue to hurt the Government in the lead-up to the federal election.

"We will be putting a strong case to the federal Labor Party," he said.

Senator Minchin, who believed AAMI Stadium was already a good quality venue, said there were only so many sport infrastructure projects the Federal Government could fund at one time.

He said the Government had already committed $25 million to help upgrade the Adelaide Oval, contributed $15 million to build a new aquatic centre at Marion and forked-out $2.5 million to Port Adelaide and Adelaide to help with building projects.

Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd's spokeswoman said Federal Labor was prepared to sit down with the SANFL and the SA Government following the election to consider in detail any business case and proposition in relation to the upgrade of AAMI Stadium.

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SANFL boss Leigh Whicker has vowed to spend as much as $100 million upgrading AAMI Stadium even though the league's request for funding by the Federal Government was rejected last week.
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