The first stage of turning the 30-year old Sydney Football Stadium into a modern, world-class venue has been approved by the NSW Department of Planning and Environment but the approval remains subject to strict conditions.
Earlier in the year, an intense design competition was held between the best architectural firms in Australia. After a thorough assessment period, Cox Architecture’s design for the stadium was eventually selected for its state-of-the-art roof structure and beautiful response to the stadium’s surroundings.
The Sydney Football Stadium redevelopment is set to feature seats for 40,000 spectators and will be complete with weather protection, state-of-the-art technology, and modern food and beverage offerings.
On Friday 7 December, Stage One approval for the project was received and Lendlease was awarded the demolition and construction contract.
Minister for Sport Stuart Ayres said reaching this major milestone has paved the way for the redevelopment of the Stadium to commence in January 2019.
“NSW deserves the best stadiums and the new Sydney Football Stadium will make us number one again,” Mr Ayres said.
Sydney Cricket Ground Trust CEO Kerrie Mather also said the new Sydney Football Stadium will be a nationally and globally competitive venue, ensuring that Sydney remains a preferred destination for major local and international events.
“We look forward to continuing to work closely with Infrastructure NSW and Lendlease to ensure the redevelopment runs smoothly, on schedule and with as little disruption as possible to the sports, communities and businesses that share the SCG precinct,” Ms Mather said.
“The new stadium is a public asset on public land, like its predecessor, and it will be built for the people of NSW,” she announced.
However, the project’s Stage One approval remains subject to strict conditions which range from requiring noise management and traffic strategies to be put in place to the development of anti-social behaviour strategies for the operation of the future stadium.
Lastly, the Sydney Football Stadium redevelopment is expected to create over 600 construction jobs and support 300 jobs once operational.
More information on the project can be found here.