The long-awaited master plans for the new Perth Stadium and the surrounding sport and recreation precinct on the Burswood Peninsula have been unveiled.
Under the plan, key elements of which were outlined by Premier Colin Barnett on August 24, the new stadium will have the third-largest capacity in Australia and will be the second-largest home stadium for AFL football.
The stadium will initially have capacity for 60,000 seats, with the potential of increasing this to 70,000.
The plan also includes a new pedestrian bridge to give fans from East Perth a direct link to the stadium.
Sports and recreation minister Terry Waldron says the master plan was designed to integrate land use and transport planning, allow for flexibility to accommodate future major events, allow for multi-purpose events and further develop Perth as a ‘river city.’
“With careful planning, the State Government is ensuring the delivery of a world-class stadium in a sports precinct, which will provide sport and recreational opportunities for the whole year, not just on major event days at the venue,” Waldron says.
According to the plan, geotechnical investigations have confirmed that the Burswood Peninsula, where the stadium is to be constructed, presents challenging ground conditions.
Despite this, planners remain confident that construction of the stadium on the northern portion of the site, which has previously been used in the Burswood Resort and in the Peninsula Residential development, can be achieved without significant problems.
The Peninsula was chosen for the site because planners because of its size, its status as an ‘iconic’ site, lack of constraints in the area relating to residential development and its proximity to other significant redevelopments.
Pre-construction works are slated to start in the middle of next year and construction is due to start in 2014. The government hopes to have the stadium ready prior to the 2018 football season.
The most recent cost estimate for the project, based on the work of the original Stadium Taskforce in 2007 and updated to 2011 dollars, is $700 million.
