Campbelltown MP maintains the rage over stadium snub

“Mike Baird has kicked our stadium into the dead ball line,’’ says Campbelltown MP Greg Warren.

Still seething two weeks after the Baird Government announced its stadia policy without including a cent for Campbelltown Sports Stadium, it looks like Mr Warren will maintain the rage at least until the next state election in 2019.

Earlier today he and his party’s shadow sports minister Lynda Voltz stood behind the northern end goalposts of the stadium as they tackled the NSW premier.

“The premier should explain how it’s OK to have out here the fastest growing area in the state but not the services we need and deserve to go with that growth, including a footy stadium,’’ Mr Warren said.

Ms Voltz says fortunately the final decision was a rip-off of Labor’s policy of spending the money allocated to stadia in western Sydney.

But it rankles that $10 million was allocated towards an upgrade of Brookvale Oval, which is located in Mr Baird’s own electorate.

“People are going to ask the question: why is the premier favouring his own nest, and ignoring Campbelltown and this stadium out here,’’ Ms Voltz said.

[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“If you’re going to build a new stadium, a new centre of excellence, you build them where the growth is, and growth, as anyone who has driven around South West Sydney knows, is out here.’’[/social_quote]

Mr Warren says the whole strategy of spending billions on big stadiums which are empty most of the time just doesn’t make commercial sense.

“You are better off filling up a stadium like Campbelltown than have rows and rows of empty seats you see in these bigger stadiums every week,’’ Mr Warren said.

Ms Voltz agrees.

“What happened to the money for stadiums in the south west?

“Why wouldn’t it go here, why wouldn’t you, if you were building another world class stadium in what they  say will be the next employment growth area with Badgerys Creek and so on.

“You co-locate it here for western suburbs.’’

Mr Warren also raised Campbeltown City Council’s plan for a massive upgrade to the entire sporting precinct at Leumeah.

Council says the plan won’t be ready until next month but confirmed the proposed stadium could easily be designed to seat from 40,000 upwards.

“The council have a plan in place with a multi million dollar allocation that’s waiting for a partnership with the state government and Wests Tigers,’’ Mr Warren said.

“That’s been on the table for a while; while there’s just talk about Liverpool that’s come to nothing.

[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“Campbelltown have a vision, they have the site and have allocated the dollars.’’[/social_quote]

Ms Voltz said that sports hubs, “like you have here in Campbelltown’’ is the way to go.

“You want the stadium, you want the athletics centre, you want the centre of excellence, you want the training facilities, you want it all in the one place because it becomes a venue for kids, players, and it becomes a venue for everybody,’’ Ms Voltz said.