http://www.thewest.com.au/default.as...ontentID=33369
The WA Football Commission is under increasing pressure to embrace plans for a new 60,000-seat stadium after Alan Carpenter dismissed the option of rebuilding Subiaco Oval as “a patch-up job”.

Reinforcing the comments of Sport and Recreation Minister John Kobelke in The West Australian, the Premier said yesterday he initially favoured the commission’s proposal to rebuild Subiaco Oval.

However, he now believed a new stadium should be built on one of the two preferred sites nominated by the Langoulant task force — Kitchener Park or East Perth.

“I kind of was sort of hoping that we would be able to do a redevelopment of Subiaco Oval but I don’t believe that’s the case any more,” Mr Carpenter said.

“I actually think that redeveloping Subiaco Oval would be a patch-up job which would go on for years. A new stadium is a better option.

“We need to engage all of the stakeholders and clearly part of that is the football commission and the football clubs and so on, and try to get them to accept that position.”

Mr Kobelke also called on the commission to abandon the Subiaco Oval plan and support the new stadium.

“We do need to make sure that the football commission is on board with the build of the new stadium,” Mr Kobelke said.

“I really don’t think that we’re going to make much progress if we continue to look at a rebuild on the old site with all the problems that go with trying to squeeze it in along Roberts Road.”

However, the commission remained defiant yesterday.

Chief executive Wayne Bradshaw said he did not believe the Subiaco Oval option had been portrayed fairly in the Langoulant task force report and football officials would continue attempts to convince the Government of its merits.

Seizing on comments by Mr Kobelke that Labor wanted to take a commitment to build the stadium to the 2009 State election, Opposition Leader Paul Omodei said there was no need to wait until after the election to decide to build it.


“My personal preference is that it should be built at Burswood,” Mr Omodei said.

“The party doesn’t have a position on that but the main thing is that the Government go ahead and build this stadium.”

Mr Kobelke said a new stadium could be completed by 2013 but the Government would not be rushed into the wrong decision.

Mr Carpenter said the looming Federal election could provide the perfect opportunity for the State to secure Commonwealth funding for a stadium.

Federal Sports Minister George Brandis said last month he would give “serious consideration” to the WA Government’s funding request.

He said he hoped to discuss the issue with Mr Kobelke during a scheduled visit to Perth this month.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Jim McGinty sought to distance himself yesterday from his suggestion last month that Perth should have a new children’s hospital before considering a new stadium.

“I would like to see a new football stadium as well,” Mr McGinty said.

“What we need to do is balance out all the competing objectives and make sure we make a decision based on the capacity of the construction industry, the financial capacity of the State and a determination of priorities.

“That’s all I ever said.”

MARK DRUMMOND, ROBERT TAYLOR and JESSICA STRUTT