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8th December 2007, 12:45 WST
The WA Football Commission would become irrelevant if it continued to maintain its stance against plans by the State Government to build a new $850 million outdoor sports stadium in Perth, Sport and Recreation Minister John Kobelke said today.
In a stinging attack against the commission Mr Kobelke said the body was refusing to leave its “comfort zone” and was maintaining an inadequate and second rate stadium in Subiaco oval.
Mr Kobelke’s comments followed a meeting with AFL boss Andrew Demetriou yesterday where Mr Demetriou gave his personal support to the government plans.
“The AFL wants to continue to see their sport grow. The key issue that Andrew Demetriou put to me was they see increased capacity and quality of the ground as being things that would enhance their sport and see it grow,” Mr Kobelke said.
So far the AFL have not committed to supporting the project financially and the WAFC remains opposed to the plans citing possible financial disadvantages and issues relating to the Government’s requirement that the new stadium operate under an independent governance structure.
“The key partner we need to engage with is the WA Football Commission and they are too much in a comfort zone, they are not willing to grasp what is a fantastic opportunity,” Mr Kobelke said.
He said football crowds would not grow it they could not be accommodated and without a new larger stadium the sport would go backwards.
“Parts of Subiaco oval are coming to the end of their useful life. It is a second rate stadium when you compare it to what we have in the other capital cities. It is way too small in capacity for a state that is the fastest growing state in Australia,” Mr Kobelke said.
He said he would be speaking to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in a bid to gain a financial commitment to the project from the Federal Government.
“West Australia has done very poorly in the past in terms of commitments from the Federal Government to major sporting facilities and we think it is about time that we had our turn and West Australia also received substantial federal funding.”
Mr Kobelke said he needed the support of all key sporting groups for the stadium to go ahead.
“We have a very clear vision, we want to put in place a timetable to deliver a new major stadium for Perth,” Mr Kobelke said.
JANE HAMMOND
http://www.thewest.com.au/default.as...ontentID=50166