NEW GALAXY SURVEY SHOWS FANS BELIEVE SYDNEY’S OLYMPIC STADIUM SHOULD BE THE HIGHEST PRIORITY FOR FUNDING
THREE-QUARTERS of the Sydney population (76%) support the proposed redevelopment of Stadium Australia, and nearly half of all Sydneysiders (45%) believe that upgrading the city’s Olympic stadium should be a higher priority for the NSW State Government than upgrading Allianz Stadium (29%) or Parramatta Stadium (25%).
The majority of Sydneysiders rate Stadium Australia as an iconic venue of national significance and, of the three stadium options, it is the preferred venue and location to view major events, and the best located in terms of providing easy access for people in the Greater Sydney area.
See the full survey results here.
Community attitudes toward the proposed redevelopment of Stadium Australia at Sydney Olympic Park – and similar redevelopment proposals at Allianz Stadium at Moore Park and Pirtek Stadium at Parramatta – are contained in a survey conducted by Galaxy Research released today.
The research evaluates current usage of Stadium Australia, Allianz Stadium and Pirtek Stadium, Sydneysiders’ attitudes toward these venues, and the quality of user experience at the three major Sydney stadiums.
With the NSW Government having preserved $600 million for stadium redevelopments in response to the State Infrastructure Strategy, it is important that the views of the Sydney-wide community and stadium fans of live sport and entertainment are included in decisions on what facilities should be upgraded.
The survey of more than 1000 people throughout the Greater Sydney area, shows that around three-quarters of the Sydney population (76%) support the redevelopment of Stadium Australia, with nearly half ( 44%) of these “strongly” supporting the proposal.
Aspects of the redevelopment of Stadium Australia which were most supported include the potential boost for employment and economic benefits especially in western Sydney, the unique notion of a retractable roof and moveable stands that create a perfect rectangle for rugby league, rugby union and football, and the goal to make the city’s Olympic stadium a truly word-class venue.
In one of the most striking survey results, a massive 90% of Sydneysiders (9 in every 10) agree that it is important that Sydney and NSW continues to have a large stadium that can hold 80,000-plus spectators.
Stadium Australia Managing Director, Mr Daryl Kerry, said the Galaxy Research Survey was compelling evidence that the people of Sydney value their Olympic stadium and see it as the city’s premier major events venue.
“As the Government considers a long overdue investment in Sydney’s sporting infrastructure, it is clear Sydneysiders do value their Olympic stadium and believe it is centrally located and convenient for the majority of the community,” he said.
“The research findings in this survey are overwhelmingly in favour of the option of redeveloping Stadium Australia, to again make it a truly world-class stadium. It isn’t a close-run thing – there is overwhelming support from the public for Stadium Australia’s redevelopment proposals when compared to similar redevelopment plans elsewhere.
“When the research is broken down to measure the level of support for Stadium Australia from Western Sydney, where most of the population live, the numbers are off the Richter scale.”
Mr Kerry said the NSW Government should be congratulated for setting aside significant funding for the upgrading of Sydney stadiums, and for recognising the potential of Greater Western Sydney. “There is a golden opportunity to adopt a strategy whereby Stadium Australia and Sydney Olympic Park are positioned complementary to the city of Parramatta. The proposal to link Sydney Olympic Park and Parramatta by Light Rail is a fantastic initiative that has widespread support,” he said.
“There is an opportunity to enhance Parramatta Stadium and increase its capacity, as well as enabling the Stadium Australia redevelopment to take place, an option which clearly has the support of the majority of Sydney population.”
The Galaxy Research Survey also revealed that fans believe the most important features of the Stadium Australia redevelopment include the retractable roof option, the ability to configure for events of different size (intimate mode will be introduced for club games), and improved transport and access.
The research findings are based on a survey of 1013 Sydneysiders aged 18+. The survey was conducted by Galaxy Research and fielded between Monday 24 November and Wednesday 26 November 2014.
*Galaxy Research Survey – Community attitudes to the redevelopment of Stadium Australia and Sydney football stadia funding priorities. November 2014.
