The NSW Government has scrapped plans for a new stadium at the Penrith Paceway site in favour of a refurbishment of the current BlueBet Stadium, after finding cost projections had significantly blown out.
$309 million was allocated to the building of a new stadium by the former Perrottet Government, which was the subject of intense scrutiny following claims of pork barrelling by former Minister for Western Sydney Stuart Ayres.
The $309 million sum will be used to refurbish BlueBet Stadium, where current NRL premiers Penrith Panthers are the major tenants. Panthers Penrith Rugby Leagues Club sits adjacent to the stadium, with the stadium refurbishment welcomed by the organisation.
The former government’s commitment to a full stadium rebuild was clear when an acquisition order was issued to Penrith Paceway in July 2022. But, in the wake of supply chain issues, inflation and the after-effects of the pandemic, it is anticipated the project would cost in excess of $900 million to complete.
The acquisition order in question was withdrawn by the Minns Government in July 2023, following a review of NSW’s infrastructure pipeline by former Roads and Maritime Services boss Ken Kanofski. The entire pipeline adds up to a total of $115 billion in spending. The Metro West project has also come under questioning by the current government, with potential alterations floated by Premier Chris Minns.
“The former government’s plan to shift the stadium to the paceway site would’ve tripled the cost,” says NSW Sports Minister Steve Kamper in a Sydney Morning Herald article.
“The Minns government committed to reviewing major infrastructure projects to ensure they would not go massively over budget. We will continue to work with government agencies and local stakeholders to finalise the design and delivery of the project.”
