Why a new Stadium for the Hunter?

The Hunter is the sixth largest urban area in Australia. It has a larger population than the Gold Coast-Tweed, Canberra-Queanbeyan, Wollongong, Hobart and Darwin urban areas, and is the largest non-capital urban area in Australia. The region's population is almost 600,000.

It is a region with a proud history; a diverse employment base and a very strong sporting culture, which is instrumental in binding the region.

Regrettably, this significant area does not have a sporting facility of international standard.

EnergyAustralia Stadium is the premier sporting venue in the Hunter.

It currently hosts the 2001 NRL Premiers, the Newcastle Knights, in the winter and the region's National Soccer League representative, Newcastle United, in the summer.

The Stadium is an outdated sports facility, built originally in 1969 as a multi-sports venue.

The case for change and Stadium redevelopment is compelling.

The existing stadium:

• does not comply with the minimum National Rugby League (NRL) and National Soccer League (NSL) Stadium criteria. In a poll conducted by the Sunday Telegraph (9 July, 2000) EnergyAustralia Stadium was continually mentioned as one of the five worst grounds in the NRL. The dressing rooms were criticised for being too small and cramped with generally poor facilities;
  

• compares poorly in all respects to other regional sporting and entertainment facilities, including, Express Advocate Stadium (Gosford), Parramatta Stadium, Campbelltown Sports Ground and WIN Stadium (Wollongong);
  

• fails to attract international and national sporting and entertainment events to the Hunter region;
  

• does not encourage cultural and sporting development of minority, junior and under represented groups in the Hunter region;
  

• has old and inadequate spectator and corporate provisions;
  

• has a covered seating capacity of well below 10,000 as prescribed by best practice and the NRL;
  

• contains minimal areas within the grandstand to increase members' patronage both during a sporting event and on non-match-days;
  

• has poor media facilities, and;
  

• has temporary spectator facilities to the north and south of the western stand which are unsatisfactory.

Lost opportunities

The current state of the facilities has resulted in lost opportunities to attract other tenants and event organisers in recent years. Governing bodies have repeatedly communicated that inadequate facilities prevent EnergyAustralia Stadium's serious consideration for hosting international and national sporting events.

Examples include:

• FIFA Women's World Cup;
  
• Olympic Soccer Tournament (preliminary matches);
  
• British and Irish Lions Rugby matches; and
  
• 2003 Rugby World Cup.

The 2001 British and Irish Lions tour injected over $200m into the Australian economy. Both Sydney and Gosford were major benefactors with local businesses and sporting venues reporting significant revenue increases. The Hunter missed out.