WNC Briefs the Minister

[GIGS20]

I've just got home from a meeting with the Minister for Sports, Recreation and Gaming, Terry Waldron.

Myself, Swee_82 and Elf1 spent about 45 minutes discussing the issue of a rectangular stadium with the minister and one of his senior staffers. We basically said that in a perfect world, we would be attending the ground breaking ceremony for a brand new 35,000 seat rectangular stadium tomorrow, but as realists, we recognise that will not happen and we were most impressed with the Town of Vincent plan to upgrade Member's Equity Stadium as a short term solution.

For those of you decrying this as an action, please note we were very careful to REPEATEDLY state that any MES upgrade is a short term solution and thought would need to be given to the longer term.

25,000 seats is an acceptable number given average crowds currently and we believe that memberships would spike to virtually sell this stadium out as good seats will become increasingly difficult to find.

We walked away from the Minister's office with no guarantees, no committments, nothing more than a handshake and a thankyou, but we've plead the case for the fans of WA sport. This decision is imminent people and it will be presented to cabinet soon. now is the time for you to ring your local member (particularly if you live in Wanneroo, Ocean Reef, Riverton, Joondalup or any other marginal, coalition held seat) and tell him you voted for him so he could look after the WA public with this decision, the future of your favourite team may well depend on it with an increasing Super 14 Season, the likelihood of a WA NRL team in the future, with the likelihood that the Glory owners will get sick of being the A-League easybeats, at some point in the near future this will be crucial to WA sport and we need every politician to know this is an issue close to our hearts.

I'll put my soapbox away now!

[Elf1]

Well said Gigs...I can add nothing to that except to say we have put our case forward, now it is up to the outcome of the meetings with other stakeholders and the treasurer.

[laura]

Good work team WNC!
Sorry I missed the notice on WNC or I could have been there too.

[Thequeerone]

Letter to Paul Miles will be posted in the morning - a wine induced special might not be the way to go tonight - Gigs20, Swee, TG and Elf I thank you all - reckon we'ill get something but am rapt we got this far - can I also say it would be no harm to remind Barnett about his promise to give it serious consideration to our own FA 2 weeks out from the election - it did affect my vote and I reckon it affected others as well.

[GIGS20]

You ai't kidding. our Minister for Sport and Rec is one of the most powerful four people in Western Australia becuse of this issue (OK I might be drawing a fairly long bow there, but every little issue like this one is a potential election loser when the parliament is balance on a knife edge like it is)

Make sure you get in touch with your local MP (well the Libs and Nats ones anyway) also make sure the independents don't trip us up with a stray vote the wrong way once it gets tabled in parliament!

[travelling_gerry]

Can someone get together some figues so we can ask along the lines of...

How come if QLd can build a xxxxx seat rectangular stadium for $xxx million...

And Vic can build yyyyy seat rectangular stadium for $yyy million...

and the city of Dunedin can build a zzzzz seat rectangular stadium for $zzz million.

then HTF does the dunderhead pro gayFL advisers at the Stadium Authority in WA come up with $450 million??

[Swee_82]

We asked. They reckon it comes down to price escalation.

[travelling_gerry]

Stairs or ramps are quite fine by me.

[travelling_gerry]

Seriously? are they budgetting to build this in 2050?

Whats todays price?

[lmaag]

thanks for making the time to do that guys. You have inspired me as treasurer Troy boy is my local MP. Time to make an appointment perhaps.

[Swee_82]

'Fraid so, and since we've never laid eyes on a budget, just the final figure they throw at us, it's a bit hard to counter.

At this stage, I think the fairest thing to say is that they're putting all the options back on the table and it's good we got a chance to bend his ear for an hour or so and put the case for the fans specifically (which is more than we can say for the last mob).

Gigs and Elf may have got a different vibe, but I hope I'm not speaking out of turn saying he didn't seem as keen on the Rectangular Stadium than Barry House, though it's probably fair to call that the difference between opposition and government.

[travelling_gerry]

I reckon that this is the crux of the argument...the authority is saying it too expensive yet wont back it up.

[Elf1]

what they are saying is 250 mil today is equal to 450 mil in 2013-5 dollar value. price escalation. we did raise the points of stadia being built around Australia at comsiderably less cost but the answer was "price escalation."

[oxleymoron]

I don't think its long bow Gigs, especially as there are approximately 105,000 members of the glory, , dorkers and wet toast who all have an interest in the outcome of the stadium debate - whether it is upgraded MES, albino pachyaderm, subi etc.

Sure, there are some people who double dip, but there will probably be in excess of 300,000 people who will be watching either the glory or force play this season. Given the current economic climate and the pledge to support the nationals regional policy, it is only going to get tighter for the handouts from the government.

Maybe we should use the figure of the $25 Million promised a couple of years ago and apply CPI to it and present that number to parliament, showing that the longer they stall, the more it will cost in the end. Budget blowouts are just another of life's certainties - just like death and taxes.

[oxleymoron]

The Melbourne stadium is proposed to cost $267.5 Million and hold 31,000

Skilled Park on the gold coast was $160 Million and holds 25-27000