Stadium Australia Operations will enter into exclusive negotiations with Perth’s state government to become operator of Perth Stadium, following a three-month evaluation period and subsequent approval by state cabinet.
Premier of Western Australia, Colin Barnett, stated that Stadium Australia Operations’ proposal offered the best value for money and an operating approach which put fans first.
“The 60,000-seat Perth Stadium will be a world-class venue and it is fitting that a world-class operator is appointed,” Barnett said in a statement, before thanking the four short-listed respondents for their detailed submissions.
“Stadium Australia Operations currently operates Stadium Australia (ANZ Stadium) in Sydney, which was built for the 2000 Olympic Games. The 83,500-seat venue has already attracted more than 23.5m fans to a variety of events, including AFL, rugby union and English Premier League soccer games, plus acts such as AC/DC, the Foo Fighters and Taylor Swift,” Barnett said. “The state looks forward to working with Stadium Australia Operations in the coming weeks to finalize matters ahead of signing the contract.”
The operator will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the stadium and sports precinct, including catering, securing event content, event management and ticketing.
Barnett said the government would ensure that the West Australian Football Commission (WAFC) would have a stream of revenue to continue to manage, support and grow local football at the West Australian Football League and community level.
Minister for Sport and Recreation, Mia Davies, said AEG Ogden was also approved as reserve respondent, in the event the state government could not conclude negotiations with Stadium Australia Operations.
“This decision is the result of 12 months of work since the government first called for expressions of interest,” Davies said. “A detailed brief was prepared which was responded to by the shortlisted applicants over almost three months, culminating in a three-month review and evaluation by a panel of senior government officials – supported by a range of independent technical advisors.
“Ultimately the team determined that Stadium Australia Operations’ bid represented the best value for money. A key feature of the bid was the depth and breadth of proposed events to be held at Perth Stadium and the strategies to secure them.”
February 12, 2016
Pic credits: Perth Stadium project
