SA:Oval upgrade to boost all of Adelaide: PM

AAP General News (Australia)
12-28-2011
SA:Oval upgrade to boost all of Adelaide: PM

By Tim Dornin

ADELAIDE, Dec 28 AAP - The $500 million redevelopment of Adelaide Oval will revitalise
Adelaide, Prime Minister Julia Gillard says.

Ms Gillard described the redevelopment as a "once-in-lifetime" project and thinking
of the revamped stadium as just an investment in sports infrastructure was underestimating
its significance to the city and its people.

It will create an entirely different sense of how people use, move around and enjoy
the city, she said.

"So it's a very important piece of infrastructure," Ms Gillard told reporters in Adelaide
on Wednesday.

"This is about people coming into the city, attending a sporting event then going on,
flowing from the river back into the city.

"So it really is about revitalising the city of Adelaide."

The PM said the federal government would provide $30 million towards the redevelopment
to fund two new underground carparks for the revamped 50,000-seat stadium.

The funds will also be used to create new wetlands and for other enhancements around
Adelaide's Riverbank precinct which runs between the oval and the city centre.

The cash is less than the $100 million originally sought by the state government although
that was in the context of the commonwealth's bid to stage soccer's World Cup in Australia.

Federal Adelaide MP Kate Ellis said the government believed the $30 million was a fair
contribution that would make a real difference to the project.

She said all South Australians would have expected their treasurer to have asked for
more money than the state government was going to receive in the end.

The redevelopment of the oval will bring AFL football to the ground by 2014 at the
same time as it continues as the venue for international cricket and other events including
outdoor concerts.

Acting Premier John Rau welcomed the federal contribution and said the project now
enjoyed overwhelming public support in South Australia.

"We're lucky enough to have cricket and football and the general public entirely supportive
of this project," he said.

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