The veiled threat followed an announcement by NSW Premier Chris Minns on Wednesday that the government would lift a nearly 30-year cap on the number of concerts permitted at the SCG or Allianz each year from four to 20.
The Matildas celebrate after scoring a goal against Canada in an exhibition match at Allianz Stadium in September 2022.Getty Images
Minns said the limit,in place since a Rolling Stones concert in April 1995,had unnecessarily choked Sydney’s ability to host world-leading performers,and the extra 16 concerts would add up to $120 million into the state’s economy.
But the move could come at the cost of future international matches involving Australia’s two national football teams,with Football Australia echoing the concerns of the other sporting tenants at Allianz who fear the extra traffic will squeeze them out of the venue or damage the turf.
“While we embrace the transformation of Allianz Stadium into a dynamic cultural and economic asset for Sydney,it is imperative that such developments do not detract from the quality of the pitch,” a spokesperson for Football Australia said.
“Football’s unique turf requirements demand a higher standard of care compared to other sports,transcending mere aesthetics to encompass crucial factors like player safety and the integrity of the game.”
Football requires a high-quality pitch to facilitate a high-quality contest,as patchy turf can cause passes to bobble and disrupt a team’s ability to play an attractive,possession-based style. Substandard pitches can also heighten the risk of injury to players.
“Our primary focus remains steadfast:to ensure that the hosting of large-scale events aligns with our commitment to providing top-tier playing conditions,” the FA spokesperson said.
“This commitment is not just to the game but to our national teams,the Subway Socceroos and CommBank Matildas,and their passionate supporters,who rightly expect and deserve a playing field of the highest standard.”
NSW Sports Minister Steve Kamper downplayed concerns about the potential impact to the Allianz pitch,saying only a “small section” was affected after each concert which was “replaced with ready-to-play matrix turf.”
“The team at Venues NSW are dedicated to ensuring Allianz Stadium is a world-class multipurpose stadium and will continue to work collaboratively with sporting organisations on scheduling and pitch quality to ensure the best result for all involved,” he told this masthead.
The Moore Park stadium,controversially renovated for $828 million and opened in 2022,can host up to 55,000 people when it is set up for a concert.
But the major sporting codes of Allianz Stadium,including the NRL,Sydney FC,and Waratahs,had argued lifting the cap would squeeze their codes out of the venue.
NSW Premier Chris Minns and Sport Minister John Graham announced the cap on concerts at the SCG or Allianz each year would be raised from four to 20.Janie Barrett
The NRL had demanded,if the cap was raised,that the concert season take place between November and February to reduce the impact on its game schedule and turf quality.
As he conceded the changes would have an impact on the sporting calendar,Minns on Wednesday said sport did not have a monopoly over the use of the recently renovated stadium.
“There’s also a recognition from the government and the taxpayers who built this stadium that this venue is not just a sporting stadium. It’s not owned by a particular code or sporting team. It’s owned by the taxpayers of the state,” he said.
“And frankly,we can walk and chew gum.”
The cap was introduced close to 30 years ago in response to complaints from residents following the 1995 Rolling Stones concert,who said they struggled to sleep or leave their homes amid a deluge of noise and parking chaos.
But Minns said the concept of limiting international acts at Allianz to four per year was “ridiculous” and lifting the number of concerts allowed was simply “common sense”.
“The truth is for a lot of people there’s a sense that there’s been a drift away of the energy and excitement that’s been at the heart of Sydney’s CBD in the last 10 or 15 years,” he said at Moore Park on Wednesday.
“Let’s just be honest about this. If you buy a house in the middle of the city,you can expect to live in a big city. You can’t turn Moore Park or Sydney into a country town.”
Paul McCartney packed out two nights at Sydney’s Allianz Stadium in October.Wolter Peeters
When the plan was first flagged in May last year,Paddington resident Harry voiced his opposition to it,saying he bought his house nearby on the basis there would only be four concerts a year.
“All of a sudden they’re going to terrorise us,” “I’m in my 70s now and there’s no parking around;they park illegally.”
He found an unexpected ally in independent state MP for Sydney Alex Greenwich,who objected to the planned changes,arguing that lifting the cap “goes against promises that operations at the stadium would be fairly balanced with the needs of the local community and environment”.
But on Wednesday Minns again dismissed Moore Park and Paddington residents’ concerns about the matter.
“I appreciate that there is going to be opposition to the government’s plans,but we can’t let a really vocal minority set the agenda for a city that has over 5 million people living in it. That’s not the way New York or Paris or London works,and that’s not the way Sydney should either,” he said.
Beatles legend Paul McCartney played two shows at Allianz Stadium in late October,following Bruno Mars in 2022 and Elton John in January. Permitted noise levels were exceeded just once,briefly,during one of the Mars concerts.
Of the 20 concerts per year,two will be able to operate as 10-hour festivals,between 10am and 11pm.
Apart from the Mardi Gras after-party – which would be allowed to run later if the event is moved to the stadium – the normal 11pm noise curfew will remain.
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