The Liberal Party WA has announced plans to renegotiate the state’s $50 million naming rights deal with telecommunications giant Optus to rename the city’s stadium ‘Perth Stadium’.
The Liberal Party WA has announced plans to renegotiate the state’s $50 million naming rights deal with telecommunications giant Optus in order to rename the city’s newest stadium ‘Perth Stadium’.
During a press conference this morning, opposition leader Zak Kirkup said the naming rights contract the state government signed with the company back in 2017 was a mistake and that the state had missed an opportunity to promote the city.
If his party were to form government, Mr Kirkup said renegotiating the contract would be a priority.
“This is a stadium that was built by the people of our state, for our state, and should be named after our capital city,” he said.
“This gives us an opportunity to promote our city and, when it is safe to invite tourists to visit our state, it will give us every opportunity to highlight and push forward what is great about our city and there is no greater icon than this Perth Stadium.
“Selling the naming rights to this stadium was a mistake and it’s a mistake that we will unwind.
“Making sure that this stadium gets the name that it deserves will be a priority for us.
The announcement is one of several proposals the Liberal Party unveiled today as part of its sport and recreation policy, which included a $20 million pledge to redevelop the State Tennis Centre in Burswood.
The announcement coincided with the first day of the Australian Open and stands in stark contrast to the Labor Party’s plan to move the state’s tennis facility to Whiteman Park.
Shadow Sport and Recreation spokesperson Peter Collier said the upgraded centre would help to improve the state’s chances of attracting international tennis competitions.
“If you move tennis to Whiteman Park, you will decimate tennis in this state,” he said.
“You won’t find one tennis organisation or player that wants to send it to Whiteman Park.
“Over the last few decades, we’ve seen that [state tennis] centre reach its use-by date.
“We want to build a world-class tennis facility that draws international tennis players to our city; that’s what we want.”
Premier Mark McGowan defended the naming rights deal, saying it allowed the state to secure money for nothing, and said the announcement demonstrated how risky and inexperienced the Liberal Party was.
The policy is the 52nd the party has announced since it began campaigning late last year.