Perth Stadium could deliver more than $291 million and 1,300 jobs each year to the Western Australian economy, however it will need to start bidding for major events now and market the stadium’s potential ready for its 2018 opening.
Perth Stadium could deliver more than $291 million and 1,300 jobs each year to the Western Australian economy, however it will need to start bidding for major events now and market the stadium’s potential ready for its 2018 opening.
The call for action came from the Tourism Council WA today at the launch of an analysis paper based on its commissioned economic impact assessment by consultants AEC Group.
With capacity of up to 70,000 seats for concerts and 60,000 for Australian Football League games, motorsport and athletics, the stadium surpasses all sporting and concert venues, including Patersons Stadium (43,500 for AFL), nib Stadium (25,000 for concerts) and the WACA Ground (24,500 for cricket).
Tourism Council WA chief executive Evan Hall said the state government and the tourism industry needed to establish a stadium event plan and event fund to secure events for 2018 to 2022, as well as a visitor target to fill a minimum of 2,000 seats, or 3 per cent, with visitors to WA.
This arrangement has been adopted at Perth Arena, where 500, or 3 per cent, of seats are retained by VenuesWest rather than the event holder.
The council identified the need for 10,000 general admission seats to be made available at AFL matches to non-AFL club members, including 2,000 for AFL tourism packages.
It suggested the marketing of the packages, which would include tickets to a game, accommodation and visits to WA regional attractions, could create further economic activity in WA regions outside of Perth.
Under this scenario, the assessment estimated the new stadium will generate almost 67,000 additional interstate and international visitors, and $112.9 million into the WA economy.
AFL tourism will play a major part in the economic value of the stadium, with the sport already representing 66 per cent of attendance at major sporting events in the 2013 to 2014 financial year.
Mr Hall said the state government and the tourism industry need to start bidding for events that will gather interstate and international attention.
“For 2018 we can put on some great shows, some good international sporting fixtures (and) some exhibition matches,” he said.
“We can be doing all that from 2018 as long as we start now.”
He said with the new stadium Perth would be ideally placed to bid to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games.
Last week the state government announced its expressions of interest process in now underway for operators responsible for the day-to-day management of the stadium.
In its Perth Stadium: Economic Game Changer report, the council said bidders “should be assessed on their commitment to attract interstate and international attendees and deliver the three per cent stadium visitor target”.
Sports and Recreation Minister Mia Davies said the process to appoint an operator is expected to take 12 months.
The operator will work with facilities manager Brookfield Johnson Controls, which was appointed in August 2014.
