The Tourism Council WA says planning has to start now to ensure the new Perth Stadium is used to its full potential once it is complete in 2018.
The Brookfield Multiplex-led Westadium Consortium started construction on Western Australian sporting fans’ most eagerly anticipated development – the 60,000 seat Perth Stadium – over the weekend.
The building and construction contractor hosted Premier Colin Barnett and departing Sport and Recreation Minister Terry Waldron on site yesterday as the first of 2,000 concrete piles were driven into the ground.
The first concrete slab at the site is expected to be poured by midway through next year.
By the end of next year, eight tower cranes will be installed on site in preparation for the installation of concrete seating platforms and the bronze façade in 2016.
Brookfield Multiplex WA regional managing director Chris Palandri said the stadium would need more than 5,700 workers during its construction phase, while hundreds of long-term jobs would also be created once it was complete.
The consortium comprises Brookfield Multiplex, equity investor and asset manager John Laing, financial adviser Brookfield Financial and facilities manager Brookfield Johnson Controls, which will manage the stadium for the next 25 years.
Tourism Council of WA chief executive Evan Hall said the start of construction at Perth Stadium was a major milestone in the development of the state’s tourism industry.
But Mr Hall said event planning needed to start now to ensure the stadium was an active asset in 2018.
“New stadiums such as Adelaide Oval have attracted new crowds,” he said.
“Cities such as Melbourne have a competitive edge in tourism because of their stadium capacity.
“The stadium will be a huge tourism earner, but only if we have the big events scheduled from opening in 2018.
“More stadium events means more spectators, more tourism dollars and more jobs created in WA.”
