New South Wales Labor has ramped up its attack on the state government over its plan to knock down Allianz Stadium, citing environmental concerns including the risk of asbestos exposure.
The opposition leader, Michael Daley, says the government is rushing to demolish the Sydney stadium at Moore Park before the March election, despite warnings from the Environment Protection Authority and other public agencies.
“This government turns the planning of projects on its head and rushes ahead in haste to begin and construct projects without doing the proper planning,” Daley told reporters on Tuesday.
The Labor leader cited concerns about hazardous materials in the building’s structure including asbestos, the possible disturbance of underground petrol storage units, as well as the potential for dust and debris to blanket neighbouring suburbs.
“They don’t know what’s under the ground, they don’t know how do deal with the hazardous materials, but they’re pushing ahead anyway,” Daley said.
The NSW Department of Planning approved the first stage of the stadium’s $730m redevelopment late last week, with demolition to start in January.
Daley has accused the government of scheduling the works before the upcoming state election. “Elections should not dictate multimillion-dollar infrastructure projects,” he said.
Labor has promised that taxpayers won’t pay for the project if it wins the 23 March election.
Instead, Daley will offer a loan to a private group or the Sydney Cricket and Sports Ground Trust to rebuild the stadium, he has said.