The capacity of ANZ Stadium could be reduced to as low as 65,000 as part of a major redevelopment of venues in Sydney, Australia, according to the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper.
The stadium has a current capacity of 83,500 and is used to stage rugby league, rugby union, cricket, AFL and football matches.
The New South Wales state government last year announced plans to redevelop Sydney’s stadia as part of a Aus$1.6bn project (£966m/€1.08bn/$1.28bn). The project includes work at ANZ Stadium, Parramatta Stadium, Allianz Stadium and the Sydney Cricket Ground.
However, in June, reports suggested that the cost of redeveloping ANZ Stadium alone had sky-rocketed from Aus$700m to Aus$1.6bn.
In light of this, the Herald has now reported that the state government is considering a lower-cost option, whereby the capacity of ANZ Stadium would be further reduced to between 65,000 and 70,000.
The newspaper notes that such a move could have an impact on Australia’s chances of hosting a future edition of football’s World Cup, with global governing body Fifa insistent that the opening and closing game of its showpiece tournament be played at a stadium with a capacity of at least 80,000.
Image: ANZ Stadium
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