The Allianz Stadium is set to close for 10 weeks as grounds staff look to address drainage issues at the $828million stadium.
However, the repair works will not cost taxpayers a single penny, according to New South Wales Premier Chris Minns.
The 42,500-seater stadium has copped criticism over the past two years for its drainage issues.
Following a recent deluge of rain, some members of the Sydney Roosters playing group have expressed concerns about how poor the pitch is.
Divots and puddles have been seen on the footy field, with Lindsay Collins hitting out at the venue.
‘There’s something wrong with this field,’ the Roosters prop said. ‘It’s not crash hot. You have to deal with it.
Sydney’s Allianz Stadium is set to close for 10 weeks in order to undergo much-needed remedial works
The pitch has copped flak in recent years for its inability to drain water with multiple players having criticised the pitch
‘We were saying they should have put a roof on. I think the original plan was to put a roof on. The money they’ll invest to rip it all up, maybe they should have put a roof on.’
It now appears that Venues NSW will be making some changes to the turf at the stadium, which was reopened in 2022.
Venues NSW launched an independent review into the state of the pitch, according to AAP, following concerns over the conditions on the stadium pitch following the women’s State of Origin II match that was held at the stadium in July.
The investigation found that contaminated sand had been installed during the stadium’s construction.
It means in the pitch’s drainage layer, there is now an excess of clay and silt that is stopping water from moving away from the pitch, meaning that only 40mm of water per hour can be removed from the pitch.
That is a far cry from the expected 300-600mm of water an hour a well-produced footy pitch can drain.
Premier Chris Minns has explained that NSW residents are not set to be asked to cover the costs of the works, which will begin after the Wallabies game against Argentina on September 13.
‘The surface has let down playing teams, so we need to get on it,’ the Premier said. ‘Obviously, that can’t happen while football is taking place.
Taxpayers, though, will not have to foot the bill for the works, according to NSW Premier Chris Minns
‘We don’t anticipate NSW taxpayers will foot the bill for that, because, obviously, Venues NSW and the government believe that there’s been an error in the original construction.
‘I mean, the thing’s brand new, so we would expect the builder to fix it up.’
It means that Sydney’s A-League sides will be required to use other stadiums like the Leichhardt Oval for their men’s and women’s A-League matches, which will commence in October.
‘Both Venues NSW and the NSW government have been clear from the start that the quality of the surface has not been up to our standards, and I am glad that we now have a path forward to rectify this matter,’ Steve Kamper, NSW sports minister, said.
