Andrew and James: Build your own football stadium in Perth!

I love to have fish 'n chips with my Dad on a Friday night at his retirement village restaurant, and then retire to the lounge to watch the footy. Particularly when the Dockers are being beaten!

And it’s not hard to image just how fantastic it will be when the game is shown live from the new $1 billion Burswood Football Stadium...paid for by WA taxpayers. Well, mostly anyway.

When I arrived home last Friday and picked-up the newspaper, I read a story about a young farming family who live in the country with an autistic child. Not easy.

The drought has really impacted on farmers badly but the Dad was able to get some work in a restaurant in Perth and he loved his new job that provided much needed dollars for his wife and son; and in particular the boy’s ongoing medical treatment.

That was until Dad was told the unit in which he was renting in Perth had been sold and he had to leave. He was unable to find any Homes West accommodation and all other rentals were too expensive.

It all became ‘impossible’ so he returned home to his country town and no work.

No job and not much future.

So what’s this got to do with a new football stadium?

Well, as much as we love footy, I worry that the government's borrowed money could be used for better things such as accommodation for those who need it. Or, to help pensioners with their electricity bills or for homeless children; or even buidling badly needed infrastructure such as a new and extended metro rail system?

The AFL and James Packer (whose company casino and hotel complex will benefit enormously from the location of the new stadium) are not exactly short of a quid, and quite frankly they should fund this new facility - along with the help of sponsors - without holding out their hand to the WA taxpayer.

Sure, Premier  Colin Barnett could perhaps make the land available as an incentive, but when it comes to forking-out a billion dollars to make it more comfortable for us to watch and play the game we all love, then let the ‘owners’ and direct benefactors of the game pay.

WA already has a significant government debt and we should ask in all honesty is it smart to borrow 100% of the funds required from overseas lenders to give us a new football stadium? Just look at the cost to the taxpayers in the UK for the new London stadium?

Just more debt?

I would love a new stadium in Perth as much as the next person. But in these uncertain and difficult times around-the-world, maybe we should be saying to the rich casino owners and the wealthy AFL: “Build it yourself”.

And if you think the WA public won’t support such a stance, try asking the farmer with the autistic son!

 

Ross B. Taylor

April 2013