STADIA Taskforce chairman John Langoulant has conceded that building a 60,000 seat stadium and a rectangular venue at the same time would be difficult for the government to achieve, even though it had the fiscal capacity to do so. Addressing a Curtin University Institute of Public Policy forum this week, Mr Langoulant spoke of the provision of public services in the context of the upcoming state budget, and set the financial and practical case for building a 60,000 seat stadium. “Whether it’s a staged redevelopment of Subiaco Oval or a complete new stadium, there will probably be little change left from $1 billion dollars,” he said. “That’s a billion dollars over five years, when in the same period the government will spend $20 million on capital.” Mr Langoulant said if expenditure were held at the capital growth estimated for budget 2006-07, then the government would save the cost of a football stadium in a single year. “We could even have enough for a rectangular stadium in two years, and still have some money left, which is something we’re thinking about,” he said. “To do both right now is a tough ask…there’s no question the government has the fiscal capacity to do this, but does the government have the fiscal will.” The taskforce modeled WA’s population growth over the next 25 years and believed over that time, there would be just enough people to fill a 60,000 seat stadium.