Stadia Taskforce chairman John Langoulant conceded today that building a 60,000 seat stadium and rectangular venue at the same time would be difficult for the government to achieve but said it had the fiscal capacity to do so.
Addressing a Curtin University Institute of Public Policy forum today, 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 that if expenditure were held at the capital growth estimated for budget 2006-07, the government could save the cost of a football stadium in one 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."
He revealed the taskforce had modeled Western Australia's population growth over the next 25 years and believed over that time, there would be just enough people in the state to fill a 60,000 seat stadium.
The task force is due to present its final report to the government on March 31, however Mr Langoulant indicated it could overshoot the deadline by up to three weeks.
He said all options had been "worked to death" and were still on the table, however, the taskforce remained concerned about access to the Burswood Peninsula in the event of the stadium being located there.
The East Perth Power Station site also had inherent challenges, and the taskforce was conscious that the government may wish to relocate the WA Museum to the site.
Mistrust around the issue of governance from some sporting codes was still making the taskforce's job a difficult one, and he implored the codes to consider the stadium a community asset rather than a commercial asset.
