SYDNEY City
Council will spend $500,000 to demolish the contaminated Redfern Oval – and the
Rabbitohs won’t stop them.
The council
yesterday disclosed its development application to flatten the grandstand,
seating, scoreboard, spectator hills and fencing.
The DA
revealed the 76-year-old oval contains a cocktail of potentially hazardous
substances, including alarming levels of lead, mercury and possibly asbestos.
Environmental
consultants MPL recommended demolition – to cost $500,000 – could proceed under
expert safety supervision.
Levelling
the Rabbitohs’ spiritual burrow is stage one of a $19 million plan to convert
the site into an ultra-modern training centre for Souths and a park for
residents.
Six years
in the making, the mooted project has raised considerable ire at Souths because
its 8000 capacity does not deliver a stadium suitable for NRL matches.
The
football club and its loyal sponsor, the Construction Forestry Mining and
Energy Union, slapped a green ban on Redfern last year.
The
alliance soured yesterday when Souths effectively withdrew from the fight,
sparking accusations of “treachery” from the CFMEU.
Rabbitohs
chairman Nick Pappas said the club had to be content with getting “a
first-class training facility” in its backyard.
“In an
ideal world we’d love to play three or four matches at Redfern each
season,” he said. “But we’ve got to draw a line in the sand and
accept what’s offered.”
The council
DA will remain on display for public comment until March 13.
If the DA
is approved, demolition of the oval is expected to begin mid-year.
http://dailytelegraph.news.com.au/story/0,20281,18104254-5001022,00.html
Detailsd of the DA can be found at:
http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/Development/DAsOnExhibition/details.asp?tpk=782193