Penrith Stadium project wins approval

Article posted by Coliseum, November 30^th, 2024

Image: Penrith Stadium

The Penrith Stadium redevelopment has reached a major milestone with the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure granting planning consent for the project.

Penrith Stadium said that with the planning green tick of approval, a contract is expected to be awarded soon for a builder to start work early next year, with completion set for 2026.

Penrith Stadium is a rugby league and association football stadium located in Penrith, New South Wales, Australia. The 22,500-capacity venue is the home ground for the Penrith Panthers who play in the National Rugby League (NRL).

The Penrith Panthers are a New South Wales (NSW)-based Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Western Sydney suburb of Penrith, some 55 km west of the center of Sydney and at the foot of the Blue Mountains.

In July this year, three contractors were shortlisted to deliver the redevelopment. A W Edwards Pty Ltd, Hansen Yuncken and John Holland are the three candidates in the running for the work.

The winning candidate will design and develop the stadium and associated entertainment precinct.

The State Significant Development application and its supporting Environmental Impact Statement were on public exhibition from May to June 2024, with feedback addressed in the Response to Submissions in August 2024.

Penrith Stadium is set to become a superior entertainment venue, improving the experience for fans and spectators, with better seats and sightlines in new grandstands, more food outlets, amenities and recreation space, new scoreboards and ribbon boards, sound systems and lighting.

As part of the upgrade, the ground capacity is set to be increased to around 25,000 and an additional 5,000 capacity when hosting up to 10 concerts a year.

The newly designed stadium will bring fans closer to the field with premium views and larger, steeper western and eastern grandstands, boosting energy, sound and excitement for fans, teams and players.

The stadium offers a range of accessibility features to ensure an improved experience for all, as well as a 300% increase in wheelchair accessible seating, 85% increase in accessible toilets, and a significant increase in the number of women’s toilets.

It will also include upgraded player amenities, including new female friendly facilities to support the growth of women’s sport.

Additionally, the training field to the west of the stadium will be remodelled to create new quality open spaces with multipurpose courts and improved landscaping to increase shade for outdoor entertainment and community use.

More than 500 jobs will be created during construction, with a further 650 jobs to be supported once operational, providing a boost to the local economy.

The stadium will deliver employment opportunities across the food and beverage, and hospitality sectors and bring over A$270 million in construction goods and services sourced from local businesses during construction.

Infrastructure NSW has appointed project architect Populous and landscape architect Tyrell Studio to work closely with the successful contractor to build the stadium and surrounding precinct.

To facilitate the redevelopment, the stadium is expected to close after the 2024 NRL season, and re-open in 2026. Construction timeframes are subject to planning and procurement processes.

Venues NSW will operate the stadium once completed. Venues NSW have a strong track record in successfully operating similar venues across NSW, including Accor Stadium, the SCG, Allianz Stadium, McDonald Jones Stadium, WIN Stadium and CommBank Stadium.

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