NSW Government withdraws from Showground upgrade

The AFL is having to rethink its plans for a second team in western Sydney after the New South Wales Government removed financial backing for its planned home venue.
The NSW Government has withdrawn from plans to fund the $100 million re-development of the Sydney Showground at Homebush, where a second AFL side was set to be based from 2012.
However, the AFL remains committed to having a second Sydney team join the competition at that time, a year after the Gold Coast franchise begins, with the ANZ Stadium now looking likely to be the main venue for the proposed club.
The ANZ Stadium has been a frequent home for the Sydney Swans, with the four games there in 2008 attracting average crowds of more than 45,000.
Sydney's The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported that "given the AFL are due to make a decision on whether to push ahead with their expansion into Western Sydney by next month, the lack of government support and a top-flight home ground would appear to be a killer blow."
It also reported that NSW Sports Minister Kevin Greene had stated that he was "reluctant to support a code that did have not numbers on the ground," and had added "in terms of sustaining a new team, the AFL need to continue getting greater participation and converting players from their developmental squad into players on the ground."
AFL NSW/ACT General Manager Dale Holmes said the funding decision by the state government did not alter the plan to have the second Sydney team up and running by 2012, stating "the process in establishing that team will unfold over the coming months with one of the key tasks being the establishment of a local western Sydney advisory committee.
"We currently have more than 35 local business, community and sporting identities who are keen to see the establishment of a new national sporting team in their region.
"The AFL has invested significantly in the development of the code to build community infrastructure and community sporting opportunities to the families of western Sydney and we will continue to do so as we move towards establishing a team."
While the Showground development will not proceed, the $30 million redevelopment of Blacktown Olympic Park into a 10,000 capacity training base for the new AFL franchise is on schedule to be completed by June.