World Cup Bid Boost for Regional Stadia

Regional stadia on the east coast of the country including Townsville's Dairy Farmers Stadium, Newcastle's Energy Australia Stadium and Canberra's Bruce Stadium will be redeveloped as part of Australia's bid to host the 2018 or 2022 FIFA World Cup.

While Sydney's ANZ Stadium and Sydney Football Stadium, Melbourne's MCG and Etihad Stadium, Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium and potential venues in Adelaide and Perth will head the list to host games, Australia will need 12 venues with a minimum capacity of 40,000 to meet the requirement of the sport's governing body, Federation Internationale de Football Association's (FIFA).

However, Football Federation Australia (FFA) Chairman Frank Lowy has previously stated a desire for 16 venues to host the event.

To reach the 12 venues, one of the Gold Coastâs stadia, either Carrara Stadium or Skilled Park, would also have its capacity increased for the event while games may also be held at an expanded WIN Stadium in Wollongong or at a venue in Sydney's west.

The FFA is currently in advanced discussion with bosses of rival codes AFL and NRL to take an eight week mid-season break during the June-July tournament to free up the venues based on FIFA's requirement that venues are used for no other events during, and in the month prior, to the World Cup.

Stadiums Queensland have said they would support upgrading stadia in Townsville and on the Gold Coast as part of the push to attract the world's biggest sporting spectacle.

A spokesman advised "the Queensland Government has indicated in-principle support for the FFA bid and we are working with the Commonwealth and other state and territory governments to consider the FIFA bid requirements and the implications for government."

The Townsville Bulletin has also reported that Townsville Mayor Les Tyrell said an upgrade of Dairy Farmers Stadium to a 40,000 seat world-class venue would rubber-stamp the city's credentials to host major events, Mayor Tyrell saying "I think it is a great recognition that we are being considered to host those sorts of matches.

"We had a couple of matches for the Rugby League World Cup and we had three matches for the Rugby Union World Cup and obviously our capacity to host those major events has led to us being considered for a football World Cup.

"It indicates that the State Government has confidence in the city and the stadium to host those events."

Dairy Farmers Stadium's long-serving tenants the North Queensland Cowboys would benefit the most from a major upgrade as would its newest tenants the North Queensland Fury.

North Queensland Cowboys Executive Director Peter Parr welcomed talks of an upgrade but said he hoped it would take place before 2018, stating "Stadiums Queensland has been very supportive over the last number of years.

"We have been in continual dialogue with them to continue to upgrade the stadium, in particular the western grandstand.

"We are hopefully that something would happen before 2018 but if the (FIFA) World Cup was to come here and if that was the catalyst for it to happen that we would obviously be all for it."

Image: Townsville's Dairy Farmers Stadium 

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